Southside w/Michael Case
Michael Case
‘TIS SPRING…….2008
Spring has sprung, the grass has rizz…….. I wonder where all the flowers, is? Janet, age 8.
Remember that one? Perhaps a bit premature as March isn’t recognized as the first breath of spring. I think April gets that privilege?
“I sowed the seeds of love,
it was all in the spring,
in April, May, and June, likewise,
the small birds they do sing.” -Mrs. Fleetwood Harbergham circa; 1700
The first cycle of the new year brings hope and promise. Is your cup half full? I think every positive thinker from Confucius, Thales, Socrates, Sartre and most of our modern day positive slanters including Carnegie and Osteen fully believe in this philosophy. Come to think of it, who in their right mind would want their cup half empty? I know. Freddie, age 6, staring at a full glass of veggie juice? Conversely, a baby holding its milk bottle? A hungry person listening to their stomach growl as they stand in a soup line? They would prefer the top half in their tummies, for sure. Except, Freddie.
Spring tell-tales include a drive-by survey of city/county baseball and soccer parks….folks cleaning out their garages….vacation advertising promising paradise for a fist full of dollars or utopia for a few dollars more….. Schools winding up their class schedules in preparation of graduation day…….and, your daughter or son spending more time than usual fronting the looking glass. Spring is when a young man’s fancy turns to what the young lady has been thinking about all winter. Love is in the air!
Spring is like a child’s face…changing three times a day
Unfortunately, this Spring I’m afraid we’ll be beaten into submission via political advertising. Once again, time to vote for president. And yes, your vote counts. A good example of vote-value could be on the political horizon? Some pundits say that Oregon’s primary could possibly tip the scales, democratically speaking.
Alas, with each spring we look forward to a mail delivery from the I.R.S. Not much we can do about taxes in general, but we can do something about local levy issues. I just happen to have one that we all must address.
No matter how you count it, Josephine County needs financial help. Those looking the other way have been exposed to HITSS. (Head In The Sand Syndrome) Or, if you prefer the acronym…. Hide-it.
Once again, Michael-Pollsters (family, friends, neighbors, castaways, various pundits and others of questionable note), or MP’s for short, put forth their best efforts and came up with the following suggestions:
The question was; “How would you finance the day-to-day operations of Josephine County?” And, if you propose a tax, what type should it be?
The results are quite interesting:
Unequivocally, a property tax levy was out….again. This is no surprise due to the constant defeat of the measure at the polls.
Some ideas for the County Commissioners to ponder are:
* Lease any available county owned properties to private entities for selected commercial and/or industrial purposes. Establish privately operated (for profit) recreational facilities on county land, set up with short or long term leases.
* Around the country BLM lands are being offered back to local agencies IF their usefulness has become problematic for the Feds. There is established criteria for accomplishing this. Upon completion of acquisition, determine what for-profit uses would be compatible on these BLM properties, and adjacent to BLM lands. Search for businesses that could benefit from these properties and set up a workable lease.
* Assist as much as possible and encourage new businesses. Acknowledge the re-shaping world of entrepreneurial efforts, such as home businesses, etc.
* Do not replace some county worker positions when they become vacant. Use this money for stipends, expense re-imbursements (not wages), etc., for volunteers to perform support duties. This could lessen the work load or even eliminate some full time positions. There are many retirees in the area looking for such activities.
* County libraries could become “Community Meeting Centers”. Encourage groups, clubs, and community gatherings to its use. In return, these organizations could perform county duties, such as volunteer time with the Sheriffs’ Dept. (and, do they need help!), assist in county grounds maintenance and repair, assist in county events and those private paying events being held on and in county property.
* “Use” or sales tax is considered the fairest of taxes. Determine current revenue needed to fund adequate county operations, estimate operational costs for the next three years and tax accordingly, not to exceed 2% for three years. The tax would terminate automatically in three years, unless 60% of county voters agreed to continue its use. By this time a permanent funding solution could possibly be in order.
* Set up a volunteer operated Josephine County Visitor’s Bureau. Construct kiosks in visitor oriented areas. Sell souvenirs and hand out promotional materials.
Some wag suggested a toll booth on the Rogue;……two salmon per pass……sell to visitors stopping by the kiosks! Now, that’s an entrepreneur!
And, the winner is? No, not the salmon. It’s up to the commissioners and voters. Oh, keep in mind that the above suggestions were offered without the help of research, knowledge of existing laws, land availability, etc. Just real suggestions from real people. Have a nice Spring!
Never mind March, we know you’re not really mad
or, angry or bad.
You’re only blowing the winter away
to get the world ready for April and May.
