The Post-Leggett-Knapp-Garagiola tax increase team have big increases in property and gasoline taxes in store for us. Garagiola has introduced legislation to increase the gasoline tax, which increase the Post and Leggett have supported. What does it matter that the price of sweet crude oil is about $100 without the summer driving season even begun. Crude will go to $115 and gas to almost $4 with the Post, Leggett and Garagiola trying to push it higher. Garagiola was the deciding vote in a 24-23 vote in the state senate to give us all the special session tax increases in sales, income, car, corporate and computer taxes. He has yet to produce a single communication from District 15 telling him to be the deciding vote to increase all those taxes.
The Post, Leggett and Knapp will say they cannot "cut" a budget anymore where they have cut the increase in the budget to 7%. They will say they cannot cut employees raises to less than 8% from 9% even though social security recipients will get a 2.5% increase in 2008 with no step increases. They will look at home equity, even though home values have dropped below new assessments. They don't care that raising the property taxes will drive hundreds more into foreclosure and keep thousands out of the Montgomery County housing market. They have no shame nor decency about raising property taxes even though the Dow has dropped to 12,800 and is headed lower. Even though home sales are way down.
The Post, Leggett and Knapp will support exceeding the charter limit in property taxes. Knapp has already voted to do so in three recent years. After Leggett and Knapp support the property tax increase, they will oppose our 2008 ballot question which makes it more difficult to exceed the charter property tax limit claiming that to limit property tax increases will, "disrupt 911 service, and cause the closing of schools and libraries."
Then the Post will spend the rest of the year with a focus on slot machines, saying that property and gasoline increases, income, sales