No kidding.
If you're a regular reader here, you probably are one of a few well-informed Rock County area voters/taxpayers who know where the Janesville Gazette and Forward Janesville stand when it comes to increased local taxes, cash confiscating referendums and treasury-draining TIF District wealth transfer abstracts.
They of course supported every single one of them and in fact have a motto that pertains to their economic policies.
Their motto is this: If Janesville residents refuse to accept increased tax obligations, the local economy could fall into a "death spiral." Their words - not mine.
But as you well know, several business members of the local swamp, Forward Janesville and the Janesville Gazette, lawyered up over the past year to challenge their own property tax assessments and won. Combined, they had several hundred thousand dollars shaved from their annual tax bills. Of course that means everyone else will have to pay more or see a cut in services. The "people" were silent.
Next up came Forward Janesville and their corporate tooled city council approving a downtown TIF District abstract that confiscates around one million dollars annually for the next 27 years from general fund obligations to pay for Forward Janesville pet projects and their ARISE gimmick. Again, that means everyone else will have to pay more or see a cut in services even further than the foreseeable future. The "people" were silent.
Before that and currently, both the Gazette and Forward Janesville supported and endorsed every local tax hike proposal and referendum, including treasury robbing "incentives" based largely on a false meme that out-of-state businesses will gravitate to Janesville because they desire good schools, roads, parks, police and fire, trails, clean air and water. Anyone who opposed their goofy tax jacking policies and grand theft TIF's were deemed selfish Janesville haters who should move away if they don't like it.
For the most part, city staffers under the direction of the city manager and approved by the city council have given away large chunks of cash sorely needed to pay for future school maintenance, road maintenance, parks, police, fire, trails, clean air and water. For the third time, that means everyone else will have to pay more or see major cuts in services. Instead of marching with pitchforks and torches, the "people" once again were silent.
Keep in mind those observations are from only the past year.
You might be saying that you've heard this all before here at the blog. So why bring it all up now?
Well, the Gazette posted a bizarre editorial whining about Janesville residents "apathy," believe it or not, for failing to show concern for the city's debt or the avalanche of new fee increases about to cascade down on everyone.
Bold-faced hypocrisy at its finest.
JG Editorial Excerpt:
Thumbs down to Janesville residents' apathy. One Janesville resident, Michael Clarke, spoke at the public hearing last week before the Janesville City Council adopted next year's $111 million budget. Thumbs up to Clarke, who expressed concern about the city's debt, but where were other residents? Perhaps, the latest show streaming on Netflix or Thursday Night Football proved too irresistible. Next year's budget includes more than 80 fee increases expected to bring in $2.3 million in new revenue, making more expensive many city services, such as water and sewer, ambulance transport and residential building permits. By failing to attend hearings, residents sent an implicit message to council members that they are OK with these hikes. Of course, many residents will complain next year when they figure out they must dig deeper into their wallets, and we have a message for these future complainers: Why weren't you at last week's budget hearing?
Seriously. What the? What the? They have the balls to write that residents shouldn't complain if they have to dig further into their wallets? After what the Gazette and Forward Janesville supported?
But obviously, since taxpayers were okay with all of the wild corporate welfare "incentives" and Forward Janesville's ARISE gimmick funded by future taxable growth, it's way too late for Janesville taxpayers to complain about debt, shortfalls and higher taxes and fees now.
Plus, some of us believed the local swamp monsters phony baloney about the dreaded death spiral. "Tax us!!" they're saying. We certainly don't want a death spiral like the "experts" said, and we have way too much money anyways for our own good!!! Wheeeeee.
Still others no doubt are waiting for those giant magical windfalls city hall tools promised from the last ten TIF Districts that expired over the course of the last 20 years.
For the rest of us who know the consequences of their failed growth policies and corporate welfare, it's time to pay the piper more. This year, the next year and the next, and the next, and the ...
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