Letter: The Taxer$

Dear Editor:

I wanted your readers to know that the St. Johns County Tea Party, while disappointed by the vote of the St. Johns County Board of County Commissioners to raise taxes, is not surprised.

There was no amount of protest, discussion, opposition or contact that could have changed their minds. Their minds were made up long ago.

They relied upon contrived input from a vocal minority of people who wanted to continue to get their government handouts veiled in the language of “quality of life” and refused to listen to the people who work hard to pay the taxes here in the County.

Nov. 2008- 1 cent sales tax increase- failed
Sept. 2009- Property tax increase- BOCC passed
Nov. 2010- Schools.5 Mill increase- failed
Sept. 2011- Property tax increase- BOCC passed
When We the People vote – Tax increases fail
When the Taxer$ vote – they pass.

Tea Parties all across the country, and here in St. Johns County, support Constitutionally limited smaller government, fiscal responsibility and the free enterprise system.

The County Commissioners, who will now be known to many of us as “The Taxer$”, have clearly demonstrated by their vote Tuesday that they side with those who favor higher taxes, bigger government and more regulation.

This is a microcosm of the decision that the American people will make in the voting booth in just over a year. We the People will not forget in August 2012 and we will spend the next eleven months educating the voters of St. Johns County on the voting records of the County Commissioners who are up for re-election.

Eric West, Chairman
St. Johns County Tea Party