Lost in all the philosophical discussion about what model of government is best for Coos County is the root cause of problems for most government entities and that is inadequate funding due to inequitable taxation. Pulitzer Prize winning author, David Cay Johnston, demonstrated on this blog how the top ten taxpayers in Coos County pay half the rate of the rest of us. A 2009 report issued by a governor’s task force pointed out that Coos County has the third lowest tax rate in the state, behind financially strapped Josephine and Curry counties, and uses only 30% of tax potential.
Asking large landowners like Plum Creek, Roseburg Forest Products, Weyerhaeuser and Bandon Dunes Resort to pay their fair share of county services would go a long way to improving local infrastructure and revitalizing the area. Under taxation explains why resource rich communities are historically poor and economically challenged. The greatest assets are undervalued to benefit private groups that heretofore have failed to reinvest in the area and create new jobs.
Regardless of whether we have three or five commissioners or hire an administrator, sooner or later these inequities must be addressed.
And the Chamber of Consorts, SCDC, Sause,Knutson, and little al, will spend every last penny of OUR money to keep it that way. Just watch them.
They are going to cut out ‘the middleman’ which is the voters, and buy them an executive. Just like Messerlie bought his opinion on Solid Waste, and he’s paying PSU to get his executive. Why? Because the voters are onto them, and they know it. The Messer lie family is one of the greatest examples of Welfare Queens this county has ever seen. How many “agricultural” tax breaks do they gobble down every year? How many of them are on the Public Dole? Three big ones that I know of, who knows how many more? Think they give a rat’s arse about the taxpayer? Ha, no respect whatsoever, just ask little al, he sucks up ten thousand from your pockets voters, then prances around the county screaming the sky is falling? Hypocrites and welfare queens every one.
It will be interesting to see how the World paper expert in government matters (not!) spins the debate.