County officials make same old same excuses for raising taxes

Editor:

I’m reading the county’s excuses for raising taxes 3.25 percent on the Hub and I can’t help but having sad violin music going through my head.

The tear festival of baloney – “We lost this,” “Inflation,” “The State,” “Medicaid,” “Health Insurance” – blah, blah, blah. This is the same sad song that I was hearing 20 years ago and as recent as four or five years ago when I actually would bother to go to budget hearings and the CAO would play the same somber funeral dirge PowerPoint of why they have to raise taxes. (It was like being at a funeral.)

Meanwhile the Government Industrial Complex continues to grow and grow. They know costs will rise yet they do five-year contracts. They are taking in more money than they ever have in county history, yet boohoo.

Then they go and spend $250,000 on the Bank of America building and $1.5 million on the GCC campus taking those off the tax rolls. Where did the money come from? If you’re so strapped why would you do that? No wonder people are leaving here.

Now the taxpayers have to maintain the buildings. I’m sure the legislators are all patting themselves on the back, saying this is a great budget. (Go to a meeting, back-patting is a regular performance.)

One wonders with that photo of the CAO smiling like a Cheshire Cat, is he flipping us taxpayers the bird? Nobody cares and they know that.

Paul Lauricella

Yates