For years Mike Pope has been bitterly complaining that the residents should have a vote on how street repair and replacement should be funded. He has railed incessantly against what he thought was the inherent unfairness of the $40 "sticker tax" passed by a six-member city council. His alternate-reality website harshly criticized the previous mayor and council members for enacting the "sticker tax" time and time again.
Pope was so convinced that a voter-approved property tax increase to fund street repair was the only "fair" way to go that he even proposed offering the voters the chance to transfer what they are paying in insurance premium tax to increased property tax. The transfer-driven increase would be earmarked for street repair.
That was then. This is now.
The voters will have the opportunity to vote themselves a FORTY PERCENT property tax increase on November 8th. The $500,000 in additional tax revenue would go to street repair. The Martin Chronicles strongly opposes the ballot initiative for many reasons. But all of Pope's prior comments and actions led us to believe that he would be a strong supporter of the new tax.
What were we thinking? It is Mike Pope after all.
There was a hilarious moment at the recent lightly-attended public hearing on the proposed street tax. First-year Councilman Jim Noll gave a sobering analysis of the city's streets and the dire need for the passage of the ballot initiative. Noll went so far as to say council was unanimous in its support of the tax.
Noll concluded. Then Pope said, "I DON'T support the street tax. I believe ASSESSMENTS are the only fair way to go". You could have knocked Noll over with a feather. The only one who wasn't surprised was Mayor Martin. Why? Because he wants to assess you as well.
So after all these years of supporting the voter's voice, Pope has flip-flopped. He now wants YOU to pay the ENTIRE COST to fix your street directly out of your pocket. You will have no say on when your street is fixed. You will have no say on how much it will cost you. No voice. No shared sacrifice. Just be prepared for Pope and Martin to dig deep into YOUR WALLET.
Some say Pope is a contrarian. Some say Pope likes to think outside the proverbial box. The Martin Chronicles says Pope is just DEAD-NUTS CRAZY.
