I suppose if one intended to follow the lead of the Local Republican Central Committee, one might as well join the Democratic Party, of “Big Government” and the higher taxes to pay for it. There does not appear to be much to distinguish them, the Republicans, from Democrats on the issue of repealing the sales tax increase from 2020. One has to wonder, just who is being served here, the government or its citizens?Ordinarily, Republicans would be full on against any attempt to raise taxes of any kind, in an effort to measure up to the theory that Republicans stand for less government and lower taxes. Such is not the case here in Del Norte County, where the local Republicans have come out in favor of the higher sales tax to continue and a massively growing County government.#placement_573654_0_i{width:100%;max-width:550px;margin:0 auto;}var rnd = window.rnd || Math.floor(Math.random()*10e6);var pid573654 = window.pid573654 || rnd;var plc573654 = window.plc573654 || 0;var abkw = window.abkw || '';var absrc = 'https://ads.empowerlocal.co/adserve/;ID=181918;size=0x0;setID=573654;type=js;sw='+screen.width+';sh='+screen.height+';spr='+window.devicePixelRatio+';kw='+abkw+';pid='+pid573654+';place='+(plc573654++)+';rnd='+rnd+';click=CLICK_MACRO_PLACEHOLDER';var _absrc = absrc.split("type=js"); absrc = _absrc[0] + 'type=js;referrer=' + encodeURIComponent(document.location.href) + _absrc[1];document.write('');Seems that nearly everything, that both the City and County do when it comes to spending the sales tax money can be justified as law enforcement, fire protection, or emergency services. With this explosion in government spending, there is no way that the City and County’s excesses of spending will be confined to “ just the sales tax increased funding” and will shortly show up in spending at a prodigious rate through out both governments. Sure this is great, when you are a registered Democrat and you need the hand holding offered by government, but Republicans are supposed to be immune to that kind of government pandering. Republicans are supposed to be able to stand on their own feet without the “crutch” of local government at every turn. Such a shame that Republicans in the local Central Committee can no longer be trusted to hold on to their values and retreat ignominiously into the fold of local Democrats. Just who is being served, one might ask them, government or the people?It is small wonder that independents, who may have been Republicans, or former Democrats, are fed up with the duplicitous nature of both party’s who no longer completely represent them on too many issues.In case the Republicans and the Democrats missed it, inflation is the biggest issue in the up coming November election. Unless local government can force themselves to restrain their spending these issues of tax reduction will become a feature of every election going forward and those elected officials will be asked “where they stand on making government less expensive”. Inflation is not going away any time soon and a growing government as we have here locally will soon become VERY unpopular. It would behoove local government and their supporters of growth in both the City and County work force to dial it back and remember who you are meant to benefit.Addressing the local homeless problem on the backs of local sales tax payers is NOT a justifiable expense to the local population. This is irrational!Once again we are being faced with run away governance, at not only the local level, but state and federal levels as well. Inflation is tantamount to failure by government to control spending to perform its services at all levels and is a well recognized economic feature that devastates the local population.Continued efforts by local government to claim hysterically that services will be impaired by the loss of the sales tax revenue is malfeasance of the highest order. If the County and City fail to recognize that more government will not solve problems that failure of government for decades has created, they do not deserve to be a functional government. Saying more government is a way to solve problems is like saying a cancer patient will successfully recover if only he or she is given more cancer.The County’s issues are too deeply ingrained in the way things have been for many decades to be arrested by throwing insufficient resources at local problems that were identified years ago. County and City governments must halt their visions of expansion and become leaner and meaner until the time comes where local growth catches up with government growth. A poor population does not have the resources to pay for a growing government. Only a small portion of the residents in Del Norte County have the resources necessary to support the current direction going forward. Too many citizens do not, and struggle to support their lifestyles. Even if it means that long standing issues are not addressed immediately, it is unconscionable for either the City or the County to claim ANY substantial inability to provide “essential services” should the sales tax increase be repealed. Reduce taxes by voting YES on Measures U and T in November. That’s Yes on T and U on November 8th. googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('ad-1515727'); });