The Perfect Set-Up for Spending

UPDATE (August 24, 2012):  The STAR Forum has gathered some citizens for an application for a Referendum Vote on this tax increase.  Please contact me to help gather signatures of Summit County Voters, so we can show this county council we are tired of tax and spend policies in this county.

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What would be the best way to get a tax increase through?  Can you imagine setting a budget that includes a tax increase, spending the money, and THEN having a final public hearing?  Well, that’s pretty much how it’s done.  And it’s okay under Utah law.

Wednesday, August 15, a number of residents attended the “public hearing” for the tax rate increase on their municipal taxes in unincorporated Summit County.  This tax increase was a 51.7% increase.  This was the second public hearing.  The first public hearing was not well-attended, because it wasn’t until people got their tax notices and saw the increase that they were up in arms.  Let’s just say, the council sees Summit County homes as their money machine.

The council chambers were packed.  It was standing room only.  Chairs were brought in from other areas of the building.  Residents came from all over Summit County frustrated by the seemingly lackadaisical attitude of the council.

For ½ an hour, the council “sold” us their reasons for the tax increase and how important it was for the roads.  One of the main points I got out of their sale was, we held one public hearing and no one was there, so we moved forward and already spent all the money because it was construction time and we had to fix all the roads.  So, this was nothing more than a “dog and pony show” as one Wanship resident put it, and the public hearing meant absolutely nothing.

I personally stood and asked what items were CUT from the budget in order to make up some of this difference.  Were there non-essential services cut?  Were salaries brought down to a level in line with the private sector?  One gentlemen, Mr. Callahan, lauded the work done by the new machines purchased that save us so much money but cost more man hours to run.  I looked up his salary while I was sitting there.  In 2010 this guy made $147,000 per year.  I doubt he’s taken a pay cut, and I’ll bet he’s seen a pay increase since then.  Our county employees are making much better than the private sector, while the private sector has had to tighten their belts significantly.  Please remember council, it’s those private citizens that are paying those public employees’ salaries.

With blank stares the council looked at me, until John Hanarhan stepped in to say that the budget has been cut year over year because of less tax revenue.  While parts of the budget may have been cut, overall, this is not true according to the counties own records.  Carston Mortensen quoted to the council all of their revenues over the last five (5) years or so and it shows either an increase or a leveling of revenue, not a decrease.

Sally Elliot when on to say they have not wanted to let people go in such a tough economy, and so they have cut budgets by attrition.  WHAT?  This is such a horrible way to handle the public’s money.  No one wants to let people go in their business.  When the construction business took a turn for the worse, that’s what we had to do.  These were people with families, and mortgages.  It eats me up inside to let someone go, but the survival of the company has to be considered, just as the survival of the people of the county must be considered.   Either a few people were let go or the whole thing goes down.  Here is the problem with the “ruling class” thinking of the council:  They think that it’s okay to “keep people” because they can just raise your taxes and mine to make up the difference.  It matters not at all to them if YOU “need” these people to work for YOU.  Or have they forgotten, that YOU are paying the bills?

John Hanarhan and Chris Robinson simply quote Utah code to say they complied by having a public hearing.  I pose a question to my council:  Is it good practice to comply with the law and simply ignore the public, or is it a better practice to be responsible with the public’s money and be sure the public is heard when their money is being taken through legal plunder?  Speaking of roads, Granite did most of the road repair.  The road in front of Chris Robinson’s home was done, even though it wasn’t due for repaving yet.  And imagine that, money found it’s way into Chris’s election fund from none other than Granite.

Then Bob Jasper, the county manager, actually said it was either the roads get fixed with a tax increase, or the roads get fixed and we lose services from our Sherriff’s department.  Really?  These kind of scare tactics are tired, and old, and we simply don’t buy it anymore.  Either you won’t be safe, or it’s for the children.  Can’t the council come up with something new?

