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Smaller Government and Lower Taxes = Prosperity for All

Former Secretary of State Colin Powell said on 4 May 2009 that:
“Americans do want to pay taxes for services,” he said. “Americans are looking for more government in their life, not less.”

I don’t remember Colin Powel having a survey of the American people on Taxes and “More” Government in their lives. At least, I don’t remember getting this survey. Folks, we need less Government and Lower Taxes, not the opposite. Government does not know how best to run your lives, you do. Once you give up making your own decisions in your life to the Government, you will become dependent on the Government and loose your self determination.

And whether it is President Obama expanding Government, or our Local County Commissioners, there should be concern on the intrusion into our Lives and Liberties. Commissioner Larry Jarboe had tried to consolidate our County Government so to help the Taxpayers of Saint Mary’s by lessoning the Tax Burden imposed. Unfortunately, only Commissioner Jarboe sees the light for he was outvoted on the consolidation he proposed. Once you enlarge Government, some groups will be intoxicated with their obtained power that these “agendas” will surface. Left un-checked, they will run amuck and push agendas not necessarily in the Public Interest. I have seen this already in Saint Mary’s County Government and it needs to stop and these groups held accountable.

Last week I saw the following headline:

“57 Percent Tax Looms for Biggest Earners in NYC”
“New York’s top income bracket could reach as high as 57 percent — rates not seen in three decades — to pay for the massive health coverage proposed by House Democrats this week.” (The New York Post, Thursday, July 16, 2009)
I

magine that, 57% of your hard earned income will go to the Government. The Government may call this a “Tax”, I call this “Stealing”. This will result in the stifling of the work ethic. Why should I work hard to make a good living if Government will come in and take more then Half of it? These Tax and Spend folks just don’t get it. If you Tax the Heck out of folks, why should they work. In fact you will observe the opposite of Government collecting this Tax money. The “Underground” economy will grow where folks pay for services via Cash so that their income will not get taxed at all. Of course we in Saint Mary’s County have not seen Taxes this high, but we are not seeing our Taxes go down any either.

President Gerald Ford once said:
“A government big enough to give you everything you want is a government big enough to take from you everything you have. “ (Presidential address to a joint session of Congress,12 August 1974)

So next time our County Government increase your Taxes and Expand Government, it is not necessarily a good thing no matter how they may try to spin it. Smaller Government and Lower Taxes is always a good thing and will equal Prosperity for All.

Conservatism Takes More

Then Just Listening

Kenny Dement wrote in the Enterprise on June 5th, 2009 that he was a "Listening Commissioner". Well it takes more then just "Listening" to be a County Commissioner.

I will be honest right up front. I am a Conservative Republican and believe in fiscal responsibility. Currently the only County Commissioner I see exercising fiscal responsibility is Commissioner Larry Jarboe. Unfortunately Commissioner Jarboe is out voted by all the other Commissioners pushing a "Tax and Spend" agenda that needs to stop in this depressed economy. Listening is just part of being a County Commissioner, being fiscal responsible is another.

When I read Kenny Dement’s Enterprise article some more, it reads there was no way to cut taxes without cutting other needed services. Let’s take a look at some of those much needed services:

1. Wicomico Shores Golf Course, Restaurant and Bar

2. Hayden Farm Land Acquisition

(Wicomico Shores Golf Course, Restaurant and Bar): When the County Government took over the Wicomico Shores Golf Course the first thing they did was do an expansion of the Golf Course Clubhouse. The cost of the construction went $1 Million Dollars over budget in 2007. Phil Rollins, Head of Parks and Recreation, had the following comment:

"It’s a guessing game in this market," Rollins said of the construction costs. "It ended up costing a million dollars more than we were hoping." (28 June 2007, Washington Post)

Of course if you or I had done this "Over Budget" of $1 Million would have cost us our job, but when the Government is doing business, they just throw more money at it. And how is the Golf Course doing now. Well Mr. Rollins had the following comment:

"Mr. Rollins referred to the Riverview Restaurant profit and loss statement….he noted that, as expected, the restaurant has been operating at a loss since it opened." Mr. Rollins "noted that the total operation, the golf course and restaurant, is in the red." (Wicomico Shores Golf Course Advisory Board Meeting minutes, 18 Feb 2009)

Well in the "Red" means $190,974.00 according to the Financial Report in the Wicomico Shores Golf Course Advisory Board Meeting Minutes dated Wednesday, January 14, 2009.

