From:
Susan
Kniep, President
The Federation of Connecticut
Taxpayer Organizations, Inc.
Website: ctact.org
email: fctopresident@ctact.org
860-524-6501
October 17, 2004
WELCOME TO THE 37th EDITION OF
TAX TALK
Your update on what others are thinking, doing, and planning
Send your comments or questions to me, and
I will include in next week's publication.
Please note that TAX TALK is now on our Website
REMINDER!!!
FCTO MEETING
NOTE CHANGE OF DATE
FROM NOVEMBER 6, 2004
TO NOVEMBER
13, 2004
Reserve Your
Ticket Today
Fred Standt, FStndt@aol.coom
Brookfield Taxpayers
Association
Subject: Controlling
Government Costs
September 27,
2004
Fred’s response to John Durand, Tolland Taxpayers Association, porchejd@yahoo.com
Dear John, In response to your recent Email re: 9/30 Tolland
Town Council public forum intended to discern a method of providing the current
level of services at lower than current costs:
I just concluded eight years of service on the Brookfield Board of Finance.In every one of those years the budget increased
and the government grew larger. Every
year the Board of Finance was offered budgets by department heads that would require tax increases. The department
heads always claimed that they could not provide services if we cut their
budget request. We always cut their requests and they always provided the
services within their reduced budgets, but overall spending still
increased. You have asked for ideas
that cut cost or increase efficiency. Forgive me for not being "positive"
but there is no chance that if you can achieve cost cutting or increased
efficiency, it will reduce your town budget OR
KEEP IT FROM INCREASING. It is the
nature of government to continually grow; increasing in cost, size and
power. all of which are supported by the
local taxpayer. The concept of "limited government" does not apply to
today's local government for good reasons, such as unfounded state and federal
mandates and regulations and other out of town influences like law suits and judicial decisions. The biggest driving force in increasing local
government cost and size is the willingness of local taxpayers to pay and the
governments unlimited power to tax.. Those taxpayers
not so willing, or those who really can't afford increased taxes are driven to
pay by the fear of, at least paying more for failure to pay or at worst, the
loss of their homes. There are, however, ways of limiting local governments
ability to tax called TELLs, (Tax & Expenditure
Limitation Laws). There are several ways to approach these laws including
action in the legislature, and local organization. It seems evident you have a taxpayers
association in Tolland. That is a great beginning. While I have been of little service in
response to your request for saving and cost reducing ideas, perhaps I can be
of service in the future. Fred Standt, 5 South Mt. Rd., Brookfield, CT 06804
******
Bob Green, green_robert@hotmail.com
Salem RTC Chairman
RE: City Budget Defeated For Second
Straight Year
Susan, Our
message is getting out. Read the attached article from the 9/24 edition of
The Day.
By STEPHEN
CHUPASKA
Published on 9/24/2004 New London -- Gabe Kleiman had not yet made up
his mind when he drove into the parking lot at Nathan Hale School to vote in
last Tuesday's referendum on the 2004-2005 city budget. He walked over to hear the arguments of both
supporters of the $73.1 million spending plan as well as members of the
taxpayers' lobby Lower Our Taxes, who petitioned the city government to force
the plebiscite. Kleiman read the pamphlets provided
and carefully considered what the different factions had to say. "It's an issue that cuts right down the
middle," he said, after casting his vote. "As a resident of New London, it's hard to
decide." While Kleiman
kept his decision confidential, in the end New Londoners resoundingly shot down
the budget by more than 600 votes, with opponents winning in six of the city's
seven wards. The final tally saw 1,678
votes against the budget, and 1,021 in favor of it. Only 28 percent of New London voters
participated.
"This is setting the direction we're going to go," LOT co-chair William
Cornish said from the City Hall lobby, where several local Republicans were
waiting for results. "It all comes back to the budget." John Russell,
a LOT member and GOP candidate for the 39th state House seat, called the
victory an "overwhelming mandate," despite a low voter turnout.
"(Taxpayers) want spending brought under control, not excuses," he
said.
