While reading the Dec. 10 article, “Drewel rebukes council over budget modifications,” I noted a quote from Executive Drewel that jumped out at me. According to The Herald, Drewel said the council lacked the “political courage” to pass a 1 percent property tax.
Huh? When did it become necessary to possess “political courage” to increase our taxes? There is a private citizen in this state who organized an initiative to lower our taxes and he had people show up at his home to protest. When almost 60 percent of us voted in favor of that initiative, The Herald called us “greedy simpletons” in print. Don’t forget the court’s efforts to override the will of the people. Has any of this ever happened to anyone attempting to increase our taxes?
It’s not Mr. Drewel’s money! Our ideas for spending any wealth we earn may not be as lofty as his ideas, but thankfully we still have the freedom to make that decision. I submit that maybe it was those members on the council who decided not to raise our taxes who actually showed “political courage” as well as compassion for the working class. The council could show even more political courage by reducing our taxes and its spending. That idea is kryptonite to most politicians, but that would be the true measure of political courage.
Using the executive’s reasoning, I guess Halliburton was just using political courage when it increased its charges. I hope the working class can afford more of Drewel’s political courage in his next job.
Marysville
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