You would think by this time County Government would cut Taxpayers losses and get out of this business venture. Well you guessed wrong. This Tax Burden now has a place in the FY10 County Budget on the order of $1,887,415.

Government is not a good businessman, nor is it their function. They need to get a real business to take over the Golf Course, Restaurant and Bar, and get this Tax Burden off the backs of County Taxpayers.

(Hayden Farm deal $5.3 million): I talked about this "Great Deal" in a previous article. Why in God’s name would anyone pay more for something when they already had information it was worth less. Well when it is your Tax Dollars the Government is spending, I guess fiscal responsibility goes out the window. Folks, our County Government paid $5.3 million for this property when they had in hand previous appraised values for about $3 million. Only Commissioner Jarboe had the wisdom and was the only one to vote against this deal. Our economy is in decline, so why not tighten our belts and wait for a better land deal to come about. We are all feeling the economic pinch at home, so why not our elected officials.

When I used to fly on Base for Test and Evaluation, we used to do the "No Vote" and still do. This meant quite simply that if anyone had an issue with a test flight, they could say so and the flight would be canceled. Similarly, why isn’t there such a "No Vote" if the Commissioners see something being voted upon without the Public being allowed input? The Hayden Farm Deal is a great example of this. Why was the hearing held on Christmas Eve last year? A "No Vote" should have been issued that some agenda was being pushed though County Government without the Public being made available for input. Of course County Government personnel who scheduled the meeting will say the Public were welcome, but on "Christmas Eve", they have got to be kidding.

There are other examples of fiscal irresponsibility, but these two examples are taking a big chunk out of the Tax Payers pocket.

It is one thing to say you are a Conservative and are fiscally responsible; it is another to live it. Being labeled a Conservative is not something you pay an annual fee to be enrolled in. Too many times we see Politicians running on the Conservative Ticket, only to revert to Non-Conservative Tax and Spend policies once elected.

Listening is just part of being a County Commissioner, being fiscal responsible is another.

Constant Yield Tax Rate for Property Tax "Needs" to be Implemented

With the current economy in a down turn, "Increased Taxes" is not a good idea. I am sure most of you can relate to the increased assessment values of our property and the resulting increased Property Tax that will soon result. In fact, many of these assessments are so high; I would like to see the property actually sell for the assessed price. I would like to see at least a Constant Yield Tax Rate being applied to help with the Tax Burden of Saint Mary’s Residents.

Folks, I attended the Tea Party held at Chopticon High School last Tuesday, which was the same evening that our County Commissioners held a Public Meeting on whether to adopt a Constant Yield Tax Rate or not. I listened to what was discussed at the Tea Party and was in full agreement. These folks were not what some in the news media had labeled as just anti-government people, but were folks like you and I who get up in the morning, work hard all day, and go home to do it all over again the next day. And if you have kids, that is just another level added too. These folks had just had enough of an endless increase of Tax and Spend policies with no end in sight. It just seems like some of the County Commissioners think the good people of Saint Mary’s are their personnel Piggy Bank where they can tap into whenever so to cover excessive County Government spending. This lack of Fiscal Responsibility is wrong and needs to stop.

While I attended the Tea Party, Commissioner Kenny Dement was on me like a tick and he was not spreading Lyme Disease, only his excuses for Higher Taxes. This occurred when Commissioner Larry Jarboe spoke, and Commissioner Jarboe told how lower taxes were done in the past, and the County still had a balanced budget. At this time, Commissioner Kenny Dement talked in my ear and said there was "No Way" they could lower taxes and pay for all the County needs. Well off the top of my head, here are some things that "Could Have" been done to lessen the Burden on the Tax Payer:

Hayden Farm deal $5.3 million: This is pretty simple, why pay for something when you have previous appraised values for about $3 million. Most of the County Commissioners voted to buy it for $5.3 million with the exception of Commissioner Jarboe. My other point, in such harder times, why buy the property at all and look for better deals. Of course the County Government had this meeting last Christmas Eve, which is another example of sneaking things through so to circumvent the Tax Paying Public.

