Taxpayer Apathy Crisis?

As I write this, there are 101 comments posted in response to the article “McFee Storms Out of Executive Session” (04/05/12).  It is pleasing to see that much conversation on an issue of importance to the town.

What is appalling, however, is the almost total lack of comment on the articles “ and . The subjects of these articles are of even more importance to the taxpayers of the town than the McFee incident.

The McFee incident is basically political.  The other two issues are financial and have direct and severe impact on the citizens and businesses of the town. 

When my income decreased, I had to examine my spending to stay within my means and avoid debt. Unfortunately government, particularly local government, has no income limitations. Local government, when tax revenues decrease, has two options. First the government can reduce spending to stay within the revenues available. The second option is to raise taxes to meet the perceived need regardless of the ability of the taxpayer to meet the demand.

As is evident, and documented in the Patch articles of 04/09 and 04/10/12 as well as the town website, the town government is doing two things. The first is to gather revenue by any means possible outside of taxes (fee increases already adopted).  The second is to ignore the fiscal reality of the economy and plow ahead with a supposedly “flat” budget. 

Businesses will pass the fee increases to their customers, who having less disposable income; will not buy anything beyond the essentials and then at the lowest prices available.  This will eventually drive our small businesses out of business.  The big box stores can more easily absorb the fees and still undercut the small business because they can acquire their merchandise at high volume discount.  The bottom line; businesses go away, the grand list goes down again, taxes increase even more. 

In a Norwich Bulletin interview (04/09/12), the mayor said ““This is a no-frills budget; I don’t think people can afford much more than what’s in there.”  The problem is that there are many people in town that have trouble paying for the existing budget, let alone one that increases the tax rate almost nine percent.  The majority of the increase is in the education budget (almost three percent increase) but the general government is not much leaner. 

I have rambled long enough.  I think you get the big picture.  What is needed now is for you, particularly those with smaller incomes, to speak up.  The budget hearings are today (education) and Tuesday (general government) at 7:00 PM in the high school auditorium.  Show up.  Speak up.