| My dog had puppies levy. Yep, my dog had puppies
and we need a levy to help take of them. Now my levy probably won't
get passed because it doesn't have any of the key levy buzz words,
like children, schools, mental or public health, fire department,
police department or senior citizens. In years past if a levy had
these key buzz words in it, it passed. No questions were asked of
these organizations and no accountability. Those days are gone.
After the property tax jolt we got this spring from the tax auditor and the illusion of how fair market value is determined for a fair property tax, I don't need any more taxes. Instead of sticking your hand out and wanting a levy, show me what you have done to cut cost, how you have managed or not managed your organization and how you are going to operate in the future within a budget. I have a budget, don't you? Then we have what I call slick-marketing techniques: "Your taxes will only go up $4.37 on a $100,000 house." Or, "This is not a new tax; it's a renewal of an old tax." It's a tax. The only way you can deal with this I-need-a-levy frenzy is to vote. Your vote does count. The people who want these levies band together and vote. Knowing that a lot of people in Muskingum County don't go and vote, for whatever reason, the levy passes, needed or not and everyone pays the price. Another tax. Remember the Zanesville City Schools levy last November that failed? The money was paid and we had a special election in February and it passed. That was a snow job. They knew that people probably wouldn't go vote in February, except those that wanted it and they were right. Wake up, people. This is not the 1950s. We're not a bunch of dumb-hick farmers who can be fooled by buzz words. Demand accountability, but vote. Don't let a few decide the taxing fate of everyone else.Glenn Moore |