Letters To The Editor

Is 3 percent tax increase necessary?

I fail to see why we need a whopping 3 percent increase in taxes to pay for employee raises in Coeur d’Alene. I would think that growth in the country should provide a steady increase of money.

A jail is a good thing to spend money on, but I wonder why we need to build jails faster than the rate of population growth. It sure seems that that’s the case. Perhaps jails wouldn’t cost so much if they didn’t have television in the cells.

I don’t make much, and I’m going to college, but I already have almost one quarter of my paycheck taken out for federal and state taxes. Many people like myself could stand to have a break. If only the government wasn’t so involved in numerous feel-good projects and social programs.

Why does the government spend all of its money the instant it gets any, then when it’s time for some more spending in a somewhat important area like a jail, the only solution is to try to squeeze more out of the people? Sam McPoland Post Falls

Stop drug use, new jail would be unnecessary

The increase in taxes for the jail is due to increased drug arrests and imprisonment. Our legislators should be enacting procedures to stop drug use and availability, not increasing prisons to enable arrest of more poor victims who are provided drugs that lead to more prison and more taxes and more arrests and more jails.

There are more than 2 million people in prison in the United States. I understand that 70 percent are related to drug use, sales and manufacturing. This is a national problem and, in most cases, is related to drug smuggling across our borders. We should stop the drugs at the source by using our military force. Let’s quit the talk and implement the action. Don Karstedt Coeur d’Alene

Citizens hands tied when it comes to taxes

I have a difficult time with the increased taxes for new things such as parks. If new parks are necessary in order to accommodate increased population growth, would this not be self-adjusting, as new population growth also means increased taxes because those same people that necessitate new parks are also paying taxes? It would seem, then, that only a very very small additional amount would be needed, to cover a cost-of-living increase.

A 3 percent tax increase is huge. Just how much more should public employees get than the private sector? Why must public employees get more pay and better benefits, not to mention new buildings and brand new vehicles, when people in the private sector do with what they can afford? They used to be public servants - now they’re becoming public gods with little palaces all their own.

No matter how much people complain and spout their opinions, nothing will ever change within the government structure because it is slowly gaining more and more control. We are far too comfortable for revolution, and we have this media thing we can release a little anger through, but in reality the bureaucrats do exactly what they want to do and spend exactly what they want to spend and we have absolutely nothing to say about it.

We continue to pay taxes at incredibly high rates and pay again to use Farragut State Park, to park a car at Q’emlin Park in Post Falls, and myriad other methods of double taxation, but there is nothing we can do. Leslie Curran Coeur d’Alene

Look inside government for some answers

While every rational adult understands that taxes fund the services we enjoy and expect, the most frustrating thing in both Post Falls and Coeur d’Alene city governments is their attitudes of entitlement.

In the private sector business owners and management often must make cuts in one less-productive department before expanding another. There is waste and lack of accountablity across the board within City Hall.

So before new taxes are levied, how about a little introspection on the taxpayer-funded payrolls? Suzanne Parker Coeur d’Alene

Tax raise would create bigger burden

There is getting to be a serious problem in Coeur d’Alene and in Kootenai County. Property owners are expected to carry the load. My taxes already are a serious burden. I am limited as what else I can do because of the need to save a larger part of my monthly income just to pay the existing taxes. My only solution is to sell my house and to move elsewhere.

Why is it that the solution to all problems that are created by poor planning on the part of the politicians is to raise taxes? We have heard so many times the shopworn words, “unforeseen, couldn’t anticipate, wasn’t there earlier.”

What part of “no” is so difficult to understand when it comes to raising our taxes? Is it any wonder there is a lawsuit regarding raising sales taxes? What other recourse do the taxpayers have to stop this runaway and foolhardy rush to increase taxes for everything that comes up in government? No more taxes. James L. Lorenzen Coeur d’Alene

Government needs to manage accounts better

One thing’s true. There’s always going to be another noble quest. But is there always going to be an endless supply of taxpayers with an endless supply of money? If a family’s working as hard as possible to just to keep themselves fed, clothed, and sheltered, how’s it gonna find the extra cash to keep the money-hungry county government growing?

Maybe the taxpayers are just lazy and just should get a third, er, maybe a fourth job. Or should the powerhungry money-grabbing county government do what we the taxpayers all have to do. I mean learn to think about our bank accounts. Bigger government ain’t better government. It may be time to try to save the taxpayers instead of spending more and more money. Larry Monus Bayview

What’s happening to all the tax money?

The half-cent sales tax increase was supposed to take care of the jail expansion and provide some property tax relief. Now after having gotten the sales tax increase passed, the county commissioners have announced a 6.5 percent property tax increase, regardless of the outcome of the sales tax court challenge.

Some time ago I picked up a report at our bank which indicated that there had been $14 billion (that’s billion with a B) worth of construction in Idaho during the previous 10 years, a significant amount being in Kootenai County.

I certainly haven’t seen that much improvement in our “infrastructure.”

My question is what has happened to all of the property tax, sales tax, and gasoline taxes generated by the people who occupy all of those structures? If we are not getting our fair share, then our elected officials at the city, county, and state level should go to Boise and fight for what is rightfully ours. What we really need is more statesmen and fewer politicians. Walt Young Hayden

Increase sales tax; it’s the only fair thing to do

I am not opposed to paying taxes for necessary services, such as parks, fire protection, schools and other things, as long as it is done fairly so everyone pays their share. Having the property taxes being the main source for these type of things is absolutely ridiculous because a lot of the people using these services don’t own property, therefore don’t have to pay.

The only way to justify it fairly is to increase the sales tax because everyone makes purchases. The lawsuit in regards to the increase in the sales tax is a joke as far as I am concerned. The few opposing this are causing others to have to pay the majority of the burden.

Because crime has increased from the population boom of this area, increased space in the jail probably is warranted and I would rather see the tax dollars put into more and better law enforcement as a proactive move, but I still would pay the tax increase for the jail if it is going to mean more serve their proper time and that it is done through a sales tax. Anita Pielaet Post Falls

Drunk drivers need to be kept off the roads

In a recent edition of Handle Extra, there was a list of people who had been arrested for various crimes. In reading this list, it was noted that one local driver had been arrested a whopping 14 times for DUI, and that there had been 14 warrants out for his arrest, and he was again allowed to bond out of jail.

What is going on? This man should have been dragged into court 14 times over, and be incarcerated, to keep this menace off the streets. It looks like here in Idaho you get a “get out of jail free” pass anytime you want, and just keep driving while drunk.

It is long overdue that the local judiciary begin to keep these alcoholics in some type of treatment program, or send them down to Boise to dry out. Tom Akren Post Falls