By Samuel Strait – Reporter at Large – March 16, 2022 For those of you that did not catch the last meeting of one of Crescent City's Secret Societies, it featured a plea by a local business owner to the local Republican Central Committee to support an effort to rescind the County's Measure "R" whenever the Board of Supervisors deigned to have a vote. While his immediate objection to the increase in local sales tax is past due, local businesses have long endured a disparity in the playing field for local businesses with our neighbor to the North. Sales tax of 7.75% was bad enough and sent many purchases of large expensive items to Brookings, Oregon for years, the new hike to 8.75% merely transformed the flow into a deluge. It is already notable when one cruises the parking lots of many "big box stores" in Brookings that a sizeable percentage of car license plates are from California. This is even more so the case when those from Del Norte County are found further afield to make purchases of appliances, heating and cooling systems, cars and trucks in addition to most purchases that save the cost of making the journey out of the County by a significant margin. It is small wonder that there is a growing out cry of protest against both Measures "R" and "S". Many in governments do not understand that tax levels upon reaching a certain level to support government "wish lists" have a measurable upper limit which Del Norte County obviously has in reaching its limit. While armed revolution is unlikely, resistance to local tax and spend governments will only increase unless government elects to make do with what they already have. There is an ongoing effort by the local taxpayers group to see repeal of both Measures "R" and "S" as well as the recently passed Crescent Fire Protection District's parcel tax. Two of the three passed by razor thin margins and when reviewing promises made by these governing authorities not kept, are likely to be over turned in a repeal effort. Should other business owners begin to realize the impact that sales tax has on their businesses, even those that sell more moderately priced items, will begin to understand just how much the combination of $2.1 million and $1.6 million in additional sales tax revenue affects the buying power of those that live here in Del Norte County. It becomes even more stark when the disparity in playing field between Brookings, Oregon is further compromised by rapid inflation which makes the sales tax issue more difficult to swallow for the consumer. Going forward, the County and the City's governments have made small business a much more difficult task to stay solvent with ill advised sales tax increases that are spent on things that do not improve the lives of the average citizen, and make many of those businesses sit up and take notice. When local governments extend themselves into the negative role of no longer being what is best for the communities they serve, many more of those citizens begin to notice. It often comes in the form of how much they are willing to have removed from their pockets at any given time. Lately it has been a fifty fifty wash, but actions by governments have consequences and the fifty fifty wash may no longer be there for government "wish lists". It appears that local small businesses are beginning to wake up to that fact and be making it much more difficult for government action to further their misery. It is mindful to remember that small business is often the backbone of any society in this Country at least. Smaller governments, lower taxation was the watch word when this Country was formed, lest governments forget. They should be mindful, it is the people that are supposed to have the last word…. Small local business owners are tired of being thought of as second class citizens to government over reach. A "piggy bank" to collect additional sales tax revenue which places them further down the scale of importance within the County. Local Republicans need to be reminded that small business interests are important to the over all economic health in Del Norte County and be mindful of what it takes to remain both competitive and solvent….. Those same Republicans should also be mindful of what it takes to remain being relevant politically…..