utility tax extension

By David L. Margrave

More Utlilty Tax Revenue. To much money for far too long, no specified use, no restrictions on use and limited ability for citizens to pay during this economic downturn.

To be sure a lot of people are opposed to this ten year Utility Tax extension. Granting City officials ten more years of an unknown amount of money, for unknown expenses just seems wrong to me. This could be as much as 60 million dollars redirected from residents pockets to be pocketed by City employees. Of course, it's claimed that we are securing our future if we give them more of our hard earned pay; the deeper they have their hand in our pockets the more secure they become. They have proven they have no intentions of fixing our streets or sewers, only there futures. What's next? A new improved tax on the water we use? Sorry thats been done already.

It's also claimed that this Utility Tax is a City revenue source beyond the reach of County, State or Federal lawmakers. Nothing could be further from the truth! If we show the County and State officals we can provide necessary services without their help or money whats to stop them from cutting even more of the funds they provide to us. . The more we are willing to pay ourselves the less they need to send us. No one can say how much this latest money grab will cost us with any specificity, but we can say its way to much.

Someone other than myself needs to verify that the Utility tax revenue is beyond the reach of Sacramento or Washington politicians as proclaimed by proponents. The use of the words Sacramento politicians by these Utility Tax proponents seems to be used in a derogatory, confiscatory manner. What about the local Council politicians, are they any more trust worthy? The more we give to any politician the more they need to make us secure. These same people we have elected refuse to look at lower cost solutions which could obtain lower costs for our City.

Various City officials like to boast that our Police and Fire Departments respond in 3 minutes or less, this is not a remarkable response time, rather quite normal. The Sheriffs in La Canada do the same and better, for a much less cost per household. Check it out, call La Canada City Hall to compare what is paid and what is recieved.

Hopefully the Citizens of South Pasadena reject this 10 year money grab and cause officials to rethink employee wages and benefits. What happens then? Don't panic, the 3 and 5 percent Utility Taxes in place today shall not expire until 2013 and 2015 respectively. Let's wait until such time as we can afford to pay more taxes or fees. I suggest we wait until the 2013 Utility Taxes expire and experience the new roadways and sidewalks promised to be built with current utility tax revenue.

One thing we can all agree upon right now is this, the more any government body gets ahold of, the more secure it becomes and the less secure in our personal freedoms we are.