TrophyCollector
10/20/2006, 08:27 PM
Ok, so there are only like 2 or 3 of us on here but I don't care. Maybe it'll be like the Prell commercial and they'll tell 2 friends and then they'll tell 2 friends, etc.
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Grapevine residents and friends of Grapevine residents,
As I am sure you are aware by now, the City of Grapevine has put two election items on the ballot for November 7th. The first item is billed as a 1/2 cent sales tax increase to fund a rail project to bring in the Fort Worth T train service as well as the TRE. The second is another 1/2 cent sales tax increase billed as funding for a "Crime Control and Prevention District".
After research and consideration of these proposals, I am voting "NO" on both and I strongly urge you to do the same and to communicate your thoughts to as many Grapevine residents as possible. Please forward this email to as many Grapevine residents and those who may know Grapevine residents as you can.
Here are the reasons I am voting NO:
Overall - this tax increase is not just about a rail system or police or parks. Instead it is about the City of Grapevine asking our families to pay THE MAXIMUM SALES TAX ALLOWABLE BY TEXAS STATE LAW.
Proposal 1. Each of the two propositions is expected to generate $9.6 million dollars in year 1 and $9.9 million in year 2 and must be in excess of $10 million per year afterwards. The rail project calls for Grapevine to pay only $6.8 million for 5 years - nearly $3 million per year less than will be generated by this tax. And this proposal calls for the sales tax increase to be PERMANENT - AGAIN THIS PROPOSAL IS FOR A PERMANENT TAX INCREASE. It will not stop after the rail system is built, nor will it decrease, nor will any of the excess funds generated by new business from this rail system be returned to tax payers.
Why not do a lower increase to raise only the amount needed? Why the extra $2 million - $3 million each year? Why not limit the increase to only the 5 years needed? Why not sell bonds instead? This is why I'm saying that this tax increase IS NOT about the rail system - it is about taxing the working people of Grapevine TO THE FULL EXTENT OF THE LAW.
So where are our extra millions of dollars each year going? On September 5th, the rail consultant company HUITT-ZOLLARS presented a presentation to the city council which states-
"Section 4B tax proceeds may be spent on land, buildings, equipment, facilities and improvements including:
• Promotion of manufacturing and industrial facilities, • Recycling facilities, • Distribution centers, • Small warehouse and storage facilities, • Air or water pollutions control facilities, • Development or redevelopment of closed military bases and Facilities related to these projects, • Facilities to promote new and expanded business development, • Facilities to promote job creation and retention, • Job training facilities, • Educational facilities and facilities for higher education, • Targeted infrastructure, • Research and Development Facilities, • Athletic facilities, • Commercial facilities, • Certain public facility improvements, • Transportation improvements, • Infrastructural improvements, • Affordable housing, • Water supply facilities, • Water conservation programs
(You can access this presentation yourself on the City website by going to: http://www.ci.grapevine.tx.us/Portals/0/City%20Manager/huitt%20zollars%20presentation%20for%20website.pdf )
But that's not what they are telling you in their slick marketing flyers is it? They are telling you proposition 1 is all about the rail. Well why then are they going to OVERTAX us $2.8 million in year 1, over $3 million in years 2 - 5 and then CONTINUE to over tax us $10 MILLION PER YEAR after the rail system is built? They are going to spend this money on some combination of one or more the bullet points above which basically equates to WHATEVER THEY WANT TO.
This proposal is NOT about the rail system, it is about a $9 million a year, permanent tax increase to be paid by the families of Grapevine. Characterizing this proposal as about the "rail system" is nothing more than political spin and misdirection intended to get you to vote for 1/2 of what they want - THE MAXIMUM SALES TAX ALLOWED BY STATE LAW.
Proposal 2. As full of over-taxation and political misdirection as proposal 1 is, proposal 2 IS WORSE. It is billed as funding for a "Crime Control and Prevention District".
Sounds good right? We are all obviously for a safer Grapevine, even if it means paying higher taxes, but what exactly do they plan to spend out nearly $10 million per year on?
According to the City's "Crime Control and Prevention District Fund Two-Year Financial Plan" which can also be found on the city website at: ( http://www.ci.grapevine.tx.us/Portals/0/City%20Manager/Crime%20Control%20&%20Prevention%20District.pdf)
Here is what you are getting for your $10 million per year:
* 1 - $4,000 (yes, thousand) video system.
