(continued)
I am getting wake up phone calls asking so what is next? What can we do D-Bell?
Vote carefully “NO” on this and any tax in the future. Let’s send our elected officials a strong and unified message. ”No tax increase for anything – ever. Not until our elected officials listen to us and actually do something about these Draconian property taxes.”
People, our county and local governments and legislative “leadership” have broken faith with us. They have recently allowed – without any relief – property taxation to increase more than thirty percent (30% in the Ogden Valley) and twenty percent (20%) in the Ogden Metro areas. And 11.6% average Statewide. Greater than one hundred percent (100%) property tax increases are not uncommon. They have lost credibility with “we the people”. And credibility is a very fragile thing. “It is like saying the “F” word in front of your mother…you can’t take it back”.
Understand please, “we” are not against all tax increases. We understand that core services need adequate funding sources. And equitable tax levies fairly placed are logical extensions of citizen service requirements and expectations. But there comes a time when we all need “a time out”. And since nothing else is seemingly working effectively to get elected official’s attention, this seems a very appropriate time to boycott all taxation increases for any and all reasons. It seems one of several viable alternatives to turn the system against itself in our own defense until our representatives figure it out and chase us to regain a leadership role for which we elected them.
For details about why specifically to “just say no” to transit or transportation dedicated sales tax increases the following is offered for your consideration:
(a) We already are paying 42.9 cents a gallon for “transportation” and rank 24th in the Country. (July ’07 Tax Foundation, Census Bureau)
(b) We already passed a ¼ cent sales tax to fund commuter rail in 2000 (in Weber Co.). So what is this endless additional ¼ cent sales tax increase? We are already promised commuter rail service (Frontrunner transit system) in 2008 with service to/from Ogden/Salt Lake City. And there is another 1/4 percent which already also goes to mass transit.
(c) Utah transportation revenue from gasoline and diesel a/o July ’07, $359,218,000, $140.87/capita (Source: American Petroleum Institute, Tax Foundation)
(d) Vehicle license fees and registration bring in additional funds: FY 2007-08 Revenue Summary, Transportation (includes Motor Fuel Tax, Special Fuel Taxes, Motor vehicle Registration fees) is $400,140,000. (Source: Utah State Tax Commission, Economic and statistical unit, October 15, 2007).
(e) The Division of Motor Vehicles already charges a $10 fee for corridor preservation in Davis. Weber County has something called an “Age based uniform fee”? What is this? In Davis Co. it is “earmarked” for corridor preservation. And we also have another $10 transportation fee for corridor preservation in Weber County which has already become effective July 1st of this year. And it brings in yet another one and one half million ($1,500,000) dollars a year.
(f) Ever travel outside Utah? Ever gas up and notice how many States actually post (usually a small sticker or decal) the Federal and State Taxes on each gas pump? Why doesn’t Utah want us to know this information? Where is “Truth in Taxation”?
(g) Each one cent of fuel tax raises about $13,000,000 of which 75% goes to UDOT and 25% goes to local roads (Source: Office of Utah Legislative Research and General Counsel)
(h) Using the above, 43 cents generates $559,000,000 of which $419,250,000 goes to UDOT and $139,750,000 goes to local roads. (This is a conservative estimate based upon 2004 factoring from the Legislative General Counsel)
(i) It is well known/published that non-highway uses of Gasoline Tax Revenue are near pandemic across our Country. “Earmarking” federal highway funds for specific, local projects allows for an ever-increasing barrage of politically motivated pork barrel spending.
- $6 million for graffiti elimination, NY
- $2.95 million for film about state roads, Alaska
- $2.2 million to construct a waterfront esplanade at Fort Totten in NY
- $8 million for a Harlem Hospital garage
- $ 4 Million on national Packard Museum in Warren, Ohio, and the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Mich.
- $2.4 million on a Red River National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center in Louisiana
- $1.2 million to install lighting and steps and equip an interpretative facility at the Blue Ridge Music Center
(Source: Taxpayers for Common Sense at http://www.taxpayer.net/Transportation/safetealu/states.htm)
(j) Given how our elected “leadership” has acquiesced to the Utah Realty Association driven and unchecked “current market value” property assessment increases. And given the unbridled increased resultant taxes and lost credibility and confidence of a statewide constituency, why would we trust them with yet even more tax money? Tax money for any reasons what-so-ever?
(k) “The mayor reported Commuter Rail is 45% complete. They have procured the majority of the right-of-ways; they are well into the construction phase and relocating utilities. The Legislature in special session passed an optional ¼ cent transportation sales tax in 2006. Weber and Davis Counties have chosen to wait and see before enacting it. If this sales tax is implemented all the money would go directly to Weber Co. to be used for Weber Co. projects. Weber Co. will have more authority on making final determination on projects. In terms of money it will provide, it would bring in $7,500,000* per year additional.” (Source: Mayor during Huntsville Town Council Minutes, Sept. 2006)
* Desert Morning News, Dougherty, June 27, 2007, Disputes these figures and information; “If passed by voters, the county would collect about $8.7 million a year starting in 2008. About $2 million would have to be used to purchase land for future roads or road expansion, known as corridor preservation. Potential projects in Davis, Weber and southern Box Elder counties include road construction and widening for east-west roads, corridor preservation for a North Legacy Parkway from Davis to Weber County, various transit projects and an extension of commuter rail from Pleasant View to Brigham City with a potential stop near Willard Bay.”
(l) Fast forward one year to Sept. 2007. Dave Hartman welcomed by mayor representing Ogden Weber Chamber (of Commerce). “He gave a quick overview of what the transportation initiative is all about…..voters to choose whether they have a ¼ cent sales tax, directly for transportation and transit development. It will also include the opportunity for the local governments to completely control those monies that would go directly to the county instead of the state coffers. Back in 2000 we passed a resolution to fund commuter rail, with ¼ cent sales tax (in Weber County). We are now about to see the fruition of that. The Frontrunner transit system should be up and running this coming spring.” (Source: Mayor during Huntsville Town Council minutes, Sept 2007).
(m) Federal Transit Administration signed a letter of intent to fund 20% to build four (4) new light rail lines and commuter rail (Frontrunner) to Provo. Anticipated funding is $500,000,000 …..With the rest of the funds coming from SLC and Utah County residents funding the balance with sales taxes. (Oct 2007, Desert Morning News article by Joseph Doughtery)
After what we have seen in Ogden Valley, Huntsville, and across the entire Weber County…the entire STATE, you need to ask yourself, “Do I trust these people?” “Can they be trusted to spend another $8,000,000 (County only) on top of the allocations they already get from us and the State into the hundreds of millions, to spend it on roads? Or is it right of ways already purchased? Or is it some special nice to have project like grants for asphalt strips going nowhere for bikers or horses? Or “Swat Team Training Centers”, etc.?
You decide. Reminds one of the Alaskan bridges to nowhere only with a new twist... “Please chip in another ¼ cent (one-half cent total adding the 2000 tax increase for transit) increase. We really need another $17,400,000 from you tax payers in guaranteed funds over and above the billions we are already donating to transportation a year. And we need and want it FOREVER with no end date. Very curious.
As the idiom of the day goes to the lobbyists and elected “Idioms”…”GET OUT OF TOWN!!!” Or “Get a grip!” as we used to say back during the day. No new taxes. No more tax ever until and unless elected officials at every level acknowledge what they have done to us instead of for us. And make it right “for us”.
