I don’t even live in Souderton and this story almost made me blow a gasket. It is one town over from me. Anyone who thinks that local government politicians are any better or less delusional than Federal politicians is smoking crack. The scenario laid out in this story is a perfect example of dysfunctional, delusional government officials coming up with the absolutely wrong “solution” to a problem they created in the first place. They can’t seem to balance their budget. The anticipated tax revenue from the earnings of their residents is much lower than expected. I thought the Obama recovery was creating jobs. How can tax revenue from wages be declining?
The absolutely brilliant solution from these government drones is to more than DOUBLE the proposed real estate tax increase to 7.7%. Is this factored into the fake BLS inflation figures? So, they will extract an extra $50 to $100 from residents who are already making less money because the economy sucks.
What the story does not address is why their budget expense is so high. During the boom years from 2000 through 2007, these morons built a massive new school, hired more drones, and signed contracts with government union workers with great salary increases and off the charts pension and health benefits. They extrapolated the housing boom transfer taxes, real estate taxes and fee revenue to infinity and beyond. Well that gravy train has left the station and ain’t coming back. Real Estate taxes will be flat or declining for years. There is no jobs boom coming. Earned income taxes will be flat. The required pension contributions for their union workers are about to skyrocket.
These morons think they can just keep raising taxes on the people to fund their bloated, bureaucratic, union paradise. You can’t get blood from a stone. Municipal bankruptcy and forced cuts to the government union employees is coming to Souderton and thousands of delusional localities across the land. Math is hard and so is reality.
Souderton ups proposed tax hike to 7.7 percent
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
By Bob Keeler bkeeler@montgomerynews.com
Remember that 3.7 percent property tax hike proposal in Souderton?
Well, forget it. It’s so last week after Souderton Borough Council decided Oct. 22 to more than double it to 7.66 percent.
The proposed 2013 budget will be officially presented in November, with a final vote coming in December, but if there’s no change to the now proposed 5.375 mill rate, it would increase the borough property tax bill on a home assessed at $125,000 to $671.88, one assessed at $150,000 to $806.25, and $940.63 for a property assessed at $175,000. The corresponding bills at this year’s 4.9925 mill rate would have been $624.07, $748.88 and $873.70. Each mill equals $1 of tax per $1,000 of assessed value.
With the proposed $2.6 million 2013 general fund budget already at $300,000 less than the borough spent in 2011, council members said they can’t cut any further and need more income to balance the books. The amount coming in from earned income, local services and real estate transfer taxes, though, is decreasing.
This year’s budget projected $929,000 of income from the combined per capita, real estate transfer, earned income and local services taxes, but the borough is now expecting to fall short of those numbers. Newly revised budget figures given at the Oct. 22 meeting put the bottom line for income from those taxes for next year’s budget at $826,500.
“It’s quite a difference in revenue out of these core taxes that has to be made up,” Mike Coll, borough manager, said.
The decreases in the earned income and local services taxes are probably caused in part by the slow economy and in part by corrections having been made to Souderton previously having mistakenly received money from the tax that should have gone to another municipalities in cases in which businesses or people have a Souderton mailing address but are not within the borough, he said.
Due to reassessments, the total assessed value of property within the borough is also decreasing.
On Oct. 15, Coll suggested the property tax rate be increased next year to 5.175 mills, a 3.7 percent hike, but some council members said that might not be enough.
On Oct. 22, he brought in revised figures showing another .1 mill increase, bringing the total to 5.275 mills. He also decreased next year’s projected spending slightly, changing the budgeted amount for the police department to $1,057,957. The change was made because a full-time officer will be retiring the end of January and part-time officers will be used for the rest of the year with a new full-time officer planned to be hired for the beginning of 2014, Coll and James Leary, police chief, said.
The new proposal still wasn’t enough, though, council member Andrew Schlosser said because, although the budget didn’t show it, the borough will end this year in the red.
“We’re spending 2013 dollars right now and that’s not in this budget,” he said.