I have no respect for Bob Jasper’s position.  I didn’t vote him in, and neither did any of you.  This position is the rubber stamp of the council.  He doesn’t answer to the people, only to the council.  Also, for a guy who’s running our county, I for one would like to be able to vote him out if needed.  The recommendation to “spend the money” during construction season before a final hearing shows me where his allegiance lies, and it isn’t with the people.  Also, I can’t tell you how many times Sally Elliot, looked over to the county manager, or the county attorney for help with her answers.  Sometimes she even verbally said, “help me.”

Cuts can be made everywhere, and in a $47 million budget, I’m pretty sure we could have trimmed more than half of this “needed” money from someplace else.  Friends of Animals, where Claudia McMullen is making quite a chunk of change is supported by our county tax dollars.  Is that necessary, or should the funds be coming from private sources?  If FOA is saving the county money, maybe the county should look at privatizing the Animal Control and get their monies worth.

There is money that can be saved even in the Sherriff’s office.  We (the tax payer) replace vehicles not on time in the field, but on mileage.  All of our officers are taking their vehicles home and many do not live in Summit County.  Summit County has the highest paid wages in the state of Utah, and our prisoners are the highest paid prisoners in the state.  (Don’t even get me started on the prison pay.)  But this is just one department and it is an essential one.

[Since this article was printed I received a call from Summit County Sherrif, Dave Edmonds.  This issue of driving vehicles home, after studies have been done, actually saves the county money when officers are assigned a vehicle, because they tend to take better care of their vehicles.  Also, we need to remember that there are essential services and non-essential services.  Our county is spending WAY TOO MUCH on non-essential services.  We can put this tax on as a referendum, and then help the county council cut non-essential services to balance their budget.]

While I’m sure the people on the county council are well-intentioned, they are misguided, and I believe do not understand the proper role of government, nor the great responsibility that comes with handling the public treasury.  I need to be clear that one council member did NOT vote for this tax increase.  That was Dave Ure.

I bet most of the people that pay taxes in Summit County would be okay with a much more streamlined government in this county.  Fewer so-called perks, and more appropriate government, where government does what it is supposed to do, instead of being everything to everyone.  Then we could ease the tax burden on our county’s citizens.

Let the Scare Tactics Begin — Where Are Your County Dollars Being Spent?

It’s time to look local!

Recently Bob Jasper, the Summit County Manager, was asked some tough questions by KPCW.  You should listen to his responses.  Click on this link for the audio file — Bob Jasper on KPCW

On November 8, Summit County voters have a chance to vote on some ballot initiatives.  When deciding if you want to rob Summit County of its assets to make up for the losses, and buy into the scare tactics of the County Coucil,  here are some things to consider:

1.    The County was over budget by $1.6M last year, and $2.1M this year.

2.    The County for too long has been using these heavy-handed strategies to get their agenda passed.  Sending out a letter paid by the taxpayer to try to pass their agenda is just a form of propaganda.  And YOU are paying for it.  They believe you are the little people, and that their agenda is too important to worry about the best interests of the people they are paid to represent.

3.    The County is lending money to Mountain Regional Water (the county owned water system) at a rate of 1.5%, when they would probably have to pay five (5) times that amount in the market.  Why is that?  Jasper said the Treasurer (Corrie Kirklen) made that decision.  Why should any business receive preferential treatment from the county over another business in the same industry?  And is this really a good risk for the county?

4.  The county Treasurer is working basically part-time and receiving approximately $110k per year.  So, who is really making these big decisions?

5.  The County gave Mountain Regional Water the ability to create a 14% rate increase this year and next, and for some reason they still need $500K of County funds.  There are other companies, like Gorgoza Mutual Water Company in Pinebook, and Summit Water Distribution Company, that are private organizations, that seem to be able to handle their water just fine, without county help, and even with the county doing things to block their progress.  These are great examples of how private industry is much more efficient than a government that can simply tax away your money instead of providing better services at a lower cost.

4.    Jasper claims there is an announcement on the movie studio.  Really?  Too bad the other parties involved don’t know of any deal on the table that will be announced in the next two weeks.  Is this just more propaganda to give hope?  And hope to who?