Members of Yes on the Budget, a group formed to advocate for the spending
plan's approval, gathered at 39th state House candidate Ernest Hewett's campaign headquarters to await results, along with
Mayor Gerard Gaynor and city Councilors Margaret
Curtin and Jason Catala. Elaine Maynard-Adams, the group's main
organizer, said it was "tough to ask their neighbors" to accept tax
increases. Yet, she said further cuts could "choke off the economic
vitality of the city." Board of
Education member Kevin Cavanaugh noted the group that worked to pass the budget
"did an outstanding job." "We
feel good about that," he said. "That group of
people are there for the long run." The largest voter turnout and margin of
victory was in the city's affluent sixth ward, where more than 60 percent of
eligible voters cast ballots in the referendum. While supporters of the budget expected to
lose in the sixth, it was the second ward, home to many lower class families,
which proved to be the bellwether last Tuesday.
"That was supposed to be our district," Curtin said, as
results from the second arrived via cell phone at Hewett's
headquarters. The lone ward that voted
to approve the budget, the third, did so by a scant 30 votes. Cornish was confident the city council could
make cuts to the budget without the loss of personnel on the city payroll,
including police and fire officers as well as teachers. He also cited some line items he would like
to see cut from the budget, namely a payment to Ocean Beach. Cornish also
suggested the City Council use funds from the sale of the parking structure on
Gov. Winthrop Boulevard and a house on Bank Street to retain city jobs. In the past, members of LOT have demurred when
asked to name particular line items in the budget they would take out,
repeatedly saying it is not their role to make such decisions. Mark Diebolt, the
GOP candidate for the 20th state Senate seat, speaking with budget opponents at
the sixth district polling station, said LOT should be "well advised"
to give specifics as to what they would like to see cut. "No, that's their job," came the rejoinder from a LOT member.
The council will once again look to make subtractions from the budget at its
Sept. 27 meeting. Speaking last
Tuesday, Curtin said she hasn't personally thought about what should be cut. "The people have spoken," she
said. "We now need to decide: do we cut services or do we cut
employees?" "We're going to
have to look at areas that have not been hit," said Catala,
who joined with fellow Republican Rob Pero in voting
against the budget in June. One area
likely to see cuts will be the education budget, which some members of the
council have already targeted. Superintendent
Christopher Clouet said he was "naturally very
concerned" about the budget's defeat and he would soon be meeting with the
Board of Education to discuss any action taken by the City Council. "We'll be doing it now with less,"
he said.
*******
Ann Mikulak
Citizens Property Owners
Association (CPOA)
Subject: New Britain Herald Recognizes Tax Group’s
Celebration of 75 Years
October 8, 2004
CPOA Observes
75 Years- Written by the New Britain Herald
NEW BRITAIN -- Members of the Citizens Property Owners Association (CPOA)
and their friends celebrated the 75th anniversary of its incorporation recently
with a luncheon at Zabbara’s Restaurant at Stanley Golf Course.
The local group, the state’s oldest, continuously active taxpayer organization,
was organized in 1924 and incorporated five years later by the city’s property
and business owners to foster and promote, establish and ordain an interest in
the civic betterment of the government of NewBritain.
Among those extending greetings were Mayor Timothy Stewart
and Susan Kniep, president of the Federation of Connecticut Taxpayer
Organizations and former mayor of East Hartford. Kniep presented Ann Mikulak, CPOA
president, with a proclamation from the federation. It stated in part,
"The CPOA has continued steadfastly to represent the interests of taxpayer
organizations, to promote fiscal austerity in government with the intent of
protecting taxpayers." While efforts have been directed toward
cost-effective government, the group has also spearheaded attempts to give New Britain’s residents the
rights that other towns enjoy, such as the powers of initiative and referendum,
according to Helene Groman, secretary. It is an
independent grassroots organization, which relies on its membership for monetary
support. New members are welcome. Information may be obtained by writing to
C.P.O.A., P.O. Box 2312, New Britain, CT 06050.
Lights, Camera, Action ….. On October 18 I will be participating in a forum in East
Hampton, on October 19 I will be joining members of the Coventry Taxpayers
Association, and on October 29 I will be again appearing on a cable call in talk
show from Waterbury.
As FCTO continues to bring its message to communities
throughout the State, I look forward to meeting with other taxpayer groups and
continued appearances on local cable shows.
If you would like to schedule a show, please contact me at
860-524-6501. Susan Kniep, President,
FCTO
*******