Federation of Connecticut Taxpayer Organizations

WELCOME TO THE 25th EDITION OF

TAX TALK

Your update on what others are thinking, doing, and planning
Send your comments or questions to me, and
I will include in next week's publication.

Please note that TAX TALK is now on our Website

Susan Kniep, fctopresident@ctact.org
East Hartford Taxpayers Association
Subject: New Britain Taxpayers are on the Move
March 24, 2004

I had an opportunity to attend three meetings in New Britain in the past few days.   New Britain taxpayers are speaking out against Binding Arbitration and for strong Ethic Laws. CONGRATULATIONS to the leaders of these tax groups and I will soon be posting their success on our website.   Susan
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John Durand, JohnD@leed-himmel.com
Tolland Taxpayers Association
Subject: Comments on Social Security Reform
March 22, 2004

I must respond to Enough Talking about Fiscal Responsibility -- Let's Cut Spending by Veronique de Rugy, a fiscal policy analyst at the Cato Institute which refers to entitlement reform. "Social Security and Medicare costs will explode when the baby boomers retire."   "Senate Budget Committee Chairman Don Nickles (R-Okla.) wants billions of dollars of reductions in entitlements. He's right." I am a fiscal conservative. I also believe reform is required, however, it is immoral, unfair, unjust and irresponsible to pull the rug out from under the feet of those who are nearing retirement and have paid into the system in all good faith their entire working lives. If you are going to penalize anyone, do it to those politicians who have raided the SS fund over the years and put it in this condition. Yes, your children will pay a price. Reform MUST hold sacred that promise made by our Government to those who are now going to depend in large part or in full for this entitlement. Any reform which may effect current or near term recipients should be limited to those who have an income and retirement package which does not depend at all on SS / Medicare formula. Reform MUST NOT leave anyone stranded. Those same citizens who thought they would be retired soon, will not be able to, let alone stay in the homes they worked so hard to obtain and pay off. Medical bills are horrific. The local property tax load alone is going to force many out of their homes.   On top of that you think it's right and just to take away the entitlement they earned? We are fighting this battle in Tolland as you read this .... taxes more than doubling in under six years if the Education budget requests are allowed, not even including new school bonding costs which kick in next year. "Longer life spans and rising health care costs will e xacerbate the tax-burden on our children if entitlement programs are not reformed."    So be it! What you mean is it's okay to over burden those who already paid their own way and probably yours and at this time in their lives have no remedy other than to perhaps become homeless. This is acceptable? Those who have not yet begun their adult lives have plenty of opportunity to plan and modify lifestyle if they know what is coming. The FIX for the problem should begin with that thought as a basis for reform. I'm sorry, but this kind of thinking ... we can't over burden our children .... really strikes a nerve. There are many ways to reduce the future tax burden without interrupting the payout to those who earned it and can't change what they did in the past or adjust their future. Government costs (cost of running government) can be cut 5-10% without anyone noticing if efficiency was an unfunded mandate. The truth is, SS and MEDICARE costs are a big target and it takes WORK to look elsewhere. [John Durand]
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Robert Green, green_robert@hotmail.com
Salem Taxpayers Association
Subject: Comments on article Enough Talking about Fiscal Responsibility -- Let's Cut Spending in last edition of Tax Talk
March 22, 2004

Another fine edition of taxpayer education! Perhaps we should call this the Institute of Advanced Taxation Study! One minor correction to Veronique de Rugy's article; the U.S. Postal Service was privatized during the Nixon administration over 30 years ago. The USPS
receives no funding for its operation (including its mail delivery fleet)
from the Federal budget. All revenues are generated via postage rates that are approved by the Postmaster General. Bob GreenChairman, Salem RTC
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Jack Walton, jacc45@hotmail.com
Oakville-Watertown Taxpayers Association
Subject: Website tells you who is contribution to whom
March 22, 2004

Sue....you hit the jackpot on fundrace.org....the site is jammed constantly....jack
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Tom Durso, TDurso8217
Oakville-Watertown Taxpayers Association
Subject: 55 and over tax freeze
March 23, 2004

Starve the Monster!    Everyone loves kids but with our expensive government education monopoly/bureaucracy we taxpayers are on the hook for over $8000 per child per year in Watertown. With the current batch of state legislative leaders carrying water for the teachers union, we're stuck with this Soviet-type education system but we do have control over the number of children who are held hostage to the union. How? Imagine if Watertown reinvented itself and became a bedroom community of 55- and -older residents. Unless you're Superman or Superwoman, at 55 years you're days of child rearing are long gone.     If our Town Council leaders were to enact a 55 and older property tax freeze, Watertown/Oakville would evolve into a magnet for the childless seasoned set . Instead of sub-divisions popping up like mushrooms, our Town would attract buyers who don't feed the public education monster's appetite for our tax dollars. Even those residents under 55 of age will stay to take advantage of this sensible tax break. Until we can break the government monopoly on our education tax dollars , controlling the number of student hostages is the next best thing.
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Robert Green, green_robert@hotmail.com
Salem Taxpayers Association
Subject: COURT RULES TOWNS CAN DIVIDE BOARD AND TOWN BUDGET REFERENDUMS
March 23, 2004
Good morning, Sue. The residents of Salem will be glad to hear this, but the Board of Ed is going to have a major kitten over it. Maybe the Board's other eight members and the teachers' unions will finally realize that the town coffers are not their personal piggy banks. Bob Green, Member, Salem Board of Education
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Fred Standt, FStndt@aol.com
Brookfield Taxpayers Association
Subject: COURT RULES TOWNS CAN DIVIDE BOARD AND TOWN BUDGET REFERENDUMS
March 24, 2004
Dear Susan, What is most important to me is that the Connecticut Supreme Court stated "The HOME RULE ACT "gives municipalities the right to draft and adopt rules for issues that are strictly local. The legislation was enacted to enable municipalities to conduct their affairs to the fullest possible extent ... upon the principle that the municipality itself knows better what it needs rather than the state at large." No where is the consequence of failure to follow this more evident than in public education. Will anyone deny that education is a primary concern of the town? The major part of local budgets go toward education but where the money is spent is more influenced by the state department of education and by state approved teachers unions than by the locals. That's not counting the federal control through "No Child Left Behind"     fred