Taxing Our Memory

In my quest to discuss and dissect office politics, normally I attempt to stay away from government politics, especially local government politics.  However, this one is just too applicable to pass up.

The local leaders-that-be think that a 1-cent additional local option sales tax is going to be the answer to all of our woes.  They've sold this Project Density (correction:  Project Destiny) idea as something that will build infranstructure, create jobs, lower property taxes, do your mowing, whiten your teeth, and turn Des Moines into Mayberry.  OK, OK, so I exaggerated a little on those last few.  Regardless, they're asking voters here in a tri-county area to give them permission on July 10 to take more of our money.

Back in 1999, the county leaders attempted (multiple times before it finally passed) to add a 1-cent local option sales tax just to help schools.  Our schools are crumbling, they cried.  Help the children, they pleaded.  If you love all that is good and right about our budding future then you'll say yes to this tax, they implored.  The voters put it in back in 1999.  Within a few years of the tax, a few schools had been rebuilt or repaired, but there just wasn't enough money.  They'd still need to close schools (going against a promise made to "sell" the tax to the masses).  It just hadn't yielded the revenue they thought it might.  I always liked what my economics professor in college said, "Taxes should never be used to raise revenue (because they won't).  Taxes only should be used to alter behavior (because that's what they do)."

Case in point:  Why do so many people flock to stores the first weekend in August on back-to-school-no-sales-tax-weekend?  If you've noticed, many of the stores do not run any ad specials that weekend.  Why should they?  The sheep... um... er... lemings... uh... I mean... people with money think they're getting a good deal getting 6% off instead of the 20-25% off they'd get with an advertised sale.  Those who think this tax is a good idea, the lower income brackets, are actually being hurt the worst.  As this Register Article points out, sales taxes are regressive and hurt the lowest tax brackets the most.  There are so many reasons to shoot down "Say Yes To Destiny"... from a logical data-driven point of view.

My biggest reason for voting no still goes back to 1999.  Local officials made promises and didn't follow through.  Now they're trying to sell another bottle of snake oil to the public.  I'm not buying it.  Neither are 61% of the most likely voters.

So how does this relate to office politics?  It's simple:  watch what you promise/offer to people.  They're watching AND they're keeping score.  I've had promises made to me that weren't kept.  I've had offers extended to me that were reneged upon.  The promises and offers created only temporary and minor setbacks in the grand scheme of my career and my life... mere speedbumps really.  The real damage was done to the credibility of those who made the offers and promises.  I learned quickly that their integrity wasn't worth as much as they thought it was, and everything they've said after that was strained through the "crap filter."  So... Don't dangle promotions.  Don't promise raises.  Don't offer new opportunities.  Don't.  Don't.  Don't.  Not unless you know you can deliver.

Otherwise... when you really need it... you may find your constituents voting no.

Image from www.gapingvoid.com

Comments

[Art Dinkin]

I'm with you on this one. Seems like a good idea... money for the community and all... until you look at it up close. It is a 17% tax increase (6% to 7% sales tax) and not much to show for it. In fact, I think the biggest winners are corporate taxpayers. Commercial real estate taxes go down the most at the expense of increased goods and services for all (but most of the impact is on the lower to middle classes). I'm voting no.

[Timothy Johnson]

Yeah, Art, it was great to see this measure fail with a resounding "NO" from the public. I've always enjoyed the Winston Churchill quote: "We contend that for a nation to try to tax itself into prosperity is like a man standing in a bucket and trying to lift himself up by the handle."

[SueAnn]

I've behind in my reading. Iris will be delighted when I had her this to read. Thanks as always!