Increasing Fees = Rasising Taxes

No matter how you word it, and no matter the justification, taking more money from citizens is an increase in taxes.  I’m all for pay-as-you go, but I suspect that many governments take “profit” from one area to subsidize other areas.  Pay-as-you go only works for “extras” so they break even, not become a cash cow for wasteful spending.  Those extras are probably not something that should be a priority (like curbside organic refuse pickup the City of Gainesville has, multi-million dollar libraries, and water parks).  You can make a argument that anything is related to health, safety, and welfare of the residents.  But picking up leaves?  Read The Times article here–>Residents get chance to comment on Gainesville’s $27.9 million budget plans.  Also notice how the City Council will try to ignore the City School Board mess in their budget talks.  However the money for both comes out of the same pockets.  And those pockets don’t have to move far to get out of reach of the pickpockets.  Of course, it goes without saying that the huge illegal immigration problem in Gainesville is the root cause of most of the budget problems.  When a large portion of your population does not pay taxes, but takes advantage of every service, it shifts the burden to the taxpayers.