government futility

https://www.nvdaily.com/nvdaily/for-some-strasburg-residents-mailing-a-letter-just-got-harder/article_3ec684bf-10f6-50ae-8c50-e64de2bb7848.html

well done, Ryan Fitzmaurice! one would think that the USPS wouldn't make it harder for handicapped folks to mail a letter. AMAZING! 

Mr. Fitzmaurice, your article is an eyeopener for some of us and a reminder for others that some of our neighbors have difficulty with tasks that we take for granted: mailing a letter, getting stamps or mailing a package at the post office, getting groceries, getting supplies, finding a vendor, changing a light bulb, etc. One would like to think that government would help. Your article confirms the opposite. One would think that neighbors would help. The rub becomes connecting the neighbor who wants to help with the neighbor who needs help. Legal concerns make this difficult--or even impossible. One would think that local government would help. not so. it's a sad situation. 

This image says it all: 

http://www.accum.se/~zqad/cats/1174324245-futility.b.jpg

https://www.flickr.com/photos/afagen/9488211385

attribution: Adam Fagen and flickr

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/

beware of greeks bearing gifts

https://www.nvdaily.com/nvdaily/stowe-engineering-discusses-providing-water-and-sewer-to-glendale-property/article_4347c49f-3441-5938-abc1-d31a921eab6a.html 

https://strasburgunderground.blogspot.com/2022/10/oranda-residents-speak-out-against.html

https://strasburgunderground.blogspot.com/2024/02/a-day-late-and-dollar-short.html

Beware of Greeks bearing gifts.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/22174859@N00/382135245

attribution: QuartierLatin1968 and flickr

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/

government's calculations for inflation (CPI) are flawed

 "The CPI represents changes in prices of all goods and services purchased for consumption by urban households. User fees (such as water and sewer service) and sales and excise taxes paid by the consumer are also included. Income taxes and investment items (like stocks, bonds, and life insurance) are not included."

https://www.bls.gov/cpi/overview.htm

https://www.marketplace.org/2021/11/22/whats-included-in-the-consumer-price-index-and-what-isnt/

There you have it. the CPI only includes "out-of-pockets". Big ticket items like federal and state income taxes, state and local property taxes, healthcare costs (including prescription drugs), education costs, etc. aren't included. 

why? 

Mark Twain said it all: "Figures don't lie, but liars figure." 

https://www.econlib.org/library/Columns/y2010/Murphygovernmentcosts.html

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mark_twain2.JPG

public domain via wikimedia commons

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Public_domain

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Libertarian_Party_Porcupine_(USA).svg

https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/deed.en

attribution: Lance W. Haverkamp, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

cutting spending is the answer to strasburg's budget deficit

By the narrowest of margins town council got it right by voting against raising real estate taxes. 

https://www.nvdaily.com/nvdaily/strasburg-council-rejects-real-estate-tax-increase/article_d27b6663-1a87-5289-a4a2-9492b75254fd.html

questions remain.

• do all of the council members own property in strasburg?
• for those who don't own property in strasburg, are they aware that real estate taxes increased a whopping 22% in 2022? https://strasburgunderground.blogspot.com/2022/05/figures-dont-lie-but-liars-figure.html talk about inflation!
• is the town council prepared to face the music?

The slim majority has it right this time. 

"Monahan called for the council to have a financial retreat next year to discuss needs in detail before she was ready to approve new taxes, stating she would not approve new taxes in this cycle.

“I have no interest (in raising taxes),” Monahan said. “The people of Strasburg are all struggling.”

“I would exhaust all other options before doing a tax increase,” Louder said."

• how does a struggling homeowner deal with a 22% increase in real estate taxes? most people can deal with 3% inflation in the small items (gas, food, clothing, etc.). real estate taxes are a big ticket item in a struggling homeowner's budget. a 22% increase in real estate taxes in one year puts a HUGE burden on a struggling homeowner's budget.

The answer to the town's budget deficit is clear--cut spending--just like a struggling homeowner has to do if they have a budget deficit.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/126066997@N07/31928904267

attribution: Money Bright and flickr

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

demolition

question: where's that noise coming from? 

answer: demolition at 1 Shenandoah Valley Drive. 

there's a sign: ARCO design and build

https://arcodb.com/offices/virginia/ 

That's all I know--for now.

Stay tuned.

double-talk

https://www.nvdaily.com/nvdaily/strasburg-town-council-grapples-with-budget-deficit/article_a76e4599-e3e8-5e99-a21b-2659500daae3.html 

Calvin Coolidge said: "Collecting more taxes than is absolutely necessary is legalized robbery."

strasburg has a history of spending taxes unwisely.

https://strasburgunderground.blogspot.com/2021/09/red-herring.html

https://strasburgunderground.blogspot.com/2022/11/cart-before-horse.html

etc.

strasburg also has a history of double-talk. Beware of councilman Dane Hooser's advocacy for raising the real estate tax. 

https://strasburgunderground.blogspot.com/2022/05/figures-dont-lie-but-liars-figure.html

in 2022 the real estate tax rate went down 11% while real estate assessments went UP a whopping 45%--resulting in a whopping 22% increase in real estate taxes. talk about inflation!!!

Here's a fourth option--cut spending.

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/msdi/48871054371/

attribution: Matt Deegan and flickr

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/