Either expenses should be cut by another $50,000 in the 2013 budget, he said, or the tax rate should be increased another .2 mills beyond the latest proposal.
“I think you need to at least build into this budget what we’re going to be short in 2012,” Schlosser said.
After discussing a few different possible rates, the consensus was to add another .1 mill, putting the total at 5.375 mills.
That would put the rate at only slightly more than what neighboring Telford’s was for this year, Coll said, and Telford has already said it will be increasing its rate for next year.
The 5.375 rate includes 4.95 mills for the general fund, 0.1775 mills for the fire tax and 0.2475 mills for the library tax. This year’s 4.9925 mill rate included 4.65 mills for the general fund, 0.1775 mills for the fire tax and 0.1650 mills for the library tax.
Customer bills for the public sewer system will not change next year under the proposed budget, Coll said, but there will be increased efforts to collect from delinquent accounts.
“There’s close to $50,000 at various points in delinquent sewer fees, which is troubling and we need to be more aggressive with that,” Coll said.
While attempting to find possible cuts to the budget, board member Preston Miller said the $88,000 spent on street lights each year is one of the places to consider.
No change was made to next year’s budget in that category, but council President Brian Goshow said a committee will be formed to look into options for possible changes to cut the amount spent on street lights.
In answer to a question to Leary about whether eliminating some street lights might lead to safety concerns or an increase in crime, he said statistics show that wouldn’t happen.
There is a perception among many people, though, that street lights increase safety and decrease crime, he said.
“I can tell you, if a street light’s out, I get a call on it,” Leary said.
The proposed budget includes planned work at Chestnut Street Playground, but no borough spending on it since the funding will come from an expected Montgomery County Community Development Block Grant and fundraising efforts in the community, Coll said.
A proposed renovation and restoration project at the former train station is at risk of losing already approved grants if deadlines for using the money are not met, so that project has to be kept moving, he said.
“We’re looking to at least try to start up the train station project” some time within the next year, Coll said.
taxSlave says:
At some point the host dies. “The answer to 1984 is 1776″.
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3rd November 2012 at 10:30 am
GreasedUpWillie says:
For all the focus on the federal election and income taxes, it is the local taxes that are the biggest problem. I live in the tax disaster area of the Chicago Suburbs. My property taxes have doubled in the thirteen years since I have moved in. Unions have lost power in the private sector but are still powerful in the public one. So there are massive pensions and health benefits that cannot be paid, so taxes are raised to crushing levels on the state and local levels, taxes on the same people who have lost their jobs, bargaining power,etc. This is clearly unsustainable, and it will be interesting to see where the breaking point is going to be. I am looking at property in Indiana and Iowa, to eventually get out of this state. The only thing keeping me (and I would imagine most people) here is employment. I would imagine you will eventually see massive flight out of states with out of control public unions.
And to get an idea for the disconnect with public employees, I know a guy who works for the water district. He is an arch-conservative, GOP zombie (will just vote GOP, regardless). He will rail against unions and defecits, but when confronted on his pension and health benefits will answer: “Well that is different, that was promised to me…”
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3rd November 2012 at 10:42 am
Davos says:
1 word: FuckingMorons!
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3rd November 2012 at 10:44 am
Davos says:
“At some point the host dies. “The answer to 1984 is 1776″.
I used to think that people would say enough and out would come the pitchforks and torches.
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/guest-post-horrible-bosses-pitchforks-torches
Sadly, and I should have looked back to the other depression before thinking that it would go from wrong to fixed in one step. But sadly there is a step in between. Suicide. The suicide rate in the Great Depression was 22 per 100,000. The suicide rate in this, the Second Great Depression is 10 per 100,000 and it is likely higher since overdoses are often suicides and they are up 128 percent.
http://www.psychopathiceconomics.com/DavosEconomicForum/2012/10/13/a-wild-game/
Suicide by corporatocracy is not painless.
