Letter to Jay Hottinger

I've sent this letter to Jay Hottinger. I'll post his reply when I receive it.

Mr. Hottinger,

I read in the June 26th issue of ThisWeek News( Licking County) that you are reluctantly supporting the state budget.You are quoted "I'm not wild about it," Hottinger said. "But I'm not adamantly opposed to it because it (does require) a vote of the local community. For a district that passes it, it does improve their situation." At what cost?

H.B. 920, the law passed in 1976, was not pass to protect property owner from inflation but protect the home owner from having there taxes raised without a vote. By reassessment of the property, the tax can be raised without consent of the home owner. We are being asked to pay more and you are giving us less power to insure that money is being used properly. You are even quoted that you know we want this control.

Southwest Licking School District is a perfect example. People had questions. The school board just keep asking and cutting till the parents and community was faced with State take over and split-secession. I was proud of the community to bare the bussing cuts but split-secession was too much.

The papers state "Under the new law, school districts will have the option of putting on the ballot "growing mills" operating levies." There is no option. You know and I know that once this is law, there won't ever be a levy without this wording. The voters will never get an 'option'. Your statement, "it requires a vote of the local community" make me feel you are just white washing the facts. Voters will not get a choice. The schools will continue to press bussing cuts, State take over and spit-sections until the levies pass.

This is another step in chipping away voters' rights for accountability.

Let's look at the true effect of an income tax.

Let's talk about what a income tax will do in Pataskala.

First thing is your check gets smaller. It like you received a pay cut. Hey, you say to your employer. I need a raise to get back to where I was before. I have bills I have to cover. You see, politicians don't realize, you have mortgages, car payments, electric and gas bills. Cost of living, which I'll touch more on, is going up. Thank to the income tax you just got a pay cut!

Now if your employer is a nice and fair employer, you may get the difference. Of course all employers are so caring aren't they? If your employer is in Pataskala, he also getting hit with his "business profits" being taxed. Your boss is not only going to have to pay you and each employee more to cover your losses in pay, but his company tax? So Mr. Local Business Owner is not only taking the hit from the tax to his profit but absorbing what he can for his employees. I won't even add the extra cost and time to calculate report and pay these taxes our business owners will have to occur.

What will Mr. Business Owner do to recoup this cost? Raise prices!!! Yet that won't affect those in point number 4 will it? Yes, it will. Now we have a raise in cost of living. Don't we have a natural cost of living? Yes we do, but now you have just added to it. Remember that raise we got to make up the difference because of the tax. I now need more because everything is more expensive.

Now things are more expensive in Pataskala and it cost more to run the city than it did before. Plus we want to offer some new things. Raise that tax rate and start the cycle going. When has a city added an income tax and never said they needed to raise it after a few years? Not going to find many.

Look at the State of Ohio. Bob Taft has passed or threatened to pass and raise every tax know to man. State funding of Schools have been deem unconstitutional. State is losing money in investments and rare coins. It all like a joke to the media. It no joke because they will come after us for the money. Mr. Taxpayer is loaded. But no pressure is being put on the State. Local School system would rather label the tax payer as uncaring about kids rather than press the state to fix its problem. State is cutting back so local tax payer need to pay up. I didn't get any tax cut from the State where do you think this money comes from.

We pay to much already and you want more.

I’m going to have to take issue with James Argo’s letter to the Editor in Thursday, June 23rd Pataskala Standard. He listed some key points that he wanted people to keep in mind.

“1. Our city is one of just two municipalities in Ohio that still has no income tax. An income tax is fairer since all residents are subject to it, not just landowners.”

Mr. Argo, if everyone else is running off a cliff, would you? It’s always their first agrument. Never do they start with the need of funds. See my prior post.

As for all residents, he contradicts himself in point 4.

“2. Pataskala should never miss out when new businesses come to our area and agree to an economic development zone like ProLogis did at Etna Corporate Park. In effect, Pataskala walked away from a $2.4 million service fee because it does not have a sytem to collect income tax like Newark.”

A valid point is made here. Maybe if council members could work together business could be brought in to Pataskala. Pataskala could pay Newark to collect from an economic development zone that Pataskala has set up! But, we don’t think like that!!!!

“3. An income tax for Pataskala would provide a growth component for funding city services because as our population increases, so will receipts.”

And if our population doesn’t increase we’ll raise the rate. Every time we feel we need more money we can grow the receipts without having to go back to the voters. No renewals. No accountability. We just make sure not to vote on it the years we are up for re-election!

“4. Interest and dividend income, as well as retirement and Social Security benefits, would not be taxed, since only earned income (wages and business profits) is taxed.”

Hey Mr. Argo, you said in point 1 that all residents are subject. Now you say that some people won’t have to pay. Those that get Stock options and funnel their “compensation” into non-wage items doesn’t have to pay, the people, who are most likely to afford it. Not your working class individual. Sure your people on fixed income get a pass, as should be.

Mr. Argo, did you ever think that the people rejected the income tax because it was a tax. They just don’t have the money to pony up every time the Federal, State or Local government want to do something. Voters are not inadequately informed. They vote down taxes because they don’t have the money to pay them.

Wal-mart!

You want to put a Wal-mart where?

Currently there is an application for the re-zoning of the property at St. Rt. 310 and St. Rt. 40 (North east corner) on file with Etna Township. This property is currenly zoned partaily buiness and agriculture. The application is requesting that the agriculture portion of this land be zoned business, so that Wal-mart would have enough land to build their store.

Let's talk traffic on National Road and the already congested 310 exit off of I-70.

You are going to rezone the area for Wal-mart. Isn't there already land west of 310 on National road that is both for sale and already zoned for business?

Isn't there already Wal-marts close in Heath, Rysnoldburg, and Lancaster? What will happen if and when Wal-mart decides that it can't afford to keep open a store in such a rual area. We are going to be left with a huge building that no one wants.

I'm all for a Wal-mart coming to Etna Township but in an appropriate site and not in a residential area.

Recall them All

A few years back celebrities made some remarks at an award show and was booed. The media and other celebrities were quick to jump to their defense appalled that the audience rudely rejected this person’s right to free speech. I laughed all week. They just didn’t get it. The audience didn’t reject a person’s right to free speech. They used their own right of free speech when they said, “BOO.”

Mr. Brush has every right to voice his opinion. I would even go further to say that since Mr. Brush is a representative of the people; he has an obligation to voice his opinion. The word representative is the key. You see Mr. Brush was elected to represent the will of the people in ward 3. He was not elected to do his will for the people in ward 3.

People in ward 3 followed the law and voiced their own opinion that Mr. Brush was not representing them. Enough people said that they believe that they should put the question back to ward 3 to answer. If ward 3 feels that Mr. Brush actions are not in line with representing them, they have every right to remove him. Each voter in Ward 3 only needs to ask, “Is he representing me the way I want?”

I am neither for nor against Mr. Brush. I do think that we should push this accountability to more politicians.