$3.33 a month will buy a lot

Forty dollars a year of additional real estate taxes? $3.33 per month? That’s the additional property tax I would pay for a $250,000 home if Proposition 1 passes. That’s less than one ferry ticket. I think most property owners can afford $3.33 a month, don’t you?

July 30, 2010 5:08 pm

Forty dollars a year of additional real estate taxes? $3.33 per month? That’s the additional property tax I would pay for a $250,000 home if Proposition 1 passes. That’s less than one ferry ticket. I think most property owners can afford $3.33 a month, don’t you?

I’ll gladly pay $3.33 a month to ensure that my elderly neighbor gets her one meal a day delivered by the meals-on-wheels program; to ensure that new mothers who can’t otherwise afford it are provided maternal support and effective parenting education; to ensure that we don’t lose seven to 10 deputy sheriffs so we are all made a little safer; and to ensure that our drinking water is tested and declared safe to drink. The list goes on and on. It’s such a small price to pay to ensure that we all continue to enjoy our high quality of life in Island County.

I simply cannot understand the mind set of those who oppose Proposition 1. I assume that most opponents of Proposition 1 aren’t totally heartless, but rather just rigidly adhere to the “no tax is a good tax” philosophy and to the discredited notion that every tax increase leads to job losses and a weaker economy. The point here is that tax increases do not inevitably lead to fewer jobs and less growth in the economy. In fact, history has shown quite the contrary. The taxes we pay provide all of us direct benefits – public safety, clean water, parks – while also generating jobs and wages in our own community that help sustain our economy.

What happens if Proposition 1 fails and all those county employees lose their jobs? Foreclosures will surely rise, and their income will no longer be circulated in the local economy thereby causing sales tax revenues to decline further. Additional layoffs by local business owners becomes even more likely as is the increased likelihood of businesses having to close their doors due to lack of business.

So, neighbors, won’t you agree that $3.33 a month to keep our community vibrant, healthy and safe is worth it? Please vote yes on Proposition 1. It’s the right thing to do.

Nels Kelstrom

Clinton