Dear Mr. Guetzloe:
It will please you to learn that my wife and I have voted our absentee
ballot today and that we have voted against the tax increase.
Our community has a very large tax base and the citizens that live in this community should be benefiting from the additional tax base that we have through tourism. We agree that our tax dollars are being mismanaged and that the local tax payer is being shorted on their services.
The expansion of the Orange County Convention Center will benefit the
corporations that move in to build hotels, etc. They will take advantage of our local work force by paying them as little as possible for the jobs that they create. Although tourism may be down currently, it is sure to increase as time goes on, and this will give them even more revenue.
The Orlando Orange County Expressway Authority will continue to find excuses for continuing upgrades to their toll collection process. You can hardly drive five miles on these toll roads without being charged additional tolls. They have held this community up too long with their license to pick our
pockets. These tolls need to be removed and that alone would help to improve our traffic congestion which they have helped to create.
Take a look at Lynx! They have a monopoly funded by the state and they
spend a great deal on advertising. Why don't they build some bus turn outs and stop blocking traffic with those advertising dollars?
When it comes to "Light Rail," how many people will drive to the rail system, pay to park, and pay for a ticket to take the rail service? I don't see
this happening and we already have our Lynx busses to transport those who are in need of transportation.
Our leaders are being lobbied by companies that have a great deal to gain
at our expense. They need to focus on our local traffic congestion by timing
our traffic lights, and improving our roads in a more rapid manner. Road
improvements take far too long to complete and there is no reason that they should take so long with the weather that we enjoy all year long.
The Tax Payer's are being ripped off and it's about time that the Orange
County Tax Payer send these politicians a message. They want to raise the
sales tax a half a cent, which will generate millions in revenue, and to thank us they want to add a toll to interstate 4. Is it even legal to place a toll on an interstate highway system? I seriously doubt that it is. Interstate's are
funded by the state and federal government, so I feel that these politicians
have much bigger plans for these funds by the way they are smiling and
encouraging voters to pass the tax proposal.
God bless you for all of your hard work and continuous efforts to educate
our local citizens. I just hope that we Orange County Tax Payers start getting more for the amount of taxes that we pay. With our current tax base and the additional amount of taxes paid by tourists, we should have the best streets and services of almost any community in the country.
Our local politicians claim that they won't raise our property tax level, they don't have to, all they have to do to get an increase is raise the value of our property. It's all smoke and mirrors. I agree with you that the local tax payers deserve more from our local city and county leaders.
Thank you for all of your efforts,
Bob Welch -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Doug: Thank you for letting me know about Ax the Tax before I voted absentee. I read your newsletter and made a lot of MATURE SENSE. We moved here from another state 6 years ago and the mess on I-4 is still a #@$%^mess now. County government has not made one sincere effort to improve or create a plan for public transportation and the only answer they seem to come up with is raising taxes for what??? Nothing is being done as it is. I voted NO. Keep up the good work.
Christine
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