Letter to the Editor for April 17, 2010

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Letter to the Editor for April 17, 2010

Opinions

Saturday, 17 April 2010 00:00

Living within our means
To the editor:
Times were good, I had a great job and money was pouring in. I could buy what I wanted when I wanted. Cash or credit, mostly credit. Why worry, I would be able to pay for it, money would just keep flowing in. Or would it?
Times are not so good. The great job is gone and money is no longer pouring in. I cannot buy what I want; I have bills to pay and repairs have to be made on the car and the house. The cash is limited and the credit has dried up. I have to, gasp, economize. The bills are paid in the order of importance and the same with the repairs. When I save enough money I check something off the list, only to have to add on something else. It seems like an endless cycle, but what can I do?
Sound familiar? We are all experiencing the same thing. We all have to find a way to live within our means. Too bad the government doesn’t seem to get it. They have forgotten they work for us, and they will have to answer to us – Democrats and Republicans alike.
Now what do our own Osceola County commissioners have to say: “Over budget, no problem, we’ll just raise the gas tax. Need a little more for a pet project, no problem, we’ll just raise the sales tax. The residents of Osceola County won’t mind, we’ll just tell them the tourists will pay for most of theses taxes. The peons who live here don’t pay attention anyway.” The commissioners are living like times are still good and the money can keep flowing in and we are so stupid, we won’t even notice.
No more, commissioners, you have wasted too much of our money over the years. Why do two of the commissioners have to pay, with our tax dollars, for additional office space and assistants? Are your already-paid-for offices in the county administration building not enough for you?
I can’t afford the higher gas tax; gas prices are high enough as it is. I also can’t afford to pay for a higher sales tax. I’ll just drive the few extra miles to Orange County and do my business there.
Commissioners, do not whine that these projects create jobs. News flash: It is not the job of any government to create jobs. Do not try to talk down to us by pretending you care that our shock absorbers are being saved by fixing the roads. You should have thought about the potholes before you wasted millions of taxpayer dollars on the flyover on John Young Parkway. I wonder what the businesses in the area think of that? And don’t grumble that the funds are already allotted somewhere else. I wish I could say, “ I’m sorry, I can’t pay my taxes this year because my money is already allotted to buy a new air-conditioner for my house.”
We all need to take the time to call the commissioners and tell them they have to live within their means. If one of their pet projects has to be put on hold until the time we can afford it, then wait. We have to tighten our belts in this economy, why shouldn’t they?
Elena Kirastoulis
Kissimmee