The Belknap County Convention demonstrated the clash of two different interests, both committed to fulfilling our County’s obligations. One group considered the burden on property owners, renters, and others who pay the County’s bills. The other group represents government employees, unions, and other special interests which benefit from the money taken from taxpayers.
This year, politicians at every level of government proposed tax increases. Yet, taxpayers suffer from high unemployment, under-employment, reduced take home pay, tax increases, and price increases in nearly everything that people actually need, e.g., food, gasoline, health insurance. The US median income has declined $4000 in just four years. President Obama’s policies continue to kill middle class jobs, cut working hours, and drive previously independent people onto unemployment and welfare, and, frequently, into despair (which is a personal and national tragedy).
Even while middle income Americans’ incomes have declined and people have been forced to tighten their belts, governments continued to tax more, spend more, regulate more driving up our cost of living, add new functions and employees, and, with rare exceptions, increase wages and benefits. Government programs, employees and special interests have mostly been spared the severe cuts endured by most private sector employees.