TAXES: County, live within means

Some time ago Kootenai County stated it would not raise property taxes. Yet recently I read in the paper that they "regrettably" had to change that decision. At first it would be 1 percent; then it changed again to 1.5 percent. It was stated that although times are tough the county needed new police cars, copy machine, etc., because police cars needed to be scrapped around 80,000 miles and new ones purchased.

Excuse me, but 80,000 miles is about where we purchase a car because we can't "afford" one with less miles, and these cars still have plenty of wear left on them. We have to budget and are struggling under the current economy - buying at thrift stores, garage sales, eating what's on sale that week at the grocery store. We don't have the liberty to go out and tax someone to buy over budget. How can the Kootenai County fathers do this with a good conscience?

The Social Security Administration isn't giving us a COLA this year for the second year and neither is the Federal Military Retirement System. State employers are requiring employees to reduce their salary by taking a day off work without pay every month. With reductions in pay and no COLAs, what happens when we go bankrupt? Then where will you get your money?

How about the $400,000 the county failed to distribute over the past four years? The county clerk says it fell through the cracks. How irresponsible is that? And that was on top of the county's failure to distribute $1.4 million in property tax relief to districts last year. See Coeur d'Alene Press article dated Oct. 30, 2010.

We need tax relief, not more tax debt!

G. SMITH

Coeur d'Alene