So the recent news on our present and future economic outlook is NOOT good...so this a good time to implement a $500,000,000.00 "$todola Mega Tax Monster" for what reasons again??????
See just a few of the headlines and small portions of the stories....
First was the Editorial in today's Arkansas Gazette...
Against the tax increase Too big, wrong time, and out of touch
By The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Whoever drew up this proposition scattered around proposals for both basic services (like public safety) and capital spending (like a bigger port and industrial park) like so much bait. The result: If a Little Rock voter just wants better police and fire protection and law enforcement in general, he’s got to swallow this wh-o-o-o-le thing.
and.....
Maybe if Little Rock’s voters-and hard-presssed taxpayers-would vote unequivocally against this double barreled hit, city hall might finally get the word. It needs to. Direct from the people. The message: Come back later. If and when the economy improves. With something more reasonable.
Our thoughts exactly!!!!!
next......read more on the jump
Water
utility holds off on rate changes No rise set for next year as 3 proposals
reviewed
By Kristin Netterstrom
LITTLE ROCK -- LITTLE ROCK —
Central Arkansas Water customers won’t see any changes next year to the way the
utility charges them for water.
But it is clear in the story that higher rates are coming......
Commissioners won’t consider the
utility’s 2012 budget until October, Rich said, and he’s not sure whether the
graduated rate will be decided before the end of the year.
“The only thing I’ve been given a clear
direction on is we’re not having a rate increase next year and we have a lot to
do on the expenditure side,” Rich said, adding that commissioners are not under
a “time crunch” to decide since there’s not an increase planned for next year.
The consultant’s report factored in 6.9
percent rate increases in 2013 and 2014, but offered three ideas on how to apply
the increases on customers’ bills.
Under all three plans, the base charge
for water would increase in 2013 by 20 cents, from $5.35 for the first 1,496
gallons, to $5.55. The base rate would increase again in 2014 by 35 cents,
making the minimum charge $5.90.
The
Employment Situation in August
Posted by Katharine Abraham on September
02, 2011 at 09:39 AM EDT
Today’s employment report shows that
private sector payrolls increased by 17,000 and overall payroll employment was
flat in August. The unemployment rate remained unchanged at 9.1 percent, a
level that remains unacceptably high. Despite a slowdown in economic growth
from substantial headwinds experienced throughout the year, the economy has
added private sector jobs for 18 straight months, for a total of 2.4 million
jobs over that period.
No
job growth heightens fears Unemployment holds at 9.1%
By DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE STAFF FROM WIRE
REPORTS
WASHINGTON -- WASHINGTON —
Employers stopped adding jobs in August, and the unemployment rate held steady
at 9.1 percent, the Labor Department reported Friday.
The report was a setback for a
struggling economy.
also.......
Total payrolls were unchanged in August,
the first time since 1945 that the government has reported a net job change of
zero. Economists warned that the economy can’t keep growing indefinitely if
hiring remains stalled.
Note the recent trend......it is not good, we are almost ready to start shedding jobs!!!!!
And more money for a BIGGER BETTER (more expensive) Broadway bridge.......
Backers
of finer bridge convene......Time, money are barriers, state says
By Noel E. Oman
Hays said the state commitment might not
be enough. “In all likelihood, it’s going to cost more. We’re going to have to
figure out how to do it.”
One guess who they are going to come to for that "going to cost more" part??????
Then we all know about this issue........
Gas
prices up though U.S. use falls.......High world demand, Gulf storm factors in
rise at pump
By DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE STAFF FROM WIRE
REPORTS
The run-up in oil prices earlier this
year, combined with a rash of refining problems throughout the U.S., has pushed
pump prices higher. The national average Thursday was $3.629 per gallon.
Drivers paid more for gasoline Thursday than on Sept. 1 of any other year
except2008, when pump prices hit an average of $3.686.
In Arkansas, the average
price of a gallon of gasoline Thursday was $3.48, according to AAA, up from
$2.50 a year ago.
State’s revenue misses forecast, decreases 1%.........No need to cut spending yet,
Beebe says
By Alison Sider
Beebe says
By Alison Sider
Last month’s decrease
compared with a year earlier is the first the state has seen since November
2010, after eight consecutive months in which general revenue exceeded
year-earlier totals.
Manufacturers
report weak growth in August
By DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE STAFF FROM WIRE
REPORTS
Thursday’s
reports hardly suggest the economy is strong. They mostly point to weak growth.
But in spite of these reports the city is making their employees go out and plead with people about the tax...(oh yea, they say they are not...yea, just like they did not require them to come to all those "so called" public meetings)...
City
employees hawk tax plan Aim is to get LR voters to polls
By Kristin Netterstrom
“It’s basically just encouraging voters
to get out and vote. The same information that’s been on the mail pieces and on
the website,” said Ben Thielemier with The Markham Group, which has been
running the campaign.
The city’s Human Resources office sent out a memorandum at
the beginning of the election campaign reminding employees they had to be off
the clock when volunteering or using paid time off if campaigning during the
day at the phone banks a block from City Hall.
key word here "during the day"....they are so dedicated that they will not do this after the work day...mostly, ONLY DURING the work day!!!!
Another item voters should consider...ALL the money generated by this over the top tax increase goes into the general fund. Once there, in fact, city hall is under no LEGAL obligation to spend it on the items they have listed in the material they are sending out!!!!
So the real question everyone needs to think about is this...with such uncertainty in the economy, also with what this mega tax is going to pay for..."is this REALLY the time for such a large increase in our city sales tax????
Early voting starts Sept. 6th across from city hall on Markham street
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