How Everyone Pays!

The Estesparkian is constantly being asked in various ways why the town toadies want to stifle home rule. Look, just to spell it out for you, we have Doylen, Levine, Blackhurst, Taylor, Pinkham and others who have been told that they should go along with the process, but to make sure it doesn’t get approved. They are in the race to insure that they have protected their self interest and to maintain the status quo. What a shame! They stand in front of groups of people and publicly state that they aren’t sure we should have home rule (even though they thought it was an emergency and voted to put it on the ballot), then say that with their experience, if the public is dumb enough to vote for it that they should write the charter.

It is really interesting in this town how people look out only for their own interest. No big picture view here, just what is in it for me and how soon do I get it?

In reality, the BIG PICTURE is-

Sales tax is down and has been for 4 years running. It is up a bit in lodging only because the new resorts have been built that collect higher rates. Occupancy is not up.

Park visits are down. Fewer than 3 million last year and heading even lower this year.

Retail is down. Look at the storefronts that are empty in the very heart of the season.

If business is down we all suffer!

Then there is the retirement community. Well folks, welcome to reality. You see, if business is down, sales tax is down; revenues should also be down for the Town. They should be having cuts in employees, services (what few there are) or something. Guess what, they aren’t cutting.

Here’s what you retirees get. Balderdash spelled it out last year – “taxes without representation.” Folks, if business is down your utilities will go up to cover the losses, then your property taxes will be increased to take up a little extra, and then your property values will go down. So, your little visit to paradise will become unaffordable and you’ll lose money on the sale of your property as you pack up and move back to Nebraska. But, just as the Town does with business, they figure some other fool will move in and pay higher and higher taxes and utilities as the Town keeps building a bigger and bigger infrastructure, requiring more and more taxes… well, you probably get it by now. Since business can’t pay for the new $1.7 million visitor center, you’ll have to. By the way, did you vote for higher utilities? Did you vote for the $1.7 million visitor center? Do you get it yet?

Vote Home Rule or start packing; Last one out turn out the lights.