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ECON 101 LOCAL GOVERNMENT - ITS NOT ROCKET SCIENCE
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LOCAL ECONOMICS 101 (AND LEGISLATORS BEWARE): Our local (and national) economy model is capitalism. Capitalism is a consumer based model. For it to properly work, people have to consume. That is to buy goods and services. The more individual consumption there is, the stronger the local economy. But for individuals to be able to consume, they need to have discretionary income or a discretionary cash flow. This is how it works:
Gross wages - taxes = Net wages
Net wages - cost of living expenses (such as mortgage, utility user fees for water, sewer, and trash, food, medicine, insurance, gas, etc) = Discretionary cash
Discretionary cash means I can buy supplies to fix my house or car, hire someone to care for my lawn, go have my car washed, go have my dog washed, go out to the movies, enjoy dinner at a restaurant, shop for a new pair of shoes and matching shoes to go with the rest of the fabulous clothing apparel I'd like to buy and enjoy a massage and maybe a make-over. Who knows what all I could do if I had the discretionary cash to do whatever I wanted. But most of the things I'd purchase or the services I'd pay for....they are all local.
The more money I spend locally, the more money local business owners are making naturally. The more money those business owners make, the less they need to turn to local government for hand-outs. That's pretty much the whole premise of free market enterprise.
But to get there -- we, us already over-taxed individuals, need more discretionary income. One solution is working more hours or a second job. But that really isn't a solution when the local market isn't producing jobs. And why is the local market not producing jobs? Because businesses that aren't dependent on government hand-outs are not growing and businesses getting government hand-outs are producing products and services people want, so these businesses aren't really growing either. Matter of fact, most government hand-outs go to newer equipment that relies on fewer workers, shrinking businesses.
Shrinking existing businesses is not the way to grow the local economy.
Creating a business environment that rewards some businesses with government hand-outs while penalizing other businesses for not receiving those same government hand-outs has proven to be a lose-lose scenario for all businesses. Sure, you can try to attract new businesses to Fort Wayne, like the current Administration has done. But if businesses are shrinking, stagnating or shutting down at a rate that is higher than the number of businesses you can attract, then no matter how many businesses you attract -- you are still weakening the economy.
Businesses can only grow in (and are overwhelmingly attracted to) environments where there are low real estate taxes and low personal income taxes. This helps keep profit high (and cost of wages low) for businesses.
And how do we get low real estate taxes and low personal income taxes? By working for and demanding smaller government that is open and transparent with its expenses and sources of revenue and holding each governmental unit accountable for what it earns and what it spends.
This isn't a Republican solution nor is it a Democratic solution. This is a common sense solution.
And to those of you who will attempt to muddy the waters to create artificial division/chaos and conflict/divide and conquer among the taxpayer public by pointing to corporations and saying "Hey, why don't they just pay higher taxes for all of us" or some other line of how corporations are greedy, need to pay more, yadda yadda yadda. To you folks, it is time for a reality check.
There is no such thing as a corporate tax nor a sales tax -- those are both consumer taxes. Corporate taxes end up being included in the purchase price of whatever product or service the consumer is buying. Sales taxes are included in the purchase price of whatever product or service the consumer is buying. Corporations end up becoming collectors of government-mandated consumer taxes.
And why aren't they called consumer taxes? Because its a great way to create artificial division---create two teams (individual consumers and corporations) competing for the lowest taxes possible, which in turn pits everyone against each other (chaos and conflict, divide and conquer) and allows government at all levels to continue on with their status quo. And what is that status quo? Spend and tax, spend and tax, spend and tax and then tax some more, and then spend...uh, erh...give sooome away. Juuuuuuuuuust enough to stop people or to stop businesses from b*tching too loudly and to create incentives that will work to continue the chaos and conflict, divide and conquer.
