Utility taxes and trash collection
Once again the ORT is trotting out the lie that Overland residents are paying twice for trash collection. Backed up by the impeccable memory of Cybil Goat and her multiple personalities, they are certain (even though they have no proof) that an ordinance passed in the 1950's is slated to pay for trash service. So I did a minimal amount of research, meaning I looked at my utility bill and did a little math and the utility tax rate in Overland is 6%. So on every $100 of gas and electric I pay, an extra 6% goes to Overland for utility taxes. So rounding my bills for ease of math...
Gas $200 = $12 utility tax
Electric $75= $4.5 utility tax
so a $16.50 per month utility tax. I wasn't able to find the water and sewer bill but if I remember correctly they are a combined $50 every three months. So rounding up to $60 (again cause I am math lazy) that would be $20 a month for an additional $1.2 making a grand utility tax of $17.70.
So even if the ORT was correct in their assertion that trash collection was mandated in some 1950s ordinance, that they have no proof of, that would leave a shortfall of $2.30 per household.
So please, ORT members quit lying, quit trying to tell us utility taxes are supposed to pay for trash when you have no proof that that was ever the intent and the tax you say is supposed to cover trash hauling wouldn't even cover the bill.
What I find funniest about this is that the ORT must have realized that too many people have realized that Prop O was for capital improvements and they can't spread the lie that Prop O was supposed to be for trash pick up. So now they have latched onto this mysterious 1950s ordinance that utility taxes pay for trash pick up. What's the next 1950's ordinance the ORT is going to dig up? That mayors have to be recalled by a majority of registered voters not just a majority of the voters that turned out. Oh we're sorry but even though the final count was 4251 to 60 to recall the mayor, since the city has 9000 registered voters you needed 4501 votes to recall the mayor. Yeah it's an ordinance, it was passed in the 1950s no we don't have a copy of it but cybil goat remembers it being passed.
Gas $200 = $12 utility tax
Electric $75= $4.5 utility tax
so a $16.50 per month utility tax. I wasn't able to find the water and sewer bill but if I remember correctly they are a combined $50 every three months. So rounding up to $60 (again cause I am math lazy) that would be $20 a month for an additional $1.2 making a grand utility tax of $17.70.
So even if the ORT was correct in their assertion that trash collection was mandated in some 1950s ordinance, that they have no proof of, that would leave a shortfall of $2.30 per household.
So please, ORT members quit lying, quit trying to tell us utility taxes are supposed to pay for trash when you have no proof that that was ever the intent and the tax you say is supposed to cover trash hauling wouldn't even cover the bill.
What I find funniest about this is that the ORT must have realized that too many people have realized that Prop O was for capital improvements and they can't spread the lie that Prop O was supposed to be for trash pick up. So now they have latched onto this mysterious 1950s ordinance that utility taxes pay for trash pick up. What's the next 1950's ordinance the ORT is going to dig up? That mayors have to be recalled by a majority of registered voters not just a majority of the voters that turned out. Oh we're sorry but even though the final count was 4251 to 60 to recall the mayor, since the city has 9000 registered voters you needed 4501 votes to recall the mayor. Yeah it's an ordinance, it was passed in the 1950s no we don't have a copy of it but cybil goat remembers it being passed.
posted by John Doe at 6:57 AM
6 Comments:
John, excellent analysis of another ORT deception on the trash issue.
Speaking of ORT and their deceptions, here's the latest installment of ORT in Action.
John, the numbers would be a bit worse than that.
Since we have a senior citizen utility tax rebate, not every household would be paying for the service. Also, with the number of vacant homes we have there would be even fewer households paying into the pool.
Those shortfalls would have to be made up by the rest of us. I have nothing against a senior discount (and would like to have seen one in the existing trash service), but that rebate means the rest of us will have to pay more.
Why should seniors get a discount? Most seniors I know in Overland make a pretty good pension.
I am all for a need-based discount, but an age-based discount is just plain pandering.
SJ,
Someday maybe you will understand. Seniors may not be entitled to a discount but to describe a senior discount as "pandering" is mean spirited. Seniors have paid their dues, a lifetime of taxes. Also, although the seniors you know are on pretty good pensions, even those pensions are FIXED. I might also point out that pensions are the exception these days so seniors are often living on savings or Social Security..... also FIXED. So a senior discount recognizes those things and their diminsihed earning power. I would hope you would reconsider your cross statements about our elders.
In addition, I think its OK for seniors to get a discount because I used to be one.
In some cases the use of discounts for seniors might be political motivated by pandering, but overall I think there is different reasoning at work. Our retired population, for the most part, paved the way for us. They did their 30 or more years working to build this country in one way or another, serving in her defense and more. I see nothing wrong with discounts for seniors.
It was more of a thank you in the past but it is becoming a necessary public service now. Too many seniors today cannot retire because of pension fraud or other issues. More and more are getting into reverse mortgages to help make ends meet. Several retirees live on my block. a few are financially secure but the rest are just making it. Pensions failures, meager COLA increases in social security, and retiree benefit cuts by companies and even the US military all make it hard for our Seniors to make ends meet.
They did their time for us, now it is our turn. At least that is the way I see it.
It is hard for everyone to make ends meet.
The truth is that seniors vote and that's why proposals like this works for politicians.
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