* 1 - $100,000 vehicle locator system.
* $70,000 to put video systems on all motorcycles
* 1 - $20,000 fingerprint system
* 1 - $40,000 upgrade to an evidence video system
* 1 - $15,000 worth of walls in police headquarters
* 2 - (total of $61,052) new police cars - YES, for your $10 million per year you get 2 (TWO) new police cars.
And a few other items, for a total of about $314,000. As far as capital investments, that's all we are getting. Let me ask you this, if they only plan to buy TWO NEW CARS - how many new officers do you think we are getting for our $10 million each and every year? ZERO is about the best estimation, that's why they called the proposal "Crime Control and Prevention District" instead of giving us a proposal to "Hire X additional police officers".
So what about the rest of our $9,686,000???
Well, you do get a $19,000 program to educate parents on the dangers of the Internet. That's right, in case you didn't know, it's not a good idea to let your kids talk to strangers on the Internet - some of them are bad people. But you only get this in year 1, your $10 million in year 2 can't afford this $19,000 program.
So now we've accounted for all but about $9,647,000? Where is it???
Ah, now you can let the POLITICAL SHELL GAME really begin - here is what they did.
They took most all of the expenses they currently spend on on Police and made it part of the "Crime Control and Prevention District Financial Plan". So when you look at the plan, it looks like we must be spending our extra $10 million on ADDITIONAL police expenses, (salaries, equipment, raises, etc.). No, what you are seeing is what WE ALREADY SPEND on our police department. By making it part of this financial plan they have made it look like your extra $10 million is going toward ADDITIONAL police protection, but what they failed to tell us is that the money we currently spend on police will go into the general revenue fund.
Huh? What? Why would they do that? To get you to vote yes for THE MAXIMUM SALES TAX AMOUNT ALLOWED BY LAW because you think that you'll get getting a $10 million per year increase in police protection, when you'll be actually getting a couple of new video systems and a couple of new police cars (probably to replace ones that are wearing out). So we get $350,000 in additional police protection and they get spend this $9,647,000 on the exact same thing they are going to spend the proposition 1 over-tax on - WHATEVER THEY WANT.
Again, proposition 2 is political spin for a PERMANENT TAX INCREASE and should be voted NO.
And back to the slick little marketing flyer, they again are trying to misdirect you-
- They say that "80% of the tax will be paid by visitors and tourists". This might be true, but SO WHAT? 100% of every taxable item 100% of all Grapevine residents by at 100% of Grapevine businesses will be subject to 100% of this tax increase - PERIOD. Does it somehow save you any money when a visitor pays additional sales tax? Of course it doesn't.
- They also tell you "Grapevine has one of the lowest sales tax rates in the metroplex and this increase will just catch us up with other cities in the area" - SO WHAT? Low taxes are a GOOD thing and we don't need to "catch up" with everyone else. Low taxes spur growth, help business and make Grapevine a desirable location which INCREASES our PROPERTY VALUE. Are they kidding us with this one? What in the world should our tax rate have to do with any other city's tax rate? NOTHING.
- They tell us "The tax increase will only cost the average RESIDENT $2.00 per month". How much do you want to bet that "RESIDENT" includes newborns, pre-schoolers and K-12? If this fact is true for you, that means that you only spend $200 per month on taxable items in Grapevine each month. I don't know about you, but that $200 doesn't even cover my water bill (which is taxed) in the summer. What it will REALLY cost you is EXACTLY an additional 1% of every taxable item you buy in Grapevine - period, end of story. Don't look at the political spin "$2.00 on average", look at the stone cold fact - A 1% increase. Think about that, if your boss gives you a raise this year is there a difference between 4% and 5%, 6% and 7%. For most of us, 1% is a significant amount of money.
Please vote NO on this "MAX TAX". If WE want a rail system, great - give us a proposal that FUNDS a rail system which will cost less than $35 million over 5 years - not $10 million per year FOREVER. If WE want more police protection, great - give us a proposal that FUNDS X number of officers, X number of police cars, etc. - not a political shell game that moves $9,647,000 into the general fund, gives us a permanent tax increase and TWO new police cars.