Replacement of the Director at Land Use and Growth Management: Commissioner Larry Jarboe had a good idea of Fiscal Responsibility by trying to consolidating this position with a yearly savings of $140,000 to the Tax payer. Unfortunately the other County Commissioners did not see the light and voted to re-seat this position and add another Tax Burden to our Tax Payers. I truly believe only Commissioner Larry Jarboe has "Fiscal Responsibility" in his vocabulary.

Wicomico Shores Golf Course Restaurant: This is a good one. The County Government is running a restaurant and bar. Folks, Government is not a good businessman and if they fail, they just get more money to pay for the losses. I know, for I used to be a Government Employee for 13+ years, and if something is not making money, funding comes in to make up the difference.

Well now the County Commissioners have another chance to Lesson this Yoke of Increased Taxes by voting "Yes" for the Constant Yield Tax Rate. We will see soon if they learn the meaning of Fiscal Responsibility.

Lyme Disease at Elms Property Should be of More Concern to School Board then Hunters

Guest Commentary by Richard Johnson

The Elm’s Beach property, located 5.7 miles south of the Pax River Main Gate, was purchased back in 1974 by the Maryland as an alternate Power Plant site. Until a Power Plant becomes a reality, Public Hunting and an Environmental Education Center use the property. The Elms has been getting much attention recently with the Public being made aware of the historical land grabs by the Elms Advisory Committee (EAC), and the additional fact of the General Public being barred from the use of the property used by the School Board. The School Board, which dominates the voting of the EAC, has said these land grabs were implemented "to protect the Children" from the dangers of the Hunting Public. Maybe once the School Board re-educate themselves on the real danger at the Elms, they will welcome the Hunting Public vice trying to eliminate this Southern Maryland Heritage.

Here is the Elm’s Story:

The EAC was created to over see the Elm’s property in the Public Interest, for both the Public Hunting and Environmental Education Center use, though the agenda has focused predominately on the EEC, with Public Hunting use getting reduced as time goes on. Again, the School Board claims this extension of the EEC Boundary is all for the Safety of the Children from the Hunting Public. Well the EAC may now be making the Elms Education Center more of a danger to our Children then they think with more exposure to Lyme Disease since deer not held in check, allow the Black-Legged Tick to thrive.

The Washington Post Metro section dated April 8, 2009 had an interesting article on cases of Lyme Disease Soaring in Maryland and Virginia. In fact it states:

"The most recent statistics show that Lyme disease reports more then doubled in Virginia and Maryland from 2006 to 2007."

What was also interesting was that Maryland tops overall on the number of Lyme Disease Cases with a whopping 45.8 Cases per 100,000 people shown in Figure 1.

The EAC proudly said at the 31 March BOCC meeting that the Elms Environmental Center has had up to 7000 students at the facility per year and that the numbers will increase in years to come. Given the current statistics in figure 1 for Maryland, this would mean 3.2 of our kids will come down with this dreadful disease. And these numbers are probably higher in reality according to Pediatrician; Karen Kingry.

"She points out that the number of cases in children might be even higher were it not for a single fact: Most young children, in the course of an average year, have some other illness that requires the same antibiotic treatment used for Lyme disease. So the drugs administered for an earache might also combat an unnoticed case of Lyme disesase."

And now the question comes as to whether the EAC/School Board is aware of this problem. Well it is a know fact that trails currently being built in the EEC Land Lease area can only be done during certain times of the year due to the Problem of Ticks. This information came to me from my friend Steve Riley who is an active Board Member of the EAC and supporter of Public Hunting. Unbelievable. Yet the EAC/School Board knowingly wants to limit or eliminate Public Hunting, allow the Black-Legged Tick to thrive, and spread Lyme disease to our Children. So much for "Protecting the Children."

Folks, this is terrible. Being a parent and a Hunter, I am fully aware of the tick cycle and deer are part of that cycle. In addition to being a parent and Hunter, I am engineer. Here is an equation the School Board and EAC need to learn:

Less Hunting=More Deer=More Black Legged Ticks=More Cases of Lyme Disease

On 21 April the Elms Beach decision will be made by the Saint Mary’s Board of County Commissioners. It is hoped that property taken in the past years from the Hunting Public will once again be returned. It is also hoped that a Southern Maryland Tradition of Hunting does not die, only that the utilization of the Hunting Public will prevent the spread of this dreadful disease of Lyme Disease.