Wednesday, May 02, 2007
Liberals Pushing Taxes Up North, "Republicans" Pushing Taxes Down South
The headline in the Washington Times reads:
Barry urges worker tolls:
D.C. Council member Marion Barry says that if the District wants to be a big-time city, then it's time to tax like a big-time city
Apparently, Marion Berry (the posterchild of the liberal Democrats, he of crack smoking with hookers fame) wants to put up toll booths around our nation's capital as a way of taxing those who don't live in the District. Just like a Democrat, you say?
Well, Republicans are great at raising taxes, too.
Knox County Republicans, including County Mayor Mike Ragsdale (who is no stranger to raising taxes), County Commissioner Lumpy Lambert, and other Republican officeholders have been pushing various tax-raising schemes in the name of funding an ill-conceived pension plan. A few remarks can be found in today's KNS.
(It's funny how Paul Pinkston couldn't be reached for comment in that story. He's probably undecided as to which plan to support and is taking his time to figure out which one would benefit him the most financially.)
The political corruption and breakdown of representative government in Knox County will be what causes me to relocate. I can see it happening in the next few months, to tell the truth. No county is perfect, but the political system that exists in Knox County may be just as bad as the debacle that can be found in Shelby County. I look at Blount County and Sevier County and I see better situations, better tax rates, and a semblance of ethical behavior that cannot be found in Knox County.
I used to think that it took Democratic rule to make a city's tax burden beyond the pale of what its citizenry could sustain. After living in Knoxville for several years, I am learning that there is no partisan monopoly in poor, inefficient, pork-laden government.
So I will keep looking elsewhere. Perhaps D.C.'s Marion Berry can advise Mike Ragsdale and County Commission Chairman Scott Moore as to whom could install toll booths for them on all roads leading into Knox County. That's one way to keep me paying into the Knox County coffers even if I move away from the corruption that is Knox County. Maybe Marion Berry's liberal vision will catch on with Republicans of Ragsdale's ilk.
Perhaps.
Barry urges worker tolls:
D.C. Council member Marion Barry says that if the District wants to be a big-time city, then it's time to tax like a big-time city
Apparently, Marion Berry (the posterchild of the liberal Democrats, he of crack smoking with hookers fame) wants to put up toll booths around our nation's capital as a way of taxing those who don't live in the District. Just like a Democrat, you say?
Well, Republicans are great at raising taxes, too.
Knox County Republicans, including County Mayor Mike Ragsdale (who is no stranger to raising taxes), County Commissioner Lumpy Lambert, and other Republican officeholders have been pushing various tax-raising schemes in the name of funding an ill-conceived pension plan. A few remarks can be found in today's KNS.
(It's funny how Paul Pinkston couldn't be reached for comment in that story. He's probably undecided as to which plan to support and is taking his time to figure out which one would benefit him the most financially.)
The political corruption and breakdown of representative government in Knox County will be what causes me to relocate. I can see it happening in the next few months, to tell the truth. No county is perfect, but the political system that exists in Knox County may be just as bad as the debacle that can be found in Shelby County. I look at Blount County and Sevier County and I see better situations, better tax rates, and a semblance of ethical behavior that cannot be found in Knox County.
I used to think that it took Democratic rule to make a city's tax burden beyond the pale of what its citizenry could sustain. After living in Knoxville for several years, I am learning that there is no partisan monopoly in poor, inefficient, pork-laden government.
So I will keep looking elsewhere. Perhaps D.C.'s Marion Berry can advise Mike Ragsdale and County Commission Chairman Scott Moore as to whom could install toll booths for them on all roads leading into Knox County. That's one way to keep me paying into the Knox County coffers even if I move away from the corruption that is Knox County. Maybe Marion Berry's liberal vision will catch on with Republicans of Ragsdale's ilk.
Perhaps.
Labels: Knox County Politics
Permalink posted by Rob Huddleston @ 7:39 AM 
Comments:
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It's called one-party rule. When one party rules too long it gets arrogant and corrupt. The problem in Tennessee is that East Tennessee is completely Republican, West Tennessee is completely Democratic, and Middle Tennessee is dominated by one particular party depending on the county (Dems in Davidson, GOP in Williamson, etc.) There are pocketed exceptions of course: East Knoxville is Democratic and far East Memphis is Republican. But Knox County as a whole has been run by one party since the 1860s. Of course the politicians there are going to be corrupt.
BTW, Barry is not the poster child of liberal Democrats any more than David Duke is the poster child of conservative Republicans. I lived in DC when Barry was mayor and white liberals despised him. Blacks were split on him, but his opponent was so bad she actually made him look better. Call Ted Kennedy or Charles Rangel or Maxine Waters "poster children" for liberal Democrats. But not Marion Barry.
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BTW, Barry is not the poster child of liberal Democrats any more than David Duke is the poster child of conservative Republicans. I lived in DC when Barry was mayor and white liberals despised him. Blacks were split on him, but his opponent was so bad she actually made him look better. Call Ted Kennedy or Charles Rangel or Maxine Waters "poster children" for liberal Democrats. But not Marion Barry.
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