To the editor:

On Tuesday, city commissioners unanimously agreed to allow developers and businesses to apply for “Community Improvement Districts.” Within these special districts, developers would be allowed to charge an additional 2 percent sales tax, which would enable “public tax dollars to pay for private business expenses,” (Journal-World, May 12, 2010).

This comes as no surprise in a city that chose to use $308,000 in tax money to sustain Eagle Bend Golf Course (Journal-World, Feb. 11, 2004). Since we’re already using tax dollars so businessmen can golf, and now we’re going to pay for their business expenses, why not pay for their three-martini “business” lunches? After all, aren’t these lunches important to economic development? Now I understand Kent Beisner, the Kansas Chamber of Commerce president, when he said that government has “catered to the needs of those at the government trough” (Journal-World, May 10, 2010).