However you say it, vote "no" twice against unnecessary property tax increases from Propositions 1 and 2.
Oh, Lordy! How much open space is enough? Blaine County is 82 percent federally and state-owned open space, about 1.4 million acres of protected open space. Blaine residents are surrounded by about 12 million acres of open space for their recreational use.
The so-called smart-growth, land-greedy cabal, who have taken over county government, are actually elitist NIMBYs masquerading as environmentalists, attempting to monopolize the remaining private property in the county, and are using restrictive zoning to raise the cost of housing beyond the reach of thousands of low-income families, seniors and minorities working in Blaine County.
Vote "no" on Prop. 1. We don't need any more stinking open space set aside. We need more land for affordable housing for working folks in Blaine County.
Although previous consolidated dispatch squabbles in Idaho have already determined that the fairest ways to pay for consolidated dispatch is either population based or charging on a per-call basis, Hailey and Bellevue claim they are being cheated. Ketchum, Sun Valley and north-county property owners already contribute a larger percentage of funds to county coffers than their southern neighbors because north-county property values are higher. So north-county taxpayers are already paying a larger share of consolidated dispatch equipment and building costs.
Hailey and Bellevue seem to be pleading that they have more economically disadvantaged citizens causing emergency dispatch calls and therefore their consolidated dispatch costs should be subsidized.
Hailey LOT revenues are increasing and Hailey needs to look at how similar disputes have been resolved in Idaho and then dig a little deeper before asking to raise everyone's taxes in Blaine County. Vote no on Prop. 2!
Mickey Garcia
Ketchum
