Beginning in 2005 with the largest property tax increase in the county's history, we have started down a road of nearly no return. At that time commission passed a 21 cent property tax increase claiming they were just on the verge of being broke. This turned out to be wrong, very wrong. Unfortunately, the tax was passed and the citizens will never get that tax back. Then came the Adequate Schools Facility Tax, the tax that could solve at least part of the schools financial woes. Wrong again. Then came the increase in the litigation tax. Still not enough. Then the sales tax increase that was on the February ballot. The citizens booted that one out of the park. Now the commission puts forward the $50 wheel tax and another 8 cent property tax increase. Mind you, all the new, increased and proposed taxes have all come about in less than three years. How on earth did the county manage to operate all the previous years with out all these taxes? It's called tax and spend.

I've said it a million times. The only way you can stop wasteful government spending is to stop giving government money. As long as they have money they will spend money. It's surer than death. Government should teeter on the verge of bankruptcy at all time with just enough money in the bank to pay the bills. Currently Loudon County government has literally millions of dollars in the bank drawing interest. Currently the Loudon County Board Of Education also has literally millions of dollars in the bank drawing interest. Between them maybe more than twenty million dollars. And yet they want us to pay more of our hard earned money so they can go on spending and spending. This is unimaginable.

The county calculates that 1 penny of the tax rate is worth $130,000.00. The commission proposes to in crease the tax rate another 8 cents. That would generate about an extra million dollars per year. In the last or so year the commission has spent by conservative estimates $300,000.00 on the remodeling of the office building which really benefited no one but Doyle Arp. The commission agreed to give Thunder Thornton and the gated Tennessee National development nearly $400,000.00 for their private road. $50,000.00 for a frivolous law suit to keep public records secret. The creation of two new county departments, $153,000.00. More than $50,000.00 in administrative raises. Nearly $100,000.00 in new employees. Let's just go ahead and stop there. That's a little more than a million dollars in new spending. Commission is going to raise the property tax 8 cents which will generate a little more than a million dollars. Are you starting to see the connection yet? Throw away a million dollars and raise taxes a million dollars. It's a vicious cycle. And as long as the useless spending continues the taxes will continue to rise. Stop the waste and you stop the tax increases. What new or improver services have you received for your tax dollars?