It’s given the City Council a fee to raise, which they do with some frequency.

It’s also a particular nuisance, because, unlike property taxes, trash “fees” can’t be deducted from your income for Federal income tax purposes.

Using the usual Democrat analysis, it’s also regressive–the poor and the rich pay the same fee for garbage, no matter how much the home whence the garbage comes is worth.

The only way I’d sign up for the garbage tax is if Democrats agreed to the flat tax.

Those who may be asked to pay a bit more, even though we pay much less than most, rise up in indignant anger and despair, claiming that a few pennies more on the real estate tax rate, the lowest in the region, or a trash fee, will cause pain and suffering, even as it is clear if we don’t pay a bit more, many employees and their families will suffer the indignity of layoffs and unemployment. As a community, we must face the consequences of electing Legislators and political leaders for whom the lowest tax rate is the objective, rather than a balance between services and taxes/fees. If as a electorate, we prefer to let those in need, and those who must be educated, and those who must be trained to join the workforce, and those who use public services, suffer or go without, we, like you, will have forgotten the benefits of civil society.

Which “elected officials”? The Norfolk light rail cost overruns came to the attention of the TDCHR in a sidebar on December 10, 9 days before the newspaper story. The newspaper then got wind of the story prior to the emergency meeting of the TDCHR’s Executive Committee, which will be this Wednesday.

And I’d point out these city council folks are mostly “claiming” to be republicans. Maybe you all could remind them that repubs are not supposed to support raising taxes. Merry Christmas!