To the editor:

City commissioners are once again calling for higher taxes in order to fund a new police station. Never mind that four commissioners and the city manager rammed a $25-30 million Taj Mahal (recreation center) down the throats of taxpayers without a vote from the electorate.

Growth in our city has been stagnant or nonexistent for the past decade. Our cost of living is high, and our wages are low. City government continues to devour more capital at the expense of private enterprise. In the near future, private enterprise recycling (one man, one truck) will be replaced with city-owned trucks (one truck, two men). This is not pro business.

The past decade’s sum of all tax abatements and special tax districts would yield a negative return for the electorate. These tools of cronyism have funded private parking lots, promoted underage drinking, and moved existing employees across town under the pretense of job creation. “Good ol’ boy” cronyism trumps the electorate’s increasing tax burden.

Until the electorate votes individuals into office that understand the necessity of setting priorities and fiduciary responsibility, our city will continue spiraling downward. If you are satisfied with stagnation and the direction our city is headed, do nothing. If you are not satisfied with our current strategy of talk and hope, please vote for individuals that will initiate change. We can do better.