The Lafayette Journal and Courier has a story on the reaction of politicians in the Lafayette area to the budget passed by the General Assembly. They’re still digesting the details, but they say it looks like the General Assembly has kicked the responsibility for raising taxes down to the locals. Local government is saddled with state and federal mandates that state and local government has not seen fit to fund. The taxing tool made available to local government is to raise taxes. One thing the Republicans were right about when they stormed into power on the federal level back in ’94 with the Contract with America was their objection to unfunded mandates. Can’t say I’ve heard much about that in a long time.
For example the article mentions, “Clinton County faces having to buy voting machines to comply with the Help American Vote Act as well as hiring more sheriff’s deputies to comply with federal guidelines, among other expenses.” So, the federal politicians get to take credit for passing legislation designed to help voters and for making the streets safer. The local politicians have to do the unpopular things (usually voting for a tax) necessary to pay for these things. Doesn’t seem fair to me. Well, as they say, “shit rolls downhill”. Just another example of that, I guess.
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