KEEP GRAPEVINE TAXES LOW, VOTE "NO" ON THE MAX TAX NOVEMBER 7th.
*********************************************
Grapevine residents and friends of Grapevine residents,
As I am sure you are aware by now, the City of Grapevine has put two election items on the ballot for November 7th. The first item is billed as a 1/2 cent sales tax increase to fund a rail project to bring in the Fort Worth T train service as well as the TRE. The second is another 1/2 cent sales tax increase billed as funding for a "Crime Control and Prevention District".
After research and consideration of these proposals, I am voting "NO" on both and I strongly urge you to do the same and to communicate your thoughts to as many Grapevine residents as possible. Please forward this email to as many Grapevine residents and those who may know Grapevine residents as you can.
Here are the reasons I am voting NO:
Overall - this tax increase is not just about a rail system or police or parks. Instead it is about the City of Grapevine asking our families to pay THE MAXIMUM SALES TAX ALLOWABLE BY TEXAS STATE LAW.
Proposal 1. Each of the two propositions is expected to generate $9.6 million dollars in year 1 and $9.9 million in year 2 and must be in excess of $10 million per year afterwards. The rail project calls for Grapevine to pay only $6.8 million for 5 years - nearly $3 million per year less than will be generated by this tax. And this proposal calls for the sales tax increase to be PERMANENT - AGAIN THIS PROPOSAL IS FOR A PERMANENT TAX INCREASE. It will not stop after the rail system is built, nor will it decrease, nor will any of the excess funds generated by new business from this rail system be returned to tax payers.
Why not do a lower increase to raise only the amount needed? Why the extra $2 million - $3 million each year? Why not limit the increase to only the 5 years needed? Why not sell bonds instead? This is why I'm saying that this tax increase IS NOT about the rail system - it is about taxing the working people of Grapevine TO THE FULL EXTENT OF THE LAW.
So where are our extra millions of dollars each year going? On September 5th, the rail consultant company HUITT-ZOLLARS presented a presentation to the city council which states-
"Section 4B tax proceeds may be spent on land, buildings, equipment, facilities and improvements including:
• Promotion of manufacturing and industrial facilities, • Recycling facilities, • Distribution centers, • Small warehouse and storage facilities, • Air or water pollutions control facilities, • Development or redevelopment of closed military bases and Facilities related to these projects, • Facilities to promote new and expanded business development, • Facilities to promote job creation and retention, • Job training facilities, • Educational facilities and facilities for higher education, • Targeted infrastructure, • Research and Development Facilities, • Athletic facilities, • Commercial facilities, • Certain public facility improvements, • Transportation improvements, • Infrastructural improvements, • Affordable housing, • Water supply facilities, • Water conservation programs
(You can access this presentation yourself on the City website by going to: http://www.ci.grapevine.tx.us/Portals/0/City%20Manager/huitt%20zollars%20presentation%20for%20website.pdf )
But that's not what they are telling you in their slick marketing flyers is it? They are telling you proposition 1 is all about the rail. Well why then are they going to OVERTAX us $2.8 million in year 1, over $3 million in years 2 - 5 and then CONTINUE to over tax us $10 MILLION PER YEAR after the rail system is built? They are going to spend this money on some combination of one or more the bullet points above which basically equates to WHATEVER THEY WANT TO.
This proposal is NOT about the rail system, it is about a $9 million a year, permanent tax increase to be paid by the families of Grapevine. Characterizing this proposal as about the "rail system" is nothing more than political spin and misdirection intended to get you to vote for 1/2 of what they want - THE MAXIMUM SALES TAX ALLOWED BY STATE LAW.
Proposal 2. As full of over-taxation and political misdirection as proposal 1 is, proposal 2 IS WORSE. It is billed as funding for a "Crime Control and Prevention District".
Sounds good right? We are all obviously for a safer Grapevine, even if it means paying higher taxes, but what exactly do they plan to spend out nearly $10 million per year on?
According to the City's "Crime Control and Prevention District Fund Two-Year Financial Plan" which can also be found on the city website at: ( http://www.ci.grapevine.tx.us/Portals/0/City%20Manager/Crime%20Control%20&%20Prevention%20District.pdf)
Here is what you are getting for your $10 million per year:
* 1 - $4,000 (yes, thousand) video system.
