THE COMBAT TAX
Submitted by ELISA on October 6, 2009 - 1:16pm
Bloggers Dave Hellings story in The Kansas City Star hit me hard on Monday, September 28th, 2009. I did not know this too will be a "Special Election." I have a serious dislike to any type of wasting of taxpayers money. Why must we waste any money at this especially difficult time for so many families in Jackson County? We just got through with an election of a single issue tax in August. Now we have yet another single issue county wide election with maybe an add on or two in smaller districts. Always in the past the special issue votes have had smaller turnouts so they can get them passed easier. That did not happen August 4th with the Safety Tax. Still to date many city officials just can't understand why it failed 60%. If the COMBAT tax did not expire until 2011 and we could have saved hundreds of thousands of dollars because many other jurisdictions would have shared the costs. I have to ask why did we not want to save all that we could? Mike Sanders said he expects the county's cost to be $814,501. The Star feels it will cost nearly $847,000. But election officials have estimated this November ballot at $959,000. Mike Sanders said the money has been saved for over seven years but the Jackson County voters voted that this money was for drug abuse and prevention. Voters did not know they would be paying for an election two years before the quarter-cent anti-drug sales tax would even need to be renewed. That is a big WOW to me. Once again we will have fewer polling places and they are looking for less than a 10% voter turn out. To top it all off Mark Jones a Jackson County counselor said the COMBAT tax is considered general revenue because it comes from a state law that allows the sales tax for "Any Purpose," not just fighting drugs. Bloggers what do you make of all of this??? I served on the Picnic Committee for COMBAT, September 12, 2009 at Hill Park. I know COMBAT does great things from working with Nancy Kwilas of Old Northeast. I know what they do for our Boys & Girls Club. I also know they are a great help for the Whatsoever Community Center. They do help so many with treatment and prevention with their mission of "Protecting Communities and Healing Families." I am trying hard to understand these hard cold facts so we can support this tax. I see a community in great need of answers. I truly hope someone can explain why we saved this money for seven years to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars extra on an election in a county with such great needs. I know that in Independence Youth Court needs COMBAT'S help for the 23,634 Services Orders I am told they have done from Jan. to the end of Sept. The word is that 95% of the kids who go through youth court don't return back to repeat crimes. It's my understanding we have had 569 kids go through Youth Court this year. Thanks to COMBAT we have a Truancy Program that goes after students that are not in school. That is a problem near and dear to my heart. That is a problem that can save lives and a problem that is part of the broken foundations in our community. COMBAT does a lot of good things. I just wish every penny could go for what the voters intended for it to go for. Bloggers what do you think? I want to hear from you. What do you know about COMBAT? Has it helped a Loved One? Thank You for any efforts you give this blog!
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I'm in favor of renewing COMBAT, but I do agree with Elisa's arguement that there was no need to blow nearly $1 million to have a special election for this tax. It could have easily waited until the next general election, and if it failed then, there would still be time to try again and do a special election at that point.
Also, the $1 million for the special election only scratches the surface, given the amount of special interest dollars the county will attract to help pass the tax. Given that, the real concern here is what will our elected county officials give in trade for those lobbying dollars?
Pensive Pete Thanks for your blog. One thing I learned was that we are paying two different Boards of Election for this one election and that we do this all the time for our elections. That is one of the reasons that it cost so much to have an election here. The more I learn the more concerns I have. I am in favor of renewing the COMBAT Tax and at the same time I am in favor of getting rid of our government waste. One reason they chose to have the special election was because of the 80 some programs COMBAT supports. They needed to know where they stood with COMBAT funds. They have to plan a budget well in advance to see if they will be able to keep the doors open. I am with you on the great problem all of us face because of lobbyist. To much of government is done behind close doors. All of it needs to be done in the open. With our people and our media present. I Love light that is why I Love the media with their cameras.
HEE HAW
COMBAT , COMBAT
where it's at
don't be lax
support da tax
stop da crack
git der back
COMBAT , COMBAT
pass da hat
fer r COMBAT
hay , hay
dat's what I say
HEE HAW
six fried chickens and a coke
http://www.jacksongov.org/content/5243/5251/default.aspx
six fried chickens and a coke
Six Fried Chick Thank You!!! xox
.......I support law enforcement and COMBAT..........I voted FOR the 3/8 cent sales tax increase that failed......what I'm having a hard time understanding is how this 1/4 cent tax is different than the 3/8 cent tax.......other than the obvious difference of 1 /8 of a cent......why do you support THIS tax that is merely a brother to the other tax...............not trying to be difficult but I think this is a fair question ........especailly in light of the fact that you plan to run for city council............I thought you were in favor of both law enforcement enhancement and COMBAT , but that you wanted city fathers to find the money somewhere else.............that TAX is NOT the answer..........but I DO agree with you on this........it is RIDICULOUS to waste all that money on "special elections"........they need to get their crap together and consolidate these issues to save taxpayer money.......not continue to waste it.......maybe they DON'T deserve to have the tax renewed ........................if the spending that is done on special elections is any indicator of how they manage our money...........because it looks to be "piss poor' management of public funds............
eldoggg
It is a fair question. The main differences between this tax and the 3/8 cent tax is that it already exists. It has a track record that can be studied and it is revisited every 7-8 years. I support law enforcement . Tonight I will be at Truman High School with the Neighborhood Watch Groups lead by Officer Rob Romey as I am the first Tuesday of each month. I also worked with law enforcement on The National Night Out when an estimated 2,000 people attended a city wide party. We live in a big city that I feel needs to do more in regards to crime. Just how do you think 60% of the voters voted against that tax? You may think what you want as most people do but I talked endlessly to as many people as I could on the safety tax. Distrust ran to deep to trust a forever tax. Also I feel it shows more of us feel our police department is a basic service that needs to come out of the taxes we pay. In these very hard and trying times we need to do all that we can to not waste tax payers money. We also need transparency, accountability and effectiveness of all programs our city supports. Thanks for your blog. xox
I voted against the August tax increase mainly because of it's vagueness, no sunset clause, and also my disagreement of what they stated they wanted to do with the money (build a 2nd police station and juvenile facility). It mad me mad that they spent a pantload of money to have a special election for it, but that was not the reason I voted no.
I think COMBAT has been a good program that has proven itself. I also think that the MORONS we have governing us need to be kicked out and replaced with folks who don't want to just piss taxpayer money away. That said, I will still vote for COMBAT........ BUT I will be searching for an answer to "who is the idiot who decided this should go in a special election rather than on a regular ballot?".
Complacency is the enemy. Be educated. Be aware. Be involved.
I agree with TeaParty. I do support the tax because I think it has been proven. But I also agree that they need to explain why they are doing it in a special election. I think that is just insane. Why waste taxpayers money twice with elections?
Bloggers.......If anyone would like one of the signs to put in your yard for COMBAT. Please let me know I have plenty of them to give out. I will be picking them up later this afternoon. Thanks
where do U need to go to get one?
Hello Friend I will bring you one. How is your little Lady? Please give me a call I want to know. xox
I called jackson county and asked for 40 of them. They called me back and said I could pick them up today. They just recieved new ones. 308 W Maple