So, the '05 budget is on the table for Spokane. It does not look good at all. Some how, we ended up living in the 12th highest taxed state ($2,113.88 per capita, compared with our neighbors in Idaho who are taxed at $1,716.21 per capita) and we still have shortfalls in government budgets.
In Spokane, we will have a $ 20 million shortfall in Police/EMT/Fire services ($ 64 million spent out of $84 million requested), a $10 million shortfall in the Traffic department ($ 6.6 million spent out of $17 million requested) and a $ 13.8 million shortfall in the rest ($43.2 million requested and $29.4 million spent).
So, we are in the hole by almost $44 million! According to the CFO of Spokane, we are loosing 63 fire fighters, 17 police and a host of other jobs. These jobs are being cut - these people are already working protecting us, and now they will be unemployed. And, we still have a cable TV channel.
So, if we would just all buck up about 200 more dollars, we would raise our taxes even more, and yet be able to afford safe streets - not safe streets as in streets with out potholes, but streets with cops patrolling. And, at $2,300 per capita in taxes, we would be between 8th and 9th place in most heavily taxed states.
What's wrong with this picture? When is this rampant spending going to stop? When are the politicos and bosses going to realize that higher taxes are not the way to increase tax revenue? (Read this for more information on the history of this topic)
I am a proponent of flat taxes, as well as a sales tax rather then an income tax. At all levels.
If the Fed would implement a simple 15% sales tax, and remove all of the other taxes, it would generate a whopping 1.7 trillion dollars a year! Since (in 2004) the IRS took in 1.9 trillion dollars (before refunds etc), I think that this is a very realistic approach. We, on average, pay out about 20 to 30% in income taxes right now, so this would allow us to keep more of our money in our pocket (which, I am sure that we would spend, which would ramp up the economy, which would generate more money, which we would spend etc.).
If the states would follow this idea, and put their, say, 10% on top of that we would never need to fill out a tax form again! Oh Happy Days!
-Tsyko
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
3 comments:
You know, living in Idaho does have the benefit of being a red state instead of blue, which of course means that we don't hand out all the freebies that people get in Washington as far as Health and Welfare and other programs people abuse the hell out of. Granted, there are issues here that would be well suited to be taken care of also, but we don't have that tax issue.
Yeah.. but I still would cut handouts and keep cops and firefighters on the street. Handouts are nice if you have lots of cash to spend, but we do not!
Yeah, I here that. You know, everytime I see something happen like this, it just makes you want to strangle the council. What a corrupt bunch of losers.
Post a Comment