Officials addicted to taxing the people

Published 9:00 pm Tuesday, October 8, 2002

Within days after the proposed Snohomish County jail tax was defeated in the primary election, County Executive Bob Drewel announced that he would recommend placing the proposed jail tax back on the ballot in early 2003. He also has suggested that we use the available Tulalip superfund site to build a transitional facility for criminals so they would have a nice place to stay.

And he wants to put a $75 fee on those persons who have alarm systems in their homes because the sheriff, if needed, cannot respond to your home, sometimes for hours. Instead of fining the people who abuse their alarm systems, let’s penalize all of the people; that is only the right and fair thing to do.

With the highest PUD rates in the state, proposed and approved library bonds, school bonds and levies, fire bonds, jail tax, hospital bonds, a proposed state increase of 9.5 cents in a gas tax – which also includes increases in trucking fees which will lead to higher retail prices for all taxpayers – a proposed regional road tax and the light rail tax package, why don’t the elected officials show some real initiative?

I suggest they tax all of the citizens of our county for the air they breath. You could also determine how much air a person breathes when they are out working extra to pay all of the required taxes. The elected officials would have all of the money they ever wanted to fund any project or program that they wanted. This would make all of their constituents happy. Now that is what I would call real leadership. The alternative is to send all of our elected officials to treatment and a twelve-step program like any other addict. In this case, their addiction is excessive and unreasonable taxes.

Snohomish