Community Forum: Raising property taxes not excuse for spending

Editor:
Re: Proposed tax increases.

Tax them into oblivion while we party! This appears to be the attitude of the current politicos at all levels of our government at this time. There seems to be no restraint to spending while our population is suffering in these hard times.

I have been reading that Cameron County and the City of Harlingen are proposing to raise our property taxes. Be assured that the school districts will join this parade of panhandlers to fleece our meager incomes that do not change. Remember, your property appraisals have already been raised while your actual value has dropped and your mortgage payment has ballooned.

Now the elected Cameron County treasurer wants a hefty $12,000 raise. Did you feel that kick in the face, my fellow taxpayers? Especially in this time while we are down trying to recover from Dolly. These are elected officials who went into these offices knowing what the office paid. There is no excuse for this type of behavior. Since this and any other elected official may be discontent with what WE pay them, I invite them to resign immediately so that we may replace them soon at the next election. Do not let the door hit your behind. The audacity to even think of this is like vomit to my senses.

In every request to continue to rip off our taxpayers, I hear nothing of cutting waste at all levels. Stop the creation of frivolous administrative positions to hire relatives and compadres. Our schools and other government agencies are top-heavy and tilting our ship into the water. Our children still need remedial classes to get into college. Time to clean out the attic and hire more teachers and less bureaucracy.

Do not build luxuries such as ball stadiums, pools, soccer fields, convention centers or get into shady deals with developers. Those free trips to Las Vegas for politicos will come back to haunt you later.

Concentrate on basic infrastructure for clean water, waste water treatment, police, fire, sanitation services and adequate electric power. When our toilets flush and we sleep safe at night, industry and investors will come.

Wake up people, if we do not begin to clean house in the coming future elections, many of us will be living in cracker boxes in public housing.
Elias Torres,
Harlingen
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Reader gives praise to Star carrier
Editor:
I would like to tell you about the wonderful lady who is delivering my paper. She is the best that we have ever had.

I've been here (Palm Retirement Home) 16 years in a few weeks. It is so nice to get such good service, as during the years there have been some bad ones.

I am not the only one in our building of 62 apartments that is echoing my sentiments.
Emme Kochis,
Harlingen
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