Editor, The Commercial:
The Founding Fathers recognized taxation as an onus of governance. Seeking to make it as painless as possible, they turned to a monetary unit of just a fraction of a penny, surely not enough to be a threat to a man’s wallet. With enough men, though, that fraction can yield a tidy sum.
Sometimes, though, more money is needed for a particular project, or for a short period. So a sunset clause is added, something to assure the voting public that its elected leaders recognize the burden of taxes but still want to raise them, but only briefly, and usually for a specific reason. Once the need has been met, the tax will die, as it should.
We now have a situation where local officials want to turn a temporary tax into a permanent tax. This ignores the fact that it was intended as nothing more than a short-time burden, one that would need no extension. Is that not akin to breaking a lease? We made a pact, but now they don’t want to abide by it?
I’m inclined to say, “We had an agreement, and we’re going to stick to that agreement. If you want more money, then we need to make a new agreement, one maybe you’ll honor.” Then let them get by for a while on what they received before the latest tax was added, so they will learn to appreciate not just the added revenue but the people who provide it.
D.H. Ridgway,
Pine Bluff