We the People - Tax Time Again

Our founders chose the words “We the People . . .” to establish the foundation of our democratic republic. The word “we” refers equally to all people. Our founders believed that all government begins and remains with the people.

“We the People” are the foundation of government. Without this, those we elected would hold some power above us as the people governed. American Independence was declared and the American Revolution was fought to forever end the subjugation of people to the government. When any part of our government presumes a voice superior to the people governed, “we the people” have the obligation to raise our voices. This is called – Democracy.

It is proper to question the decisions of our elected few to use a sales tax increase to fund prospective budget shortfalls and buildings when the Labor Department reports 605,000 jobs lost in 2008 with serious losses in manufacturing, housing, finance and other economic sectors. At this time of record foreclosures, consumers may not be buying much when challenged to cope with increased costs for housing, food and gasoline. This is particularly true for many families, farmers and our seniors on fixed incomes. Yet our county government must be immune.

At a time of declining sales, a sales tax increase for buildings is unlikely to inspire a counter-cyclical increase in spending. More it is a distraction from focusing on the essentials necessary to serve the people of Findlay, Hancock County and those who live within the Blanchard River watershed. A tax cannot be accepted as a substitute for long term leadership.

Flood mitigation is a priority for the people of our community. The preservation of services is also essential. There are no easy solutions. There are responsible steps we can take as a community. I believe we must use these challenges to become a better, more unified community where we use our very best attributes to invite increased sales and revenues in Hancock County, Ohio.

I believe that we – the Findlay/Hancock County community - must so assemble and present our resources – including the lowest sales tax rates in Ohio – to make the City of Findlay and the wonderful villages in our County as the place where the people of our state come to shop - for less. Why not? This will increase sales tax revenues while keeping our taxes low. It depends on where “We the People” fit into the plan of democracy as viewed by our local politicos.