To the editor:

I just don’t believe our local leaders are up to date in today’s world.

Every day we are bombarded with facts showing product sales, sales tax revenues, consumer spending and consumer confidence are all down. Businesses are laying off because of slow sales, bankruptcies are up, foreclosures are up — on and on. Do you suppose this is because the consumer has little or no extra money to spend? This is trickle-down at its worst: no spending, no merchandise being sold, workers laid off, now no income, no money to spend. Now there are predictions of a possible double-dip recession. So why tax more money out of consumers’ budgets and see it trickle down farther?

We read about heritage development projects, open space preservation projects ($350,000) additional economic development (another $350,000), football stadiums and now tennis courts (??million). The list is endless. Historically only a small percentage of the community will vote, so having these items on a ballot probably will not give a true indication of how the community feels. Why not create a fundraiser similar to a political rally and see how many people really want these projects enough to donate?

The only way the economy is going to turn around is to increase consumer spending. Increasing taxes is not the answer. I challenge the political leaders in Douglas County to re-evaluate the budgets and this time cut the fat.

E.J. Shockley,

Lawrence