City-County Consolidation? Not THIS Way!

Fort Wayne City Council members were expressing several concerns over the reinstitution of the Allen County Tax Assessment Board, not the least of which is having the city council decisions being "controlled" by a board based on "philosophy". Now I don't now about you (and your tax-ing situation), but when common sense has flown the coop, and reason is tossed out with the bath water, maybe a "fresh" approach is needed. And if using any form of philosophy can get the job done to the mutual benefit of the citizenry without overinflating (further) the price of their homes, I'm all for it.

(((CAUTION - - - - -TANGENT ALERT)))

Tim Pape, 5th district councilman (or as I like to call him..the INVISIBLE COUNCILMAN) was the one mainly voicing the concerns. Well, Timmy-Boy, it's like this:

Once upon a time, there USED to be people on the southside that gave a damn about the area. Now, all we have are miniscule pockets of like people who are struggling to keep their property from being devalued further by the influx of section 8ers, who don't give a rat's ass about anything or anyone, save that next freebie welfare check. How's the picture looking So far, Tim? Add to this the fact that YOUR district has the highest crime rate, the most homicides, and the greatest concentration of minorities. We on the same page YET, Tim?
Councilman Pape is doing little if anything to improve the quality of life here (from what I can see anyway), and yet hedges at something that would bring some semblence of tax relief to those in his district that STILL DO pay taxes (an ever-shrinking number). Yo, Tim, make you a deal...you want to BUY MY HOUSE at the ASSESSED VALUE, so I can move the f$ck away into a part of the COUNTY where I don't feel like I'm living in Darfur or Chad? I'm sorry, I can't hear you...speak up, will 'ya? PROVE to me that our tax dollars mean more than just another project along Pontiac Street, or a new HUD development that doesn't serve me or my family in any way, shape, or form, and will wind up increasing the ghettoesque nature of THIS part of town.

At this point, I could launch into some tirade about how the city NEEDS "distressed" parts of town to ASSURE federal and state grant monies to "fund" all the projects that do no one any good, but DO raise taxes...and how MAINTAINING these distressed areas (and actually allowing them to grow) means MORE state and federal funding....

But I digress...

County Council President Paul Moss stated that the current tax system is fractured, as DOZENS of taxing "entities" are looking out for THEIR BEST INTERESTS (like the FWIA)...no one is looking at the big picture. He went on to say that any opposition for the TAB is coming from (get this)...the TAXING BODIES....(wow, big surprise there, huh?) and he hasn't heard from one TAXPAYER that thinks it's a BAD idea (to bring back the TAB).

I will say that even though City Council has done a good job of watchdogging CITY service overruns, and has kept CITY departments holding the line with frivolous costs, they need to think about the long-term here. Holding the CITY costs down (and taxes pertinent to those costs) is one thing...allowing those ambiguously vague 30 "entities" to levy tax increases with cavalier regularity is quite the other.

Now the city and the county want to "merge" governments to "streamline" themselves and thereby become more efficient. Well, friends, I can't see that happening when ONE side wants property tax relief, and the OTHER side wants the keep the status quo (i.e. no relief). How the hell can ANY effective merger become reality when it's not in "game plan" for BOTH sides?

City Council has got to stop tis constant vacillation...it's getting annoying as hell. Personally, I'd do away with the city council in favor of having the COUNTY COUNCIL be the decision-making body for the city,. It seems they have their heads screwed on a bit tighter. It's not a case of sounding too good to be true...it just sounds GOOD...period.

I'm certainly no politician, and I don't profess to know a hell of a lot about all the legalese crap we're bombarded with daily...all I know is what my "gut" tells me. And my gut is saying LOUD and CLEAR...REINSTITUTE THE TAX ASSESSMENT BOARD.

And if doing that somehow manages to "derail" the city council's gravy-train...oh well. So much for bringing that "rapid rail transit" system back to Fort Wayne, people.

I am however am entertaining the notion of changing the name of this city from FORT WAYNE, Indiana...to...TAXUS, Indiana!

Now Tim...about you buying my house, so I can move AWAY from here....