At public meetings, he rants and raves at anyone with a different opinion. But lately, he’s been doing handstands and high-fiving his cronies in celebration.

Now that the County Income Tax Council has raised the County Option Income Tax, or COIT, get ready for a big sucking sound from your paycheck starting Dec. 1 if you live or work in Madison County.

Meanwhile, let’s meet the happiest mayor in the country, Anderson Mayor Kris Ockomon, and see how he really feels about job security for his administration — and higher taxes for you.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKf1m4UUpzo

Higher taxes are all but certain for Madison County as the Alexandria City Council voted to approve COIT at its Oct. 19 meeting. The measure would primarily benefit Anderson city employees, but with Madison County taxpayers picking up the bulk of the tab.

Now with 49.5% of the County Income Tax Council’s “allocated votes,” the County Option Income Tax needs only the approval of the Madison County Council or of the Elwood City Council, which both vote next week.

Upcoming Votes

• Madison County Council, Mon., Oct. 26 at 7 p.m.
• Elwood City Council, Tues., Oct. 27 at 7 p.m.

The local firefighters union has a lot of skin in the game, selling scare tactics to the community. Union reps are floating the idea that without the tax, lost jobs will thrust the community into immediate danger with longer response times and fewer hands to save lives and put out fires. It sounds feasible, but fails to address the fact that as staffing increases, individual firefighter effectiveness declines, an economic concept known as diminishing returns.

Further, as their salaries increase beyond what the market will bear, performance drops as men feel less inclined to run into a burning building. Over-compensated employees are simply “paid too much” to face that kind of peril. The same concept applies to law enforcement, where overpaid officers feel less likely to chase an armed gunman.

On the other hand, too few public servants paid too little, ironically, yields the same result as overstaffing and paying too much. Therefore, if public safety is the key issue, then we must find the optimal level of both staffing and compensation that taxpayers can support.

Links

• Alexandria Council OKs Tax Increase
• Alexandria City Council Home Page

Anderson City Council has approved a COIT increase. Now, the Madison County Council is set to face taxpayer fury on Oct. 26 at 7 p.m. in the Anderson City Hall Auditorium as it prepares to be the straw that broke the camel’s back if it supports an overwhelming new tax for all of Madison County.

The fate of COIT rests with either:

1. The county’s approval
2. The approval of the Democrat-controlled Elwood City Council

If COIT passes, then taxpayers will suffer from inept officials who refuse to make difficult budget cuts or make better use of taxpayer money. At the heart of the matter is whether government bloat should continue to thrive at the expense of taxpayers.

Despite the Democratic domination running rampant in all areas of government, the Republican party is building support in communities and holding elected officials’ feet to the fire.

This week, a Herald Bulletin editorial summed it up best:

“There are those still in government who act as if their first responsibility is to city employees. It’s not. … [It is] to the citizens of the city, to keep taxes low and to run lean while providing essential services.”

The Republican party boldly stands for lower taxes and smaller government. Our friends over at the bi-partisan, watchdog group Rebuild Anderson, also want to see our community grow and not wither under the duress of higher taxes.

Rebuild Anderson is organizing a walk to distribute flyers to alert citizens about what COIT means for Anderson, Elwood and all of Madison County’s taxpayers. Both Democrats and Republicans will take part. This is a great time to contact people who have been wanting to get involved — to reach out to those who want to speak out — but don’t know how.

Complacency is keeping folks fat and glued to America’s couches! It’s time to get off your can, and go door-to-door. Help educate the community about the pending tax hike that city and county councils want to keep secret. Besides, walking is an excellent way to start your exercise regimen that you’ve been putting off for months! Or years?

Only you can stop higher taxes, and it begins at the grassroots level.

Rebuild Anderson Walk Schedule

• Sat., Oct. 17 at 10 a.m. in Chesterfield at Millcreek Civic Center
• Sun., Oct. 18 at 1 p.m. in Pendleton at Fall Creek by the playground
• Tues., Oct. 20 at 6 p.m. in Elwood at Dairy Queen on State Road 13
• Weds., Oct. 21 at 6 p.m. in Elwood at Dairy Queen on State Road 13
• Sat., Oct. 24 in Elwood, Pendleton and other areas if they are not done (times to be determined)

Your Officials

Please send a polite email or call. It’s their job to listen to you!

Madison County Council

• Bill Savage (D-Dist. 1)
  savagewd@hotmail.com
  Ph: (765) 552-8384
• Buddy Patterson (D-Dist. 2)
  buddypatterson@comcast.net
  Ph: (765) 378-5345
• John Bostic Jr. (D-Dist. 3)
  Ph: (765) 649-2138
• Gary Gustin (R-Dist. 4)
  g.gustin3@verizon.net
  Ph: (765) 778-7804
• Larry Crenshaw (R-At Large)
  lcrenshawapd@yahoo.com
  Ph: (765) 649-0716
• Larry Higgins (D-At Large)
  bighig0928@aol.com
  Ph: (765) 208-0923
• Mike Phipps (R-At Large)
  mike@gophippsgo.com
  Ph: (765) 610-6442

Elwood City Council

COIT will surely pass with the Democrats’ domination in Elwood. Let these folks know that re-election is not an option if they vote COIT.

