Tea Party Patriots city council comments

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

Comments presented to McCook City Council by Jerie Quinty, Aug. 3, 2010.

City Manager, Mayor and City Council Members: On behalf of Tea Party Patriots SWNEB, I come before this body to give observations of and objections against the Preliminary Budget Proposal for 2010-11.

Point One: In light of the budget deficit of the federal government, I remind the audience and the City that all federal funds and grants given the States are our tax dollars; they are not free money for the States to squander. In our opinion federal funds should be refused, unless absolutely critical to the State or City's survival. Borrowed money is debt. Whether the debt is to the federal or the state government, it must be paid back, directly or indirectly. All federal monies used locally should produce substantial job growth. Cost of projects should not exceed the revenue generated by them. If debt is unavoidable, then it should also benefit the citizens who must shoulder the burden of repaying the liability.

Point Two: Federal money, if used by the City of McCook, should have the benefit of employing the contractors, tradesmen and businesses of McCook first-then, Omaha, Lincoln or some other outside entity.

Point Three: The State budget revenue for McCook was reduced five percent and the Governor has used stimulus monies to meet Nebraska's State budget deficits. The current General Fund is 2.4 percent greater than last year. Every year the budgets grow but our demographics remain stagnant. The City of McCook is obligated to reduce its spending and prevent future local deficits. Federal stimulus money will end, but State and Federal revenue shortfalls will continue and the national debt will continue to grow. McCook should set the example and cut spending now.

Point Four: Nebraska is ranked sixth in the nation in its ratio of public employees per capita. This represents a huge burden to the tax payer. Nebraska needs more private employers and fewer public employees. Our public servants do work hard, and the council is requesting a 4.5 percent pay raise-perhaps a small amount as a percentage the entire City budget. However, I ask our public employees to not accept a cost of living increase at this time. Our poorest citizens have not received C.O.L. increases in their pensions, and your wages are significantly higher than most of McCook's private payroll citizens. This is not the time for City employees to vote themselves a pay raise, when their employers-the taxpayers of Red Willow County-are being forced to cut expenses and do with less.

Point Five: Members of the City Council, the General Fund has no proposed increase for a property tax levy this year, but home owners, who have recently realized an increase in property assessments, beg to differ. Where is the demand for new housing and services? What justifies this increase in property values? Moreover, the City plans to increase property taxes in 2011 and 2012 to pay debt! Double jumps for some homeowners. We would like to see a different approach to pay debt, besides raising property taxes. Nebraskans and McCook citizens are taxed to death. We say ENOUGH! It is time to change how we conduct the public business. People do not desire to live in or start a business in McCook to support a bloated public sector. Local property taxes are already excessive. To purchase a vehicle, one must obtain a second loan-just to pay the taxes and get registration!

City Manager and Council members, we propose the following recommendations.

1. Cut spending in every budget significantly from last years budget.

2. Pay down all debt with reserves and contingency funds now, instead of increasing rates to pay debts.

3. Halt all new non-emergency spending for 1 year.

4. Do not raise any taxes that will slow growth.

5. Freeze wages and hiring at this time.

This may sound drastic, but in light of our unsustainable National debt of 13 Trillion dollars, future federal tax increases, suspension of current tax cuts, health care implementation cost and impending financial shortfalls we feel we need to be prepared by cutting spending now and getting out of debt. McCook has been sheltered from most ups and downs, but the blow coming from our national debt is imminent and unavoidable. If we start now we will avoid bankruptcy when the National debt tops our GDP and the trickle down effect begins. In the end we may actually save city jobs and our local economy. McCook may be spared.

These recommendations support the Tea Party Patriots principles, Limited Government, Free Markets and Fiscal responsibility.

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