When Republicans are stupid: C-Tran tax increase endorsed by GOP

The problem here is that our local GOP gets involved when they should not, by, for example, making endorsements in non-partisan races; while staying out when they SHOULD get involved; like when the Taliban City Council of Vancouver sued their citizenry to silence them on the matter of the taxpayer gouging downtown redevelopment and the boondoggle of the Special Events Center.

My position is this: this Party will never reign supreme by out-democrating the democrats. That local democrats came out in such strong support for this measure was reason enough to leave it alone, if not opposing it.

Our taxes are skyrocketing. Our legislature has increased the taxes this biennium approximately $100 for each man, woman and child in this state.

Who's paying for that?

Property taxes are getting stratospheric because of artificially imposed increases in property tax values... increases at a far faster rate then inflation... increases far faster then most people's ability to pay for those increases.

I, for example, have not had a raise in 17 months and don't anticipate one soon.

But almost every single one of my taxes has increased.

In many respects, I am sorry that C-Trans suffers as a result of these increasingly perilous times.

But this issue is not a Republican issue.

Further, two members of the voting board should have recused themselves from this vote because of conflicts of interest. Their failure to take that step cheapens the value of this action; an action, which I feel, is not in our best interests as members of the GOP here in Clark County.

My sense of this is that given all of the other increasing taxes we face.... this vote may go down to defeat.

Those supporting C-Trans engage in theatrical, the sky-is-falling jingoism. "Save C-Trans?" Why... will it disappear if this vote fails?

Of course not. And supporters know that. I've also heard from more than one quarter that the "Pro" side buttresses their position with the light rail threat if this thing fails.

Nonsense.

Those supporting C-Trans in this matter could have run an above-board, honest campaign. But they bypassed the opportunity to present such a campaign with honest perspectives by engaging in something less then that.

And now, the county GOP will share in the responsibility... whatever the outcome.



C-Tran tax increase endorsed by GOP

Thursday, August 11, 2005
By DON JENKINS, Columbian staff writer

The usually tax-averse Clark County Republican Party has endorsed raising taxes to bolster bus service in Clark County.

"We took a cold, hard look at the facts," county GOP Chairman Brent Boger said Wednesday. "It's not true Republicans are programmed to reflexively oppose tax increases, and we proved a point here."

The party's executive board voted 9-3 on Tuesday to support the Sept. 20 ballot measure in which C-Tran will ask voters to increase the sales tax by 2 cents per $10 (0.2 percent) to increase its funding by $9.2 million.

Shoppers in Clark County cities already pay 3 cents per $10 purchase to support C-Tran. Without the additional revenue, C-Tran says it will eliminate weekend service, drop runs and serve only the Vancouver urban area to stay afloat.

Boger said the executive board acted after Republican precinct committee officers showed support for C-Tran's proposal at an earlier meeting.

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