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McCook Gazette
Letter to the Editor

Starve the beast

Monday, May 2, 2016

Dear Editor,

Vote NO on changing the sales tax allocation.

Let the City Council continue to fund economic development by budget item as they do now and as the County, which doesn't collect sales tax, has to do.

Instead how about becoming more efficient in local government? An example: When I was commissioner the population of Red Willow County was some 12,800 people. The latest estimate is 10,867 (for year 2014) and we are the primary source to pay the present city sales tax.

Meanwhile the total number of law enforcement personnel have what doubled? With less than 11,000 people to look after maybe we don't need the luxury of both a McCook City Police force and a Red Willow County Sheriff's department.

Maybe one or the other could do both jobs. Pay for your search for economic development out of the money saved.

Look I am not anti-law enforcement. I personally know most of our local law enforcement worker bees and think the world of them. Good people. Good neighbors. It would be a problem to reduce their numbers and not hurt the very people who are doing a great job.

Our ongoing problem is tax spenders with their socialistic endeavor to ever grow government. The only way we the tax payers have to control it is to starve the beast. Vote NO.

And that is how I see it.

Dick Trail

McCook, Neb.

Comments
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  • Dick is correct that RedWillow County has been losing population, as has all SW Nebraska. If you believe that the best predictor of the future is to look at the past then just think what our area would look like had not the MEDC been the leaders in bringing the jobs of Valmont and the Work Ethic Camp here, just to name two. Jobs mean population! Thanks to the economic plans of the MEDC we still are a class B school. We have a great hospital. The college is still here. Starve the beast and the population decreases and those that are left will be paying more to support the services we currently have. Vote YES for a stronger future!

    -- Posted by dennis on Mon, May 2, 2016, at 4:07 PM

  • When Government is released to "GROW" the ability of the Community, without constraint from the pocket-books of those who will finance any and all programs, leadership feels is necessary, we, the 'local' end up in the same position as our Federal Leadership has led us, bearing the equivalent of an unpayable Tax-Debt, where the Debt-Spending becomes 'Insanity,' for lack of a better word.

    Yes, Times are now more complex than Seventy years ago, as to how to control the 'masses,' and accomplish the growth, that the growth demands. The only tool we have to control that monster, 'Growth,' is by the amount of monies we are 'able' to pay, not what is projected that we will be able to pay. Ergo, Dick is Right.

    Starving the population, into submission, through run-away taxation, and 'Ponzy-projections,' must stop. We either starve the 'Beast,' or the 'Beast' will EAT, and destroy, the very people the 'Beast' believes it's helping (through growing even greater in size) into a violent ending.

    If the vehicle isn't broken, don't throw it away, and if the vehicle is broken, fix it, without going out and purchasing, a huge, 'pay it or else,' Star-cruiser, someone 'thinks' will work. Option two: Find a vehicle that the people can afford, by present means.

    We have very little time left, to return our County, State, and Nation, back to the Society, structured by our Founding Fathers (who apparently saw this problem coming to fruition) but, was 'Blessed' to form, that would make and keep us, the very best, and strongest Nation ever devised, so we could bring Peace to this world, but have failed to accomplish, through 'Progressive' mind-set. In short, 'If you can't afford it, get along without it, since you don't really need 'IT.'

    Thanks for your words, Dick. Again, I agree; Starve the Beast, when needed, to Control the Beast, lest it eventually eats its owner, 'We the People.'

    AMEN

    -- Posted by Navyblue on Tue, May 3, 2016, at 9:44 AM

  • The food is already on the table as the tax has already been approved by the voters. So no new taxes! The vote would be to allow the funds to be used for economic development like brining jobs to,the community.

    -- Posted by dennis on Tue, May 3, 2016, at 2:58 PM
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