Money pit

Bend Chamber of Commerce leaders criticized a proposed business-license fee, which was included in the $181 million budget the city council adopted Wednesday night.Link

Among the fees approved by councilors were:

• An average 50 percent increase for development plan reviews. For example, the design review fee for new construction will go from $850 to $1,275.

• A nearly 8 percent jump in water rates. For example, a standard residential hookup will increase 70 cents a month to $9.73 for base service.

• A 6 percent increase in sewer rates, from $21.77 to $23.08 for residential homes.

• A 44 percent increase for ambulance services. For example, the fee for ambulance transport with basic life-support services will go from $530 to $765.

• A $30 increase for burial plots at the Bend Cemetery, from $605 to $635. The city is also raising annual maintenance fees by 10-percent fee from $81 to $89 annually.

the fee is expected to raise about $300,000 for the city of Bend.

City officials have said the fee will allow the city to keep better tabs on who is doing business in the city.

keep better tabs? Does that mean that they are not doing it now?

One of the things that really annoys me is that government somehow thinks that we are wealthy and it is their sole job to take money from us.

When they talk about "increasing revenue" they forget that their increase in revenue, is a decrease in our savings.

and again I have to make this point. Do not keep telling us that you do not have the money or the budget to operate with out proof.

Show us a balance sheet and that you have a means of checks and balances to better manage our money that you are asking for.

As employees, we just can not go to our bosses and say "hey boss, I don't have enough money and I want a raise", so why is it that government who is supposed to be our employees, keeps coming to us and demanding more money.

I have to agree with Jesse Ventura when he was governor about a federal sales tax.

He said that under the current tax system, the government gets your money before you get your money, if you eliminate the income tax and go strictly to a federal sales tax, Then you get your money before the government gets your money and the government is therefore more in tune with the actual economy.

I think it's an excellent idea.