Monday, July 1, 2013
The Truth Comes Out
To the Editor;
For months I have been cautioning taxpayers that taxes would be going up and that a higher mill rate is good for no one. For months the Mayor and his administration have been claiming that taxes would not be going up and that the mill rate increase is nothing to worry about. Now, this past week the Herald finally reports what I’ve been saying all along - car taxes are going up for everyone. For many people these higher car taxes will offset any decrease in tax obligation due to toppling home values.
But even if some individual homeowners come out “ahead” in terms of taxes, the city as a whole has lost a lot of ground. The higher mill rate makes us unattractive to business, as it dramatically increases their costs. It also means that as a city our property values have taken yet another painful hit, causing the homeowners of the city to lose millions in equity in our homes.
Now, lets be realistic, there is little Mayor O’Brien could have done to prevent this tax increase. Revaluation always causes a change in the mill rate, if your grand list dramatically increases the mill rate goes down, if it drastically decreases your mill rate goes up. There are always winners and losers, people who pay less taxes, and people who pay more. It was the case this time around that property values were plummeting, so the mill rate went up.
The problem isn’t so much that there was a mill rate increase, it is that the Mayor repeatedly lied about the impact of this increase. Every chance he was given he tried to downplay the effects it would have on business and motor vehicle taxes. He even resorted several times to downright lies. How can we trust a leader who will not give the news to the public straight? How can we trust city hall to be spending our taxes wisely when they don’t even have the integrity to be truthful about a tax increase?
Again, this administration has shown a grave lack of character and integrity in how it has treated the public. Citizens are not small children who need to be coddled and talked down to. We are intelligent, reasonable adults and we deserve better than half truths. We deserve a Mayor who will talk to us plainly, openly, and honestly.
Sincerely,
Nicholas Mercier
CPOA President
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8 comments:
Nothing will change because the majority of voters don't pay any taxes, so they don't care how high the taxes go so long as their free ride continues. How many members of the council are freeloaders?
With Democrats, you never really know what the truth is.
If we went back to Councilmen at large, we would not have to tolerate the dummies on the Council who are in it for the money. Cut the money. Go back to At-Large Different people. Duh!
O'brien believes is own lies
Maybe he thinks he is the mayor of fantasyland?
To: Anonymous #3
Just for your information. the current system of electing the Common Council was voted on as a Charter Change in 2002. It was engineered by Tim O'Brien and carried through by dirty tricks expert, Phil Sherwood. The municipal election of 2001 was the last time all Council members were elected at large.
It's been down the tubes for New Britain politics ever since.
Question remains: How do we get another Charter Change going. Our city, state and country are going down the tubes unless the average person steps out and worked to get rid of these people.
Anonymous said...
Question remains: How do we get another Charter Change going. Our city, state and country are going down the tubes unless the average person steps out and worked to get rid of these people.
......
It is your duty to seek a charter revision to end this despotism:
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.--Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States.
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