5.    In the discussion with KPCW, Mr. Jasper made a comment about someone on the planning commission  made negative comments about Prop 2 on her Facebook page.  (We know who this is.)  If someone made negative comments, then obviously there is an “against” that could have been written for the county publication.  It is wholly inappropriate for a county manager to take a public swipe at someone to try to get them into line with the will of the Council.

6.  Your county manager is a hired position.  His job is on the line under the direction of the County Council.  This is a horrible check.  It would be like our governor being appointed by our state legislators, and then if they didn’t like his positions, threatening his job.  How can Jasper claim to be doing what is in the best interest of the county, when he only answers to five (5) people on the council, instead of to the residents of Summit County.

There will be much more to see on the antics of this county council, so please subscribe in the box to the right to receive these posts right in your email box so you can easily forward them on to your other friends in Summit County.

Labels, Campaigns, and You

by Jacqueline Smith

I recently received an email sent out by the Democratic Candidate for Treasurer.  It linked Henry Glasheen the Republican Candidate for Treasurer to the “right wing” group The STAR Forum in a negative way.  First, Henry Glasheen is not a member of our group.  While most of the members support Henry in his election because he is a fiscal conservative, and qualified enough to handle this position, my main point of this article is to discuss labels. 

Labels are a way for the opposing view to denigrate individuals and groups.  Going back in history, we look at the Nomad age.  Those who were living on farms and in stable homes, also known as the Agrarian culture called the Nomads “barbarians.”  Once the Industrial Age caught on, those people building factories looked at the Agrarian age as “Third World.”  Each group wants to denigrate the other with a label.  What might the Information Age call the Industrial Age builders?  Polluters maybe.

Many labels have been attached to the freedom movement, such as “tea baggers,” “racists,” “hate-mongers,” and “right-wingers“ etc.  This type of label is not only inaccurate, but can fool us, if we as a people do not look at the entire picture.  We have a right / left paradigm in our society, and I have used the terms myself.  Liberal / Conservative is thrown around a lot as well, but with less negative connotations.  If you are using a term to describe a standpoint, be sure you are using it with accuracy.  Liberals call themselves liberals.  That is not a derogatory term.

 I think it would be good to define right-wing.  The video linked here is a video that shows why right-wing is the opposite of the definition many people place on groups intent on supporting the Constitution of the United States as seen through the eyes of the founding fathers.  Right wing actually is a call for anarchy.  This is not the case for The STAR Forum at all. 

The STAR Forum stands for Save The American Republic.  I cannot imagine a Republican, Democrat, Libertarian or Independent not wanting to Save the Republic.  Unless you believe in total anarchy or Fascism / Communism, we have common ground.  If you believe in God or simply in good, we have common ground.  If you believe that the Constitution of the United States is the law of the land, and holds government at bay to ensure the highest level of liberty for the people, then we have common ground.  If you believe that government is necessary, but should be limited, we have common ground.

The purpose of The STAR Forum is to educate people in ways of government workings.  We seek to give individuals the tools necessary to participate in an environment that may otherwise seem foreign.  We teach the proper role of government, and give the individuals the ability to look at history and better understand the period we are entering, known as The Fourth Turning.  It is individuals aligning themselves with others that want to recognize the vital role they can play in ensuring liberty for all.  It is recognizing the need for charity, honesty, and public virtue from ourselves on a daily basis.  We believe that an educated electorate is the most important thing in maintaining a Republic as our form of government.  We are not a democracy, because our founders understood as James Madison said, “…democracies have ever been spectacles of turbulence and contention; have ever been found incompatible with personal security or the rights of  property, and have in general been as short in their lives as they have been violent in their deaths.”  In addition, Samuel Adams stated, “Democracy never lasts long.  It soon wastes, exhausts and murders itself.”

