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Is a New Property Tax Revolt Brewing?
Small Government News*
Thursday, April 21, 2004
The official newsletter of the Committee for Small Government,
Sponsor of Massachusetts 2002 Ballot Question 1 to End the Income Tax
http://www.SmallGovernmentAct.org
"small government is beautiful*"
- Carla Howell
Publisher: Carla Howell
Editor: Michael Cloud
"Every society honors its live conformists and dead troublemakers."
- Mignon McLaughlin
"The power to edit is the power to editorialize."
- Michael Cloud
"Gradualism in theory is perpetuity in practice."
- William Lloyd Garrison
"To be always ready, a man must be able to cut a knot, for not
everything can be untied."
- Henri Frederic Amiel
+++ IN THIS ISSUE +++
- "No Tax Funded Major League Baseball Stadiums" says Economic Study
- Proposition 13 - the Next Generation?
- USA TODAY Editor Resigns - Government Officials Should Follow Her
Example
- April 24 - Michael Cloud Speaks at Indiana Libertarian Convention
- April 24,25 - Carla Howell Addresses Ohio Libertarian Convention
+++ "NO TAX FUNDED MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL STADIUMS" SAYS ECONOMIC
STUDY +++
Politicians love to throw out the first baseball of the season, mug
with the superstars for the TV cameras, and celebrate with the
champion team.
Should it come as a surprise that these elected politicians gouge
taxpayers for an average of $268 million to fund each new Major
League Baseball stadium?
Hard-working taxpayers are forced to fund a $268 million baseball
stadium for multi-millionaire sports team owners and rich
professional athletes.
And it's totally unnecessary, according to Marc Poitras and Larry
Hadley, two Professors of Economics at the University of Dayton.
Their study of 13 stadiums built between 1989 and 2001 concluded that,
had they been privately funded and built, they would have recouped
their investors' money in 12 years - and given them excellent profits
on their investments for another 18 years.
At no expense to taxpayers.
For more, please click:
http://cbs.sportsline.com/mlb/story/7204546
+++ PROPOSITION 13 - THE NEXT GENERATION? +++
In 1978, Howard Jarvis and Paul Gann spearheaded California's
Proposition 13. This bold Initiative dramatically cut property taxes,
froze tax rates to 1% of a property's value, and limited property tax
increases to 2% a year.
Proposition 13 tax cuts went into effect 3 weeks after the vote.
In 1980, Massachusetts' Proposition 2 ½ followed in the footsteps of
Proposition 13. Property tax cuts. With limits on property tax
increases.
>From 1998 to 2003, Property Taxes have climbed from $226 billion to
$297 billion. In 5 years, governments have boosted Property Tax
Collections by 31%.
USA TODAY (4/12/04) reports that a new Tax Revolt may be brewing.
Maine has a measure on the ballot that would slash property taxes 20%
to 50%. Washington state may have an Initiative to cut property taxes
25%. Other states may put "Tax Increase Caps" on property taxes.
+++ USA TODAY EDITOR RESIGNS - GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS SHOULD FOLLOW
HER EXAMPLE +++
by Michael Cloud
"USA TODAY Editor Karen Jurgensen resigned Tuesday, one month after
former USA TODAY reporter Jack Kelley was found to have fabricated
numerous stories and lifted material from other publications over
many years," writes Peter Johnson in USA TODAY. (4/21/04)
Congratulations, Karen Jurgensen. You held yourself accountable. You
resigned. You did the honorable thing.
British Officials had a tradition of resigning when they caused or
failed to prevent corruption, scandal, misfeasance, or malfeasance.
In the British Tradition, personal accountability did NOT consist of
saying "I am responsible," and staying in office.
In the British Tradition, personal accountability did NOT consist of
the ship's captain running the ship aground and blaming the crew, the
weather, the seas, and the mapmaker.
In the British Tradition, personal accountability meant saying, "I
have failed in my duty. I caused (or failed to prevent) this
unforgivable blunder. I apologize. I hereby resign from my office."
This is what USA TODAY Editor Karen Jurgensen did.
This is what America's federal, state, and local officials -
appointed and elected - should emulate.
Janet Reno should have resigned in disgrace after the Waco disaster.
Senator Joseph Biden should have resigned in shame after he was
caught plagiarizing a speech.
CIA Director George Tenet should resign for sins of commission and
omission in national security intelligence.
Secretary of State Colin Powell should resign for his flawed and
false case for War in Iraq.
President George Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney should take
responsibility, admit accountability, and resign as well.
US Senators and US Congressional Representatives need to acknowledge
accountability, apologize, and resign - for broken promises,
shameless deceptions, destructive government programs, and failures
to right their wrongs. Resignations should begin with Senator John
Kerry, remove politicians from both sides of the aisle, and leave the
legislative branch with less than a quorum.
It is time for these career politicians to discard their petty
personal ambitions - and take a stand for personal accountability.
It is time for America's elected and appointed government officials
to follow the honorable British Tradition - and the admirable example
of resigned USA TODAY Editor Karen Jurgensen.
It is time for those government officials responsible for America's
foreign and domestic blunders to be accountable and resign.
+++ APRIL 24 - MICHAEL CLOUD SPEAKS AT INDIANA LIBERTARIAN
CONVENTION +++
"Please join me this weekend at the Indiana Libertarian Convention,"
says Michael Cloud.
Michael will give a Seminar and Banquet Speech at the Indiana
Libertarian Convention.
"How I Raised Myself From Failure to Success in Libertarian
Communication" is the title of Seminar.
Michael's Banquet Speech is entitled "The Possibility of Liberty."
"Please come to this Indiana Libertarian State Convention," says
Michael. "Indiana Libertarians are bright, outgoing, and dedicated to
liberty. You'll have a great time. Please join us."
You can register at the door Saturday.
Want more information? Please click:
http://www.lpin.org/press/releases/021804.htm
+++ APRIL 24,25 - CARLA HOWELL ADDRESSES OHIO LIBERTARIAN CONVENTION
+++
"If you live in Ohio and read "Small Government News", please join me
at the Libertarian state convention in Cincinnati," says Carla
Howell.
Carla Howell will be the Banquet Speaker Saturday Evening.
"Boldness: the Key to Libertarian Breakthroughs" is the title of her
speech.
Other Libertarian speeches will address Drug Prohibition, Foreign
Policy, and "Libertarianism and Christianity."
On Sunday morning, Carla Howell will give a Libertarian Campaign
Seminar.
You can register at the door on Saturday.
If you want more information, just click:
http://www.lpo.org/StateConventions/LPO2004Convention.shtml
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Please forward this issue of Small Government News* to several people
you know who want to know the truth about government spending, who
are concerned about tax cuts and Big Government.
Please ask them to subscribe to this newsletter for a pro-freedom,
small government perspective (and please remove the Change and
Unsubscribe instructions below, which contain your email address).
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
* "small government is possible", "small government is beautiful",
"Personal Responsibility Sets Us Free" and "Small Government News"
are Service Marks (SM) of Carla Howell and Michael Cloud. "Personal
Responsibility Sets Us Free" copyright Michael Cloud 2004.
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