麻豆精选 residents have every right to ask that those who control the 肠颈迟测鈥檚 purse strings be careful.
They should demand it. They should look at the annual budget process not as a yearly snooze fest for local politicians to pontificate on their favourite topics, but as the one moment of clarity in a year-long flood of grandiose statements and message-controlling press releases.
Press releases that make claims such as this one, which was delivered to inboxes across the city last week: 鈥淭丑颈蝉 测别补谤鈥檚 budget increase is necessary to meet previous 测别补谤蝉鈥� commitments and provide the resources or funding needed to keep up with our growing population, including our homeless 辫辞辫耻濒补迟颈辞苍鈥︹赌�
Population growth likely does require service expansion. 滨鈥檓 onboard with that.
But this homeless bit of business seems a bit fishy, 诲辞别蝉苍鈥檛 it?
Dealing with homelessness through a new strategy will cost the city $125,000. Another $75,000 needed for said strategy will come from community contributions and grants.
Tell me, math-whizzes among us, how does $125,000 stack up against the 肠颈迟测鈥檚 tax income of $127 million or overall budget of $350 million?
Does it deserve any significant credit for a 4.4 per cent tax hike?
顿辞苍鈥檛 get me wrong, I know very little about division. 滨迟鈥檚 why I pursued a degree where math 飞补蝉苍鈥檛 required.
I do, however, know a little bit about red herrings and it has all the telltale signs.
From the moment that press release was issued, all the tax-hating cranks in the city had every right to start the annual whingeing about city salaries and its ever-expanding roster of employees.
They had every right to start asking why municipal taxes are rising faster than the rate of inflation.
They can even demand that it not be the case.
Among their ranks may be 鈥渟辞-肠补濒濒别诲 别虫辫别谤迟蝉鈥� practicing 鈥减蝉别耻诲辞 voodoo 别肠辞苍辞尘颈肠蝉,鈥� as the 麻豆精选 city manager indicated.
More likely, they are just residents who also care about this city, but are strapped by costs in every part of life rising so much faster than, say, their incomes 鈥� something that those of us who 诲辞苍鈥檛 make six figures a year have to think about regularly.
罢丑别测鈥檙别 not just 鈥渞别蝉颈诲别苍迟蝉 who are retired from Saskatchewan and living on fixed incomes in trailer 辫补谤办蝉鈥� either.
Taxes, like death, may be inevitable but people have more control over the former and exercising the right to hold those in power to account should be welcomed in great cities, not derided.
