County property tax payers will soon be hit with a monumental tax increase. In addition, for months we have been subjected to propaganda supporting yet another school tax increase. Unfortunately, recent articles reveal that much of the money the county collects in taxes are slated to be spent on projects and programs benefitting only limited segments of county residents. Consider: on August 6th we were told that the EDA had been approached by the Superior Cycling Association seeking funds to coordinate all “trail efforts” in the county.
On August 13 there was an article informing us that the county commissioners had decided to “donate” up to $175,000 to find solutions to developing “work-force housing.” The motion was passed by a 3-2 vote. Somehow I suspect that the three generous commissioners do NOT intend to contribute their own funds to this charity. Only commissioners Moe and Gamble voted against this proposal. Commissioner Jan Sivertson assures us, however, that “This seems like a really good investment.”
Finally, on 22 October we were informed that the IRRRB was going to be supplying $600,000 in grants toward funding over $3,000,000 worth of airport, “workforce housing,” and golf course projects. Does anybody have the slightest doubt about where the remaining $2.4 million will be coming from? Why we need nearly $900,000 for renovating and enlarging the airport’s “arrival/departure” building, and a similar amount to “renovate and reconstruct the Superior National (Canyon section) golf course” is anybody’s guess.
However, the real scam here is the issue of “workforce housing.” Apparently endless taxpayer housing subsidies are needed to attract new residents. If any of these proposals had a shred of economic viability associated with it, it would be accomplished via the private sector. We can only hope that the “powers that be” don’t discover that our newly-arrived residents need commuter vehicles!
Cook County has a history of saddling taxpayers with projects that result in never-ending financial burdens with only limited usefulness and benefit, e.g., the ACA and YMCA. Inextricably joining these facilities with the school borders on the criminal. These issues, when combined with the coming hike in county taxes, and the push for additional school taxes beg the question: When is enough, enough?
If you are sick and tired of being the county’s cash cow there is one option: vote against your commissioner if he/she has supported any of these proposals.
Nevin D. Holmberg
Hovland
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