John Fjeldahl, Berthold

It is becoming apparent that the most important item for our governments to survive is not people who it is to serve; it has become the people's money and possessions. I am not afraid to say this even though my fellow commissioners may attack me for doing so. I believe the action the commission has taken by passing the 2010 Ward County budget sets an example as the poster child of how our federal government has gotten us into the mess we are in and the emerging pattern of the tax breaks for some and tax hikes for others. All of which we, our kids and grandkids are going to be funding in the name of progress and so called good government management.

I am concerned when government starts believing they are the major tool to spur economic growth for our country all the way down to the local level. On the county level the commission's 2010 budget is one the largest increases in your county property tax levy ever. This all happened while at the same time the state and federal level of government has sent more funds (your money also or in the case of the federal government your kids money) to the county to help alleviate the ever increasing tax burden on your property, attempting to give taxpayers a little slack.

The state and federal government gets their funding from the money we earn and spend by way of income, sales, excise, fuels tax and telecommunications taxes to name just a few. Yet at the October 20th Ward County commissioner meeting we were told by our social services director we have an increasing demand from people requesting more assistant from county government for food stamps, heat assistance, and so on.

Amazingly, we are told that we are the economic anomaly. When compared to many other states, we have a growing economy. I always believed growth was a positive thing. There are many incentive plans some new some old that like to take credit for growing economies. These incentive programs were supposed to create more income and a larger tax base which are supposed to spread out and lower property tax requirements for all.

When your property tax statements roll out in the next few weeks, take a close look at them. The state has mandated a lowering of the K-12 schools property tax by increasing state K-12 funding so there should be a noticeable change. However, it appears that other political subdivisions are going to be using up the slack given by lowered K-12 school taxes. I guess their belief is that our state and local economies are going to keep performing at ever expanding levels. Meaning they are counting on the taxpayers, who are wage earners, business owners and so on, to keep feeding this horse ride we are apparently on. If the slack in the rope loosens on one end (school tax) but is taken up on the other end (other political subdivisions) the rope stays tight or gets tighter. There is no tax relief or slack left if this trend continues.

I just hope this horse we are riding doesn't spook and we are connected to the rope.