• Jason Leonard (D-Dist. 1)
  Ph: (765) 557-0504
• Debbie Brown (D-Dist. 2)
  Ph: (765) 278-7823
• David Savage (D-Dist. 3)
  Ph: (765) 552-6894
• John Wright (D-Dist. 4)
  Ph: (765) 552-6617
• Jack Powell (D-Dist. 5)
  Ph: (765) 552-7634
• Brian Courtney (D-At Large)
  Ph: (765) 552-0744
• Matt Leeson (D-At Large)
  Ph: (765) 552-0669

Links

• Rebuild Anderson Web Site
• Rebuild Anderson Facebook Page
• Editorial: Rise Up Against Local Tax Increase

On Thursday, an impassioned group of citizens will face Anderson City Council to express outrage towards the proposed new tax for Anderson and Madison County. The meeting starts at 7 p.m. in City Hall.

Whether you call it COIT or LOIT, it all adds up to a new tax that will make our county a less attractive place to live. It’s another case of inept city leaders, drunk on taxpayer money, who don’t know when to say when.

This week, the City Council released an amended agenda for the Oct. 8 meeting that will include an executive order for implementation of a “voluntary furlough,” that is, the City Council’s strategy to dodge the politically squeamish task of cutting jobs.

Basic human nature dictates that a city employee will no more choose to take a layoff than take a hole in the head. Likewise, to think such a compromise would appease taxpayers is foolish.

Links

• LOIT Alert flyer – Please distribute to friends and co-workers
• City Council’s Amended Agenda for Oct. 8
• Anderson City Council Home Page
• Rebuild Anderson Web Site

On Thursday, Oct. 8, the Anderson City Council convenes for a public hearing to:

1. Repeal CEDIT
2. Increase COIT to increase the Homestead Credit percentage
3. Impose an extra COIT for public safety

Your city council, dominated by Democrats, is poised to pass this ordinance.

The word around town is that a lone Republican may actually favor the ordinance. And even if a couple of Democrat dissenters vote it down, the nine-member council still has enough votes to pass it.

Herald Bulletin Editorial

The Herald Bulletin hit the nail on the head in its July 10 editorial:

When the economy is sour, unemployment up, wages down, charitable giving stagnant and government assistance limited, it’s not the right time to raise taxes.

It’s the right time for government to become leaner and more efficient, to re-evaluate the services it offers and the way they’re offered.

Action Items

• Post a link to your Facebook page.
• Tweet it to your Twitter account.
• Email or text it to your friends and family.
• Phone a friend.
• Meet us all at City Hall on Oct. 8 at 7 p.m.

Many in our community don’t even know about the proposed ordinance. We must hold local leaders’ feet to the fire, and send them the message that raising taxes is unacceptable, especially with our slumping economy.

Why aren’t we exploring more traditional options like salary cuts? If the ordinance passes, God forbid, we can repeal it with new council seats in 2010. Correction: City elections are in 2011. (Thanks, Russ!)

What, When & Where

Anderson City Council Public Meeting

Thursday, Oct. 8 at 7 p.m.
City Hall Council Chambers

120 East 8th Street

Anderson City Council

• Rick Muir, (D), President, At-Large
• Donna Davis (D), Dist. 2
• Pamela Jones (D), Dist. 3
• Ollie Dixon (D), Dist. 4
• Joe Newman (D), Dist. 6
• David Eicks (D), At-Large
• Rodney Chamberlain (D), At-Large
• Mike Welch (R), Dist. 1
• Art Pepelea, Jr. (R), Dist. 5

Council members are not without controversy. In June, Councilman Dixon pleaded guilty to a charge of driving while intoxicated and was the focus of a grand jury indictment on a charge of criminal recklessness in connection with his toting a loaded .45-caliber handgun into the county jail. Dixon called the gun charge “ridiculous,” and “political-, racial- and class-motivated.”

The charge was eventually dismissed by a tearful Madison Circuit Court Judge Fredrick Spencer — who is also a Democrat — on his last day on the bench following a state investigation of alleged misconduct.

Links

• Anderson City Council Home Page
• Anderson City Council Agenda
• Herald Bulletin: Just Say No to COIT Increase
• Judge Spencer Dismisses Gun Charge Against Councilman Dixon
• Herald Bulletin: Spencer’s judgment questionable
• Dixon pleads guilty to DWI