May 2 Letters to the Editor

Tap is running dry

We taxpayers are not the ones over-spending and not budgeting well. Yet we are the ones who are being stuck bailing out all financial institutions. Enough is more than enough. Taxpayers are not an endless stream of funds; our tap is running dry. There must be a limit and we have definitely reached it.

Our governor constantly wants to raise taxes and college tuition. Now a judge says to raise our taxes yet again, instead of cut backs? It is this sort of thinking that has Main Street America at the lowest point I have seen in my life time. I am sick of it being OK to make Main Street suffer to no end. It is time for everyone, from the very top to Main Street, to make allowances during this poor economy.

The well is running dry. It is time for the powers that be to climb down from their golden towers and take a real good look at how this economy if affecting us. We on Main Street are taxed out and sick of being lied to when it comes to taxes. There must be a limit or soon no one will be able to afford to work and live here. Times are tough, so why add salt to the open wound?

Larry Davis

Longview

Start cutting from the top

I find it rather funny that the government, be it local, state, or federal, keeps raising the taxes to balance the budget. Where do they intend to get the taxes if the people are not working?

It is like the sewer rates are going to go up in St. Helens because the Boise mill is not putting out as much waste as it did. The Gum Mint thinks the taxpayer has an endless pile of money to be used for bailouts. Have they not heard of cutting back on spending?

They need to start at the top, with the CEO, and start cutting wages and spending. You and I have to do it all the time when the money runs low. Why can’t they do likewise? Can some Gum Mint big shot explain this to me?

Roger W. Byrd

St. Helens

Raise taxes?

I am confident that our judges are more than capable of judging the fine points of the law, but when it comes to the fine points of economics they are apparently not so discerning.

Judge Warme would make a highly qualified candidate for the CEO job of one of our major airlines. Only they — and other government officials — feel that the best time to raise prices is when it is harder and harder for your paying customers to afford your services.

Ben Coombs

Longview

Good theater

The battle between the commissioners and the judges over the county budget is good theater. Last Sunday’s paper is a good example. Judge Warme points out the obvious — that the county’s budget is the responsibility of the taxpayers and not just the county employees. Commissioner Kathleen Johnson claims that the taxpayers likely won’t accept that responsibility and that Judge Warme is politically naïve. Ann Cruser points out that, since the commissioners (the politically savvy) are elected to make policy, they should have made those policy decisions.

This was all fair enough until Daily News reporter Barbara LaBoe added once again that Judge Warme is one of two elected officials in the county who chose not to donate 5 percent of their salary back to the county. Since this is so pertinent, I’d like to know who on The Daily News’ staff have chosen not to donate 5 percent of their salary to Cowlitz County. The real story is that the other elected officials did donate. Amazing. If we taxpayers were so dedicated, we wouldn’t need any budget cuts.

Wesley S. Johnson

Longview

Leadership is lacking

The recent efforts by the county commissioners have demonstrated an abject failure in leadership and management. When the commissioners realized the magnitude of the shortfall and the needed sacrifices required, they should have convened a meeting with all the labor representatives, made the case and worked collaboratively to achieve a shared plan. Instead, they presented half-baked, incomplete measures to workers that only served as political cover for the commissioners.

Additionally, Commissioner Kathleen Johnson stated to the Democratic Men’s Committee that there would be early retirement buyouts and then the next day told employees there would be none. Requiring an across-the-board 10 percent cut from departments demonstrated a total lack of leadership and equated core government functions with optional programs.

Granted, we are in unprecedented economic times. However, the lack of leadership and management shown by all three commissioners makes one consider whether their performance was a contributing factor in the crisis we are facing.

Mike Phillips

Kalama