I’ll tell you this, I heard Chris Constantin tell a group at a Finance Committee meeting that we better jump on board with this increase while we have the Camp Fire refugees in town – he was talking about them like they were a herd of exotic cash cows, hardly a strain on the system.
I haven’t had a chance to look at last year’s sales tax revenues, but I’d bet my last $5, they’re way up, along with Utility Tax revenues.
But both city manager Mark Orme and his partner in crime, Public Works Director Eric Gustafson, have been pandering to the media with the repeated lie that the Camp Fire victims are causing all the city’s problems – Gustafson again crying about the sewer. The sewer is barely over half capacity, read the story again. And, look around you – the city has permitted new homes and apartments all over town – and that means permit fees and new property taxes. And more money paid in sewer fees.
Like letter writer Jim Hertl and Linda McCann, I know the truth to these claims – it’s the money. Staff not only wants a sales tax increase, they want to raise sewer fees on everybody. To pay for their fucking pensions, is the thing.
And, as both writers point out, City of Chico staff was begging Paradise to hook up to our sewer system – what happened to that? Paradise opted out – and now the city of Chico has to come up with some other scheme to prop up a sewer fund that has been siphoned off to pay pensions for years. Along with the road fund, the park fund, and every fund on the city books.
Thank you Jim Hertl and Linda McCann, for speaking up! We all need to start screaming at the top of our lungs – no tax or rate increase until the city manager and his staff are out, and new employees are hired who pay their own pensions.
PUBLISHED:
Jim Hertl brings up an interesting point regarding the “strain” on Chico’s sewer system. Even after the Camp Fire, the Paradise town council brought up the subject of sending our waste to Chico. Thankfully they opted to go with our own treatment plant. That would mean jobs for our people and give us control over our sewage.
Jim, I think the answer to you question can be summed up in one word: Money.
— Linda McCann, Paradise
Chico Taxpayers Association 
I sure wish Susan Shelley was on the staff of the ER or News and Review…or they would at least publish her articles.
https://www.dailynews.com/2019/10/16/pension-costs-continue-to-drive-tax-hikes-across-california-susan-shelley/
Welcome to the looted future of California. On every ballot, you’ll see dire warnings that there’s a desperate need for more money for schools, police, fire protection, paramedics, 911 emergency service, street repairs, parks and libraries, even though California already has the highest state income tax, highest state sales tax, highest gas tax, and don’t even ask about all the utility taxes, phone taxes, vehicle registration fees and assorted hidden taxes that are built into the prices you pay for everything.
Where’s the money? Pensions, pensions, pensions. A medium-sized fortune also goes to pay back investors who made loans to our government by buying our state and local bonds. These payments are mandated by law. The only way out is to declare bankruptcy, or stop borrowing and negotiate a different deal for new hires. Of course, if the public can be convinced to approve tax increases, the merry looting can continue.
Here’s what’s coming soon to a ballot near you.
You can read the horror yourself. And it doesn’t include all the local tax increases.
California taxpayers who would like to move to a state with lower taxes have 49 other choices. Californians who don’t want to move had better get organized and start voting like their children’s future depends on it.
Susan Shelley is an editorial writer and columnist for the Southern California News Group. Susan@SusanShelley.com. Twitter: @Susan_Shelley.
Thanks Bob, great read.
I was talking to an old friend who says our education system is to blame, California schools are a failure. I agree. It’s hard to talk to people who can’t read, can’t do simple math, don’t know even the most basic functions of government. This lady keeps it simple and to the point, we need more of that.