If placing labels on individuals or groups is the only way to win elections, and it works, it will not be the fault of the person placing the label, but the individuals who are fooled by those labels and vote based on the “feeling” the label creates.  Be an educated voter.  Look at comments and phrases placed on opposing candidates in context.  Do not believe everything you hear.  Study things out for yourself.  Find the candidates that align most with your views and belief systems.  Above all else, remember that this Republic has lasted longer with our Constitution than any other written Constitution on the earth.  It is the duty of all who take office, and all who vote, regardless of party to align themselves within the bounds of that document.

 FREEDOM CAN WIN!

Summit County Council, Your Money, and an Audit

Image via Wikipedia

 

At a time when focus is on national issues, I have decided to look at some things closer to home.  I am still aware of these national issues, and the state issues at hand, however, where can I have the most influence?  Closer to home.  I recommend to each of you to look at your city and county governments.  Find out how they are set up, and if they are even Constitutional to begin with.  I attended a meeting of the Summit County Council recently, and left almost sick to my stomach. 

Wednesday night I attended a public meeting of the Summit County Council.  One purpose of this meeting was to have public input on a $25 million (now $20 million) bond for open space.  Funny thing was, it had already been voted on by the county council prior to the meeting.  What is the point of holding a public meeting about open space, if you have already voted on the measure?  In my opinion, it was so “the little people” could feel heard. 

I saw a problem with the meeting right off the bat.  First of all, the public notice gave the address as a Coalville location, when it was in fact in Park City.  So is this public meeting sufficient when the notice was incorrect? 

People got up and gave their reasons mostly in support of the open space.  However, two people made what I saw as very valid arguments against.  First of all, the economy.  We are all suffering right now, and adding more taxes is not what we need in our county.  In a time when government spending is out of control, our state is making great efforts in reducing the budget, not increasing it.  And here in Summit County, it’s seen as a “trivial” amount of money for each taxpayer.  What would you do with a few extra hundred dollars in your pocket instead of being robbed by the county?  If I don’t have a right to build a beautiful trail, and then steal the money from all of my neighbors to pay for it, how does the county?  The problem is the council sees this as a non-issue because they spend money like drunken sailors.  However, in the words of Ronald Reagan, “that would be unfair to drunken sailors, because they are spending their own money.” 

The other reason, came from Gary Shumway, who is currently running for a seat on the Council.  Why would the council  even consider a bond for the ballot when the county is under investigation?  (The article from ABC 4 News)  Do we know the results of the investigation?  Could Summit County end up owing money?  Then we have a bond, and a bill we owe the state for the audit?  Also, there is a juicy article in The Park Record that begins … 

“ A probe into how Summit County has administered a controversial development program is underway on Capitol Hill.  

The flap is over rules that have allowed builders to transfer valuable development rights from one parcel to another. Some state lawmakers say they began questioning county officials about the program last year when they were tipped off about the controversy by a landowner. The rules that governed how development rights were transferred were abused, the property owner claimed.” 

To see the full article click here: http://www.parkrecord.com/ci_15986678 

I did not fully understand all of this until it was explained to me.  If you are like me, you’re not a huge landowner or developer, and it may not be something the average person pays attention.  

What exactly is happening to the density rights created by open space?  Who benefits from this?  Does anyone on the council directly or indirectly benefit?  Property values increase when density rights are given, so are the value of those parcels being properly assessed?  Is it possible that the land the density rights were given remained undervalued by the County Assessor and thereby people avoided taxes?  And that could be the reason Summit County is under audit, because if we have undervalued our property, and paid less in taxes, then less money has gone to the state and our county for our schools.  We’ve got to put an honest assessor in this office.  These are things someone should look into. 

But the most sickening thing about this is the attitude of the council.  One council member, Dave Ure, had excused himself by the time the real circus began.  The debate wasn’t over how the money should be spent, what projects were the most important, or even the cost of the projects.  The gist of the dialogue was, how much will the tax-payers stomach without throwing the measure off the ballot entirely.  And one person in the crowd (a lobbyist or analyst for the council) actually said that the problem wasn’t with the Park City people, but THE WORKING CLASS, that just doesn’t get it.  Should we call them Lords and Ladies now?  We ended aristocracy in 1787.  