For those needing proof--here's an experiment for you to try: Divide your kids into 2 or more teams. 3 kids can equal 3 individual teams, 4 kids can equal 2 teams of 2 or 4 individual teams of 4. Place $3 in quarters all over the house--in, around, on top of, behind, inside of, etc. Tell your kids that whoever cleans the most will earn $10 and that the house won't be clean until the $10 is found. Kids will work for hours trying to find that money. Even the smart ones who figure out its better to work as a team. You never told them that there was $10 to be found. You only said the house wouldn't be clean until $10 was found. And if someone figures it out and gets upset with you, don't forget to act innocent of all charges. "How could you think I would do something like that?" Or blame their other parent: "Why didn't he (or she) make sure the $10 was there? Why do I always have to be the one who makes sure the money is where I said it would be?" Or blame the kid who figured it out: "I didn't do any such thing. You misunderstood" "Stop being so greedy. You didn't need the $10 anyways." "Stop being so ungrateful. Afterall, look at how beautiful the house looks now, all clean and shiny. Isn't that what is really important?" "Stop being sooooo negative."
Doesn't really seem fair now does it? If only you had been open and transparent with your kids? But if you had, would they have worked so hard to clean the house? And wasn't that your goal....?? (That and maybe a few hours of peace and quiet??)
Folks, sincerely think about that one.
To our local legislators -- Have the courage to do what is right by the constituents who elected you into office. Do what is right by our community!
And be forewarned -- If you vote for the next round of taxes, then you are admitting that local elections are rigged in your favor. Why? Because no elected official with vote totals as low as they were in 2015 for each of you (both in the primary and the general election) and such a low overall 2015 voter turn-out would knowingly put themselves at risk of being voted out of office by voting for the one thing that would unite Republicans, Democrats, Libertarians, and Independents against them and create electoral competition.
To you career politicians who have counted on the magical workings of the local election board to see you through, I wouldn't be counting on that anymore if I were you? Not even they can afford to manipulate the 2019 elections by the kind of numbers each of you would need to get re-elected after voting for continued hikes in user fees and tax costs. Sincerely think about -- they can't add a significant number of votes without drawing unwanted attention? They also can't continue to suppress votes and keep the numbers hovering at 10% voter turn-out. Federal government is looking into voter fraud nationwide and system-wide. State of Indiana by way of the State Police are supposedly doing the same thing. Mathematically, local vote numbers do not add up. Do you really, REALLY want to risk you seat on Council by voting for taxes? Or alternatively, do you really, REALLY want to get ensnared in a federal or state election fraud investigation? Just how much campaign dollars and political promises (which are different from campaign promises) do you think it will take for you to overcome the odds if you vote for more taxes?
Gross wages - taxes = Net wages
Net wages - cost of living expenses (such as mortgage, utility user fees for water, sewer, and trash, food, medicine, insurance, gas, etc) = Discretionary cash
Discretionary cash means I can buy supplies to fix my house or car, hire someone to care for my lawn, go have my car washed, go have my dog washed, go out to the movies, enjoy dinner at a restaurant, shop for a new pair of shoes and matching shoes to go with the rest of the fabulous clothing apparel I'd like to buy and enjoy a massage and maybe a make-over. Who knows what all I could do if I had the discretionary cash to do whatever I wanted. But most of the things I'd purchase or the services I'd pay for....they are all local.
The more money I spend locally, the more money local business owners are making naturally. The more money those business owners make, the less they need to turn to local government for hand-outs. That's pretty much the whole premise of free market enterprise.
But to get there -- we, us already over-taxed individuals, need more discretionary income. One solution is working more hours or a second job. But that really isn't a solution when the local market isn't producing jobs. And why is the local market not producing jobs? Because businesses that aren't dependent on government hand-outs are not growing and businesses getting government hand-outs are producing products and services people want, so these businesses aren't really growing either. Matter of fact, most government hand-outs go to newer equipment that relies on fewer workers, shrinking businesses.
Shrinking existing businesses is not the way to grow the local economy.
Creating a business environment that rewards some businesses with government hand-outs while penalizing other businesses for not receiving those same government hand-outs has proven to be a lose-lose scenario for all businesses. Sure, you can try to attract new businesses to Fort Wayne, like the current Administration has done. But if businesses are shrinking, stagnating or shutting down at a rate that is higher than the number of businesses you can attract, then no matter how many businesses you attract -- you are still weakening the economy.
Businesses can only grow in (and are overwhelmingly attracted to) environments where there are low real estate taxes and low personal income taxes. This helps keep profit high (and cost of wages low) for businesses.
