The
Washington County Commissioners are to be congratulated. Their decision not to cut property taxes,
despite a surplus in revenue, was the right thing to do. In the 1990s we witnessed our federal and
state governments accumulate surpluses, only to lose the advantage through
politically expedient tax cuts. Within a
few years the recession was in full swing and the additional tax dollars could
have alleviated cuts to many critical social programs.
Commissioner
Maggi announced that the present surplus would be utilized to address neglected
infrastructure in Washington County, including buildings, bridges and roads
within county parks. This approach shows
leadership and a far sighted view of the problems facing the County.
It
was interesting that the day following the Commissioners’ announcement; the national
airlines came under attack from consumer groups for not cutting the price of
tickets, when the price of jet fuel dropped dramatically. The airline executives responded by reminding
the public that the increased revenue would be used to refurbish and buy new
aircraft, thereby making the industry safer for the long haul.
In
both the public and private sectors, returning all revenue windfalls to the taxpayer
or the consumer is often not the prudent action to take. Each of us might prefer the short term gain
from a tax or ticket price cut, but in the long run, basic improvements and/or
saving for the next recession are more constructive and better serve the public
good.
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