* 1 - $100,000 vehicle locator system.
* $70,000 to put video systems on all motorcycles
* 1 - $20,000 fingerprint system
* 1 - $40,000 upgrade to an evidence video system
* 1 - $15,000 worth of walls in police headquarters
* 2 - (total of $61,052) new police cars - YES, for your $10 million per year you get 2 (TWO) new police cars.
And a few other items, for a total of about $314,000. As far as capital investments, that's all we are getting. Let me ask you this, if they only plan to buy TWO NEW CARS - how many new officers do you think we are getting for our $10 million each and every year? ZERO is about the best estimation, that's why they called the proposal "Crime Control and Prevention District" instead of giving us a proposal to "Hire X additional police officers".
So what about the rest of our $9,686,000???
Well, you do get a $19,000 program to educate parents on the dangers of the Internet. That's right, in case you didn't know, it's not a good idea to let your kids talk to strangers on the Internet - some of them are bad people. But you only get this in year 1, your $10 million in year 2 can't afford this $19,000 program.
So now we've accounted for all but about $9,647,000? Where is it???
Ah, now you can let the POLITICAL SHELL GAME really begin - here is what they did.
They took most all of the expenses they currently spend on on Police and made it part of the "Crime Control and Prevention District Financial Plan". So when you look at the plan, it looks like we must be spending our extra $10 million on ADDITIONAL police expenses, (salaries, equipment, raises, etc.). No, what you are seeing is what WE ALREADY SPEND on our police department. By making it part of this financial plan they have made it look like your extra $10 million is going toward ADDITIONAL police protection, but what they failed to tell us is that the money we currently spend on police will go into the general revenue fund.
Huh? What? Why would they do that? To get you to vote yes for THE MAXIMUM SALES TAX AMOUNT ALLOWED BY LAW because you think that you'll get getting a $10 million per year increase in police protection, when you'll be actually getting a couple of new video systems and a couple of new police cars (probably to replace ones that are wearing out). So we get $350,000 in additional police protection and they get spend this $9,647,000 on the exact same thing they are going to spend the proposition 1 over-tax on - WHATEVER THEY WANT.
Again, proposition 2 is political spin for a PERMANENT TAX INCREASE and should be voted NO.
And back to the slick little marketing flyer, they again are trying to misdirect you-
- They say that "80% of the tax will be paid by visitors and tourists". This might be true, but SO WHAT? 100% of every taxable item 100% of all Grapevine residents by at 100% of Grapevine businesses will be subject to 100% of this tax increase - PERIOD. Does it somehow save you any money when a visitor pays additional sales tax? Of course it doesn't.
- They also tell you "Grapevine has one of the lowest sales tax rates in the metroplex and this increase will just catch us up with other cities in the area" - SO WHAT? Low taxes are a GOOD thing and we don't need to "catch up" with everyone else. Low taxes spur growth, help business and make Grapevine a desirable location which INCREASES our PROPERTY VALUE. Are they kidding us with this one? What in the world should our tax rate have to do with any other city's tax rate? NOTHING.
- They tell us "The tax increase will only cost the average RESIDENT $2.00 per month". How much do you want to bet that "RESIDENT" includes newborns, pre-schoolers and K-12? If this fact is true for you, that means that you only spend $200 per month on taxable items in Grapevine each month. I don't know about you, but that $200 doesn't even cover my water bill (which is taxed) in the summer. What it will REALLY cost you is EXACTLY an additional 1% of every taxable item you buy in Grapevine - period, end of story. Don't look at the political spin "$2.00 on average", look at the stone cold fact - A 1% increase. Think about that, if your boss gives you a raise this year is there a difference between 4% and 5%, 6% and 7%. For most of us, 1% is a significant amount of money.
Please vote NO on this "MAX TAX". If WE want a rail system, great - give us a proposal that FUNDS a rail system which will cost less than $35 million over 5 years - not $10 million per year FOREVER. If WE want more police protection, great - give us a proposal that FUNDS X number of officers, X number of police cars, etc. - not a political shell game that moves $9,647,000 into the general fund, gives us a permanent tax increase and TWO new police cars.
KEEP GRAPEVINE TAXES LOW, VOTE "NO" ON THE MAX TAX NOVEMBER 7th.