And how do we get low real estate taxes and low personal income taxes? By working for and demanding smaller government that is open and transparent with its expenses and sources of revenue and holding each governmental unit accountable for what it earns and what it spends.
This isn't a Republican solution nor is it a Democratic solution. This is a common sense solution.
And to those of you who will attempt to muddy the waters to create artificial division/chaos and conflict/divide and conquer among the taxpayer public by pointing to corporations and saying "Hey, why don't they just pay higher taxes for all of us" or some other line of how corporations are greedy, need to pay more, yadda yadda yadda. To you folks, it is time for a reality check.
There is no such thing as a corporate tax nor a sales tax -- those are both consumer taxes. Corporate taxes end up being included in the purchase price of whatever product or service the consumer is buying. Sales taxes are included in the purchase price of whatever product or service the consumer is buying. Corporations end up becoming collectors of government-mandated consumer taxes.
And why aren't they called consumer taxes? Because its a great way to create artificial division---create two teams (individual consumers and corporations) competing for the lowest taxes possible, which in turn pits everyone against each other (chaos and conflict, divide and conquer) and allows government at all levels to continue on with their status quo. And what is that status quo? Spend and tax, spend and tax, spend and tax and then tax some more, and then spend...uh, erh...give sooome away. Juuuuuuuuuust enough to stop people or to stop businesses from b*tching too loudly and to create incentives that will work to continue the chaos and conflict, divide and conquer.
For those needing proof--here's an experiment for you to try: Divide your kids into 2 or more teams. 3 kids can equal 3 individual teams, 4 kids can equal 2 teams of 2 or 4 individual teams of 4. Place $3 in quarters all over the house--in, around, on top of, behind, inside of, etc. Tell your kids that whoever cleans the most will earn $10 and that the house won't be clean until the $10 is found. Kids will work for hours trying to find that money. Even the smart ones who figure out its better to work as a team. You never told them that there was $10 to be found. You only said the house wouldn't be clean until $10 was found. And if someone figures it out and gets upset with you, don't forget to act innocent of all charges. "How could you think I would do something like that?" Or blame their other parent: "Why didn't he (or she) make sure the $10 was there? Why do I always have to be the one who makes sure the money is where I said it would be?" Or blame the kid who figured it out: "I didn't do any such thing. You misunderstood" "Stop being so greedy. You didn't need the $10 anyways." "Stop being so ungrateful. Afterall, look at how beautiful the house looks now, all clean and shiny. Isn't that what is really important?" "Stop being sooooo negative."
Doesn't really seem fair now does it? If only you had been open and transparent with your kids? But if you had, would they have worked so hard to clean the house? And wasn't that your goal....?? (That and maybe a few hours of peace and quiet??)
Folks, sincerely think about that one.
To our local legislators -- Have the courage to do what is right by the constituents who elected you into office. Do what is right by our community!
And be forewarned -- If you vote for the next round of taxes, then you are admitting that local elections are rigged in your favor. Why? Because no elected official with vote totals as low as they were in 2015 for each of you (both in the primary and the general election) and such a low overall 2015 voter turn-out would knowingly put themselves at risk of being voted out of office by voting for the one thing that would unite Republicans, Democrats, Libertarians, and Independents against them and create electoral competition.
To you career politicians who have counted on the magical workings of the local election board to see you through, I wouldn't be counting on that anymore if I were you? Not even they can afford to manipulate the 2019 elections by the kind of numbers each of you would need to get re-elected after voting for continued hikes in user fees and tax costs. Sincerely think about -- they can't add a significant number of votes without drawing unwanted attention? They also can't continue to suppress votes and keep the numbers hovering at 10% voter turn-out. Federal government is looking into voter fraud nationwide and system-wide. State of Indiana by way of the State Police are supposedly doing the same thing. Mathematically, local vote numbers do not add up. Do you really, REALLY want to risk you seat on Council by voting for taxes? Or alternatively, do you really, REALLY want to get ensnared in a federal or state election fraud investigation? Just how much campaign dollars and political promises (which are different from campaign promises) do you think it will take for you to overcome the odds if you vote for more taxes?
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