December 30, 2002

A significant item Mr. Kuster might have added to his article is the new item that has appeared over the last couple of years on my (and I suspect yours) tax bill. It is a $115 tax for the fire rescue services. (I didn’t notice any reduction in the general tax bill, did you?) I’m told that this all goes to the rescue side of the house. That and the ambulance service plan seems like a real increase to the rescue budget. That’s $200+ for most properties in the county. I have no idea if this is justified as I don’t ever remember seeing any breakdown of cost vs. expenditures. I wouldn’t expect it of the local newspaper as doing that kind of research might cost them a little since they can’t pull it off the AP wire.

Maybe some reader has the "real" story and would share it with the rest of us. I do know that the "law of unintended consequences" is going to have the last (and maybe only) laugh in this whole thing.