Comments on: Board Tables Economic Development Tax

By: Richard

Richard — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 15:44:30 +0000

John,

I respectfully disagree that “any” tax should be subject to voter approval. We have a representative democracy, not a plebiscite democracy.

We elect people to make decisions and we hold them accountable to those decisions in future elections. The idea that every little tax and decision needs to be put to the voters is becoming silly.

I am as critical as anyone of the Board and some of their actions, but I’m not so knee jerk as to believe that they are entirely incapable of making reasonable decisions about fiscal matters in the county.

I am growing resentful of the anti-tax crowd that seeks to choke of government from doing much if anything at all. Public investments are critcal, the national highway system, schools, the University of Michigan, heck the internet started as a public investment even the military.

I wish that folks like you would take a step back and make an effort to understand the value of public investments. I think you might be surprised.

And…for the record, I am not an employee of the County and do not stand to gain one nickel from the millage.

By: John Floyd

John Floyd — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 04:23:55 +0000

That the legislature has seen fit to create a loophole of non-accountability on local taxation does not mean that using it is a good idea. Even if one buys into the legislature’s odd reasoning (“it’s OK to require voter approval on some taxes, but not on others”), and buys into the premise that this particular tax might “create jobs” (?), there is no apparent requirement that the creation of jobs, resulting from this tax, be documented. It seems that as long as the commissioners declare that a tax will “create jobs”, anything goes.

ANY tax that the county (or city, or township) proposes to raise should be subject to voter approval; any organization receiving tax dollars for “creating jobs” (don’t they really mean “attracting? “) should be required to document jobs attracted, and demonstrate (not merely assert) that the jobs came to Washtenaw only because of the use of tax dollars.

There is no connection between attracting agricultural jobs with tax dollars, and attracting industrial jobs with tax dollars. Each activity should stand on its own, they should not be bundled.

By: Kim Richardson

Kim Richardson — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 21:14:13 +0000

Kudos to the Chronicle for great local coverage.
Mark Ouimet has politicized a vote that could help a lot of needy (and worthy) local groups. Act 88 is a find; it is a little nugget of gold that can provide funding for many in the area. Let’s pass the resolution and hold off on the jockeying for 2010 races until after the new year.

By: Judith Foy

Judith Foy — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 19:46:17 +0000

Great coverage, Judy McGovern!
Just to make clear – without possible frustration. The Road Commission, though accessible through the County’s web site (www.ewashtenaw.org) has it’s own, separate web site – reflecting it as a separate entity from the County.(www.wcroads.org)…just in case readers need road/street info in coming wintry months!