Local and National Politics, What's Similar?
You might have noticed our continuing imbroglio with the Augusta County government over my mother's property taxes vis-a-vis the reassessment. My appeal got about $20K deducted from the value of Mom's property. However, all that was in the value of improvements not in the value of the land. They aren't budging there. Moreover, the Board of Supervisors (BOS) are allowing the appraisal firm, Blue Ridge Mass Appraisal, to speak for them. The head honcho there has made some statements you can read in an earlier article that pretty much call us dolts for rejecting this overreaching attempt to increase revenues to the county.
That's not to say that most members of the BOS, Republicans by the way, haven't acted directly as well. One way that they have done this is to ignore a 10,000 citizen petition and 1,000 citizens turning out for a BOS meeting to OPPOSE the reassessment. Mob rule isn't what we're after here but they actually derided the petitioners. They had options. Unfortunately, they've chosen the statist approach. Instead of rejecting the assessment, instead of acknowledging the rightfullness of the complaints and trying to find a legal way out, they've said from the start they "might" reduce the tax rate to mitigate the increase resulting from the 33-300% increase in value (and they only acknowledge a 27% average value increase). The suggested reduction hasn't been much of one either as they do wish to increase revenues immediately to make up for shortfalls in State support of education and lack of sales tax revenues. Rather than cut the budget for unnecessary spending, they've chosen to continue the spending but not for education AND to increase our taxes. This isn't serving the community well.
You see, they believe that instead of working to provide the critical needs first, instead of the luxuries first, and taxing us to do so is preferable.
That's the national view as well. The national politicians have forgotten or no longer care the why and what of their purpose as our representatives. Preservation of place rather than country is their goal. Party rather than country is their allegiance. They have abandoned principle for privilege. They have chosen power over posterity.
In light of the inattention to the tea parties, the question rapidly approaches, what shall we do?
Labels: AugustaCountyReassessment, Politics