Do you feel outraged?  I hope outraged enough to make a difference in November on our County Council, and other county offices to stop the spending and this ridiculous bond (pronounced tax). 

There are solutions: 

The first thing we should change is our style of government.  Our county government would not pass constitutional muster.  Our legislative branch (the council) also holds the executive power.  The County Manager that was just hired was appointed by the council.  That would be like the State Legislators appointing the Governor of the State.  We have no checks and balances in our county government.  Of course the County Manager is going to go along with whatever the council proposes, because they hold his job in their hands.  We must make this an elected position. 

As far as open space, many people in our group have talked about other solutions.  There are ways to create open space without ever taxing anyone. 

Tonight at the Council Meeting, they will be discussing the transfer of density rights. 

Take a long look at what’s going on in your area.  Look at your school boards, your city government and county governments and help Save The American Republic right in your own backyard. 

2010 Summit County Fair Republicans Responsible for Stimulus

Jamisyn with her Star Class hogs

The Summit County Fair has been going on all week.  The kids raise their hogs, steers, and lambs to show and sell at the fair.  The younger kids usually join in with chickens, bunnies, and art.  Summit County has long been known for its high prices for the auction.  This year seemed a bit lean due to the economy, but it was still a great success. 

Jamisyn with her 4th Place Hog

Silvere helping show hogs

I did notice one thing this year.  It is an election year, and you often see candidates step in and purchase.  They are helping the kids, helping the community, and they get name recognition by the people who are keeping the rural part of Summit County alive and well. 

Right out of the shoot,  

Rob Hunt for County Assessor

 Rob Hunt, running for County Assessor, and Richard Motto, running for County Clerk, purchased a hog.  The auctioneer mentioned they would take that kind of “stimulus.”  This was their first time purchasing at the fair, and they were looking forward to getting great meat and donating to a good cause. 

Richard Motto for County Clerk

Then Sherriff Dave Edmunds joined in.  He also purchased a hog.  After the hogs were sold, the steer went to sale, then the lambs.  Henry Glasheen, running for County Treasurer purchased a lamb. 

Sheriff Dave Edmunds

Richard Motto & Henry Glasheen for County Treasurer

Here is the interesting thing … they are all Republicans.  This is typical of a Republican.  See a need, and fill it, without government interference.  The Summit County Jr. Livestock Sale, through the 4-H program, is a way to encourage our youth to achieve their goals, set aside money for college, and learn about the circle of life.  Amazingly, there seems to be no need for government subsidy.  Hard work actually pays off for these youth.  In addition, their parents are actively engaged in helping them.  That is the American way.  These kinds of programs are what every community needs.  If not with animals, then with art, crafts, gardening, etc.  A little competition is great for these kids, and gives them a sense of pride.  It teaches them that instant gratification is less rewarding than reaping what you sow.  Our country has become obsessed with having it now, and that is not real.  It takes time to create a harvest; it takes time to raise an animal. 

Some children become very attached to their animals and both of my girls shed quite a few tears as their animals were taken away to the slaughterhouse.  They have loved these animals all summer, fed, watered and walked them.  Nevertheless, they understand that while their bodies are still here for us to appreciate and help sustain us, their spirits have moved on, and they have filled the measure of their creation.  Besides, bacon is yummy! 

Also, Lyndon & Stacy Jones, STAR Forum members, were responsible for the purchase of many animals, including a steer.  This is a wonderful way for everyone to get involved in their community, and show their support for those in the upcoming generation. 

If only our government understood these principles.  We, the people, do, and as we continue to teach our children these principles, they will grow up and become our government.  We have raised children in a 3^rd turning, and it is now time to raise adults. 

Now, I could have missed the Democrat candidates purchasing animals, but I did not hear any names that I recognized as candidates.