For the first time I’ve been alive: More Americans committed suicide than died in car crashes. Deaths from suicides rose 15 percent and deaths from poisoning rose 128 percent, the latter are often when intentional overdoses get classified as.
The only thing economically I’ve been wrong on so far is this: Celente said, “when people lose everything—they lose it.” I optimistically thought he meant pitchforks and torches and not suicide.
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3rd November 2012 at 10:51 am
flash says:
Davos, for every son of liberty, there are ten thousand sons of -free shit bitches..
Don’t expect help.It.ain’t coming.
31 October 2012
20 Million Deer hunters, guardians of freedom?
Aesop has left a couple of comments that have provoked me into further thought on the subject of 20 million deer hunters. A lot of people who believe that 20 million deer hunters are a credible threat to tyranny seem to have the “Underpants Gnome” plan for success.
Step 1. 20 Million Deer Hunters!
Step 2. ?
Step 3. Victory!
http://randomthoughtsandguns.blogspot.com/2012/10/20-million-deer-hunters-guardians-of.html
31 October 2012
Deer Hunters and Mao
With less than 150 views I’ve had over 30 replies to my last post. Many of them explaining how I’m wrong, that 20 million deer hunters will be effective. One anonymous coward called me a “staff college man, just like the ones who lost Vietnam!” Obviously with a comment like that I’m in the presence of a military genius to rival Napoleon, or at least a little man with a Napoleon Complex.
So lets go back and review some of the history of successful insurgencies. This is a subject I have written on before. The most successful insurgency/revolutionary model in the modern era of warfare is Mao’s three stage model, which Aesop brought up in comments. I’ve even written that I believe that America is currently in the birthing stages of an insurgency.
Mao Tse Tung’s
Three Phase Theory of
Revolutionary War
1. Organization, consolidation and preservation of base areas,
usually in difficult and isolated terrain.
2. Progressive expansion by terror and attacks on isolated enemy units
to obtain arms, supplies and political support.
3. Decision, or destruction of the enemy in battle.
Notice that the first part of the equation is organization. Step one is ORGANIZATION. Step two is EXPAND OPERATIONS. Step three is WIN IN A CONVENTIONAL FIGHT DECISIVELY TO IMPLEMENT YOUR IDEOLOGICAL GOVERNMENT. Hint, if you DON’T implement a government, then you will likely fall into a succession of “purges” as the more violent insurgents/revolutionaries grapple for power or hold a “reign of terror.”
This is the same model that our Founding Fathers used. Create a cadre of patriots, build popular support, throw some tea into the water, declare independence, fight a war to secure it.
Since there is NO ORGANIZATION there WILL BE NO REVOLUTION/INSURGENCY from the 20 Million Deer Hunters. 20 Million people, each with their own life, own priorities, and own problems, will not all decide to become sniper teams to take on the government. Statistically it can’t happen. You know why? Because 20 Million Drivers would create a huge traffic jam. People very seldom self organize across large tracts of geography, socioeconomic groups, or family lines. It just doesn’t happen.
There are a lot of reasons that the 20 Million Deer Hunters aren’t organized, some just don’t care, some don’t have the time, and some don’t see the point of aligning themselves with the “militia extremists” they think are nutjobs. Statistically about half of those 20 Million Deer Hunters already work for the government at the Fed/State/Local level, and it is not in their best interest to be part of an anti-government organization of any stripe.
http://randomthoughtsandguns.blogspot.com/2012/10/deer-hunters-and-mao.html
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3rd November 2012 at 11:24 am
taxSlave says:
Flash,
Also note that the government infiltrates patriot groups to ultimately discredit them. Funny, in the age of the internet and cell phone, the government spies and monitors like crazy. What would be a good way to communicate with others of the same mindset without the jackboots knowing?
They seemingly have out flanked the ability to organize.
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3rd November 2012 at 12:51 pm
Kill Bill says:
The scenario laid out in this story is a perfect example of dysfunctional, delusional government officials coming up with the absolutely wrong “solution” to a problem they created in the first place -admin
I wonder. What is the outcome they, elected technocrats, really want? Obviously more of the same isnt a cure. So the plan must be something else.
