TAXES: We must learn from the past

I just read with great interest the article regarding the 2010-2011 Kootenai County property tax changes. They are alarming and I applaud you for bringing it to our attention.

I am a business owner here in Kootenai County and just increased two of my tenants' rent by 3.5 percent for next year. One is very upset and does not think her business can sustain the increase. Yet I am faced with increases of 17 percent!

The county commissioners need to hear about this and act accordingly. I know they have a tough job but just increasing the expenses to the business community is not going to cure it. They are going to have to be more creative and cut their budgets instead of increasing tax revenues. This is simple economics. If they keep increasing taxes, businesses will not be able to make it and revenues will fall even further.

Reagan proved this back in the 1980s when he cut income taxes and increased the federal revenues. Why can't we learn from prior experience? Why must we experience the same problems over and over?

I hope you will be able to forward this to the county commissioners and I hope they will listen to the people who elected them.

MICHAEL T. MILLER

Business Owner

River City Plaza