This is legal and has been examined over and over. However, very few
people at Town Meeting have been able to find in the town annual report
how big that check was in 2009 and how the size of it was determined.
On one page it showed that we raised $11 million-plus in taxes from the
town landowners. There were lots of other numbers much smaller to
adjust that from delinquent taxes, etc., but there it was. We raised
$11 million in taxes last year.
Now, we argued in the school meeting and sliced through a careful
budget and made some cuts, but still spent over $2 million for the
kids. And the teachers did a great job, as they all are way above
average. And we raised a little over $2 million to run the town. With a
little haggling before and after the super lunch, we settled. But, that
still leaves $7 million that we raised unaccounted for. And, there was
no statement or notice or explanation or even a number anywhere in the
town report, and the selectmen didn't say anything about it, and the
town treasurer said nothing. But, we paid the taxes and the $7
million-plus went into the hands of the state Education Fund. And,
Warren has the lowest per capita income in The Valley and the highest
taxes for anyone who wants to live here. Lucky you, if you already have
a house, but find a lot under $100,000 and a lister who will tell you
your taxes will be less than $5,000 a year.
So, here is my suggestion for the entire Valley. Let's not pay the dues
this year. Let's put it into escrow and ask the state to prove they
have the right to take it. You see, there is no way the Legislature
will relieve the gold towns of their cash funnel to the state. Most of
the legislators are from receiving towns and the gold towns are in the
minority.
This brings us to the time-tested means of being heard. We don't pay.
Of course we will be threatened and so on, and this will give us a
platform for all the newscasters to hear. And we will need an idea.
Here is a suggestion that may trigger one that will work for us to keep
us from sending nearly three times our budget out of town.
The cap-in-tax law. It doesn't exist yet. But there needs to be a
sensible maximum that the hand of the state can take out of our
pockets. I suggest we start with 100 percent. So, if we raise $2
million for the school and another $2 million for the town. The most
the state can take is $4 million. If each town had that maximum, the
cost sharing would be distributed better across the state and Warren
landowners would save close to $4 million a year in taxes and as a
result, overnight, owning a house in Warren will cost about half as
much as now.
So, I say, tax and keep it until we can settle on a fair method for sharing our money.
Sellers lives in Warren.