And that seems to be put every human, city and state government into debt. Forcing them into selling public property, resources, utilities, parks etc etc.
Hayek called it “The Road To Serfdom”
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3rd November 2012 at 1:07 pm
Ron says:
Flash i remember so many Rambos stating how when the military rolls up to theyre door they well shoot it out.Bull,when a humvee shows up and they point theyre weapons at your house most well be really polite and do whatever they are asked of.
I think else than taking out the occasional bad party.People are going to be kept busy trying to stay alive.Theyre fellow hungry americans well be the problem.
I have the optimistic view that the military well defend the constitution and do the right thing.
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3rd November 2012 at 1:37 pm
Eddie says:
Local and state taxes can and will go up. Then there will be backlash movements like California’s Prop 13. Back and forth for a while..maybe another fifteen or twenty years. I think it will go on for a while, longer than most people think.
Ultimately these unsustainable Ponzi schemes have to come apart. But not this year, or next.
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3rd November 2012 at 2:02 pm
Administrator says:
Eddie
In PA the train is coming down the track and will be here by 2016. Required pension contributions by municipalities will go up by 100% over the next four years. California and Illinois are already on the verge of bankruptcy. It is mathematically impossible to keep it going for 10 or 20 more years.
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3rd November 2012 at 2:13 pm
harry p. says:
government devolves into one person or group of people trying to live off their neighbors, doesn’t matter if it is at the global or federal level or down to the HOA and community level. their solution will always be to beseige themselves with more authority and power but the only valid solution is take it away from them.
what are you supposed to do when the only real solution is off the table and likely won’t ever be considered?
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3rd November 2012 at 2:30 pm
Anonymous says:
taxSlave, yes, i”ts given here are a good share of government sponsored toilet scum present on any website that goes against the statist grain.
Only turd coddling toilet scum would be willing to work for the secret police.
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3rd November 2012 at 3:34 pm
flash says:
The majority of sackless whistle -dick American pseudo men only be relied on shoot their mouths off and nothing else.
The anon above was mine.
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3rd November 2012 at 3:37 pm
flash says:
…an invitation from Hogjaw.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82h2hyM4DTM
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3rd November 2012 at 4:05 pm
Screech says:
You can learn a lot from squirrels. In my yard are several oak trees that deposit numerous acorns on my lawn. Amid such abundance, the squirrels run amuck from acorn to acorn, taking a bite or two from each and then leave them to rot. During hard winters here in Wisconsin, squirrels can be seen digging in the snow looking for these fruits and only finding rotten ones sunk into the grass. Hard times, indeed, for Mr. Squirrel.
One more word if you please. Keep the bragadosio to a minimum about being a tough guy. That knock on your door at three in the morning could very well short circuit any plans you may have regards violence against the government. Even if you don’t have any such plans.
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3rd November 2012 at 6:09 pm
Wyoming Mike says:
Kind of humerous that the borough tax rate is a few bucks less than I pay in total. Damn, I miss PA|!
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3rd November 2012 at 10:31 pm
Nonanonymous says:
Screech,
Fuck the bravado, and fuck the knock on the door at 3 AM. This is still fucking America where every individual has a right to free speech, and the right to keep and bear arms.
There comes a point, when you tell the turds to fuck off, you won’t hand them any fucking papers, that they don’t have that right. The TSA is conducting unreasonable searches, and I’m just waiting for someone to call them on it, even if I have to do it myself, but I don’t fly. I pass through metal detectors at certain venues, but where do you draw the line?
If you don’t get searched, you don’t fly, seems simple enough. Where is the test case to get these ass clowns to back off? I don’t know, It would appear we’re pitted in a human struggle against a spiritual foe who is cunning and patient, very patient.
Sandy should be evidence enough we don’t fight a human foe.
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3rd November 2012 at 8:47 am