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On Jan 28, 2009, at 13:42, James Hornaday Jr. wrote: > Dear All: > > Steve Reed is going to be the principal speaker at an important > public meeting (held at Library Center, North Kansas Expressway, at > 6 pm tonight). The topic is the upcoming action against the > proposed 1% sales tax for the pension fund. This issue is NOT dead. We won't be able to make it and are not (any longer) Springfield residents, but we do have an interest in this, or, rather Springfield has an interest in people like us. Specifically, we own a small farm in Lawrence County, close to equidistant between Joplin and Springfield. We often go to Springfield to get tools, equipment, and feed for our farm. Since we are there, we often do general shopping in the area as well (e.g filling prescriptions, quick groceries on the way back, etc.). There is no particular reason to go to Springfield beyond habit. Feed and grain is better in Lockwood, most of the tools and equipment we look for are available in the Joplin area, etc. So, basically, the effect of even a small increase in Springfield taxes would be for us to simply stop going. From people I talked to, this would be a decision many people would be likely to make. So, basically, one of the things that needs to be looked at is: what percentage of Springfield taxable sales revenue comes from people who do not reside in Springfield? What percentage of non-taxable sales is generated by people who go to Springfield (only) to buy taxable goods? What would be the probable shift in business, loss to the local economy, and loss to the tax base as a result? If these numbers are less than 1%, then perhaps it is viable, but if it is greater than 1% ... the tax will actually *decrease* tax revenue collected. Many of us are on very tight budgets right now and it will not take much to get us to shift shopping habits. The pension fund needs to be paid and people need to do right by the police and firemen who serve them. As some people have said, the fact that Springfield taxpayers let the situation go so long un- investigated (taking the council's word at face value) means that the residents share at least some of the blame. That being said, you have to watch any methods of raising that money which affect the Springfield economy as a whole and will continue the trend of falling sales tax revenues, regardless of the increased percentage. Anyway, just my two scents, and something you can bring up when and if appropriate. Sincerely, Eric Vought "Raise ye the stone or cleave the wood to make a path more fair or flat - Lo, it is black already with blood some Son of Martha spilled for that! Not as a ladder from earth to Heaven, not as a witness to any creed, But simple service simply given to his own kind in their common need." --- Rudyard Kipling, "The Sons of Martha" -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: GnuPG v1.4.7 (Darwin) iD8DBQFJgNWvfsH8fS6g9ecRAsnpAKCDukXbeKhVLiYBwrYGSz6QR9VBFgCgnkFj /MTnPBvxB/1AHXWTgPFtoOc= =bF2G -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ This is a Free Speech forum. The owner of this list assumes no responsibility for the intellectual or emotional maturity of its members. If you do not like what is being said here, filter it to trash, ignore it or leave. If you leave, learn how to do this for yourself. If you do not, you will be here forever. -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
