Stop the Stupidity!

Here we are in the midst of some of the worst financial conditions possible, short of a full blown depression, and our city, county and state governments are doing all they can to make even worse. In the past few days it has been announced that our county has passed an ordinance that before you can even change a light fixture in your own home, you must obtain a $50 building permit. The city of Galesburg just passed a 15% increase to our water costs. The state of Illinois has just announced that the fee for obtaining a drivers license will triple after the first of the year. The alderman of the City of Galesburg are trying to impose new fines and increase old fines in the city that would (by their estimate) net the city another $141,000 per year. That's great. People are hurting, our unemployment rate is among the highest in the state at over 10% and you knuckleheads want to bleed the people a little bit more. Do you know that they can already write you a citation if you mow your grass and the clippings blow into the street and you don't sweep them up? Property taxes have sky rocketed in the last 10 years, meanwhile the population is drastically dropping. Anyone care to guess if there might be a parralel here? This city has added an additional tax on anything you drink when you dine out. Have you noticed that most restaraunts don't even publish the cost of a soda in their menu? Most would not order it if they knew the cost in advance! This place had better wake up and quick, or there will not be anyone here in this town to pay taxes in another 10 years.