Saturday, January 22, 2005
 
How Can You Tell When A Politician Is Lying?

When they promise a temporary sales tax that will sunset:
    "It is a one-half cent sales tax for whatever amount of time it takes to pay for the issues," said Presiding Commissioner Mark Mertens. "It will not last for more than five years."
Jefferson County, Missouri, officials want the sales tax for a laundry list of things:
    If approved, the sales tax would provide funds for a new juvenile detention facility, expansion of the county jail and the creation of a park development fund. The tax would also cover the cost of bringing county buildings into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Perhaps presiding commissioner Mertens believes what he's saying, and perhaps he thinks that he and the people who follow him in Jefferson County government will not find further means to spend money generated by the new tax so that Jefferson County will need to extend or make permanent the sales tax.

However, as a private citizen, I have my doubts. Once the sales tax is in place, I suspect it will be permanent and eventually, I predict that Jefferson County will find some reason to raise its amount for the Children or some other pet projects.

Once Jefferson County's revenue becomes dependent upon sales tax monies, watch for eminent domain abuse as its government officials determine that large retail developments are worth more to them than actual residents who own the land the developers covet.

Slippery slope? Not too slippery, since it won't happen suddenly. After all, it would be five years before the Jefferson County government has to act to make the temporary sales tax permanent. But don't doubt they would try.


- posted by Brian J. @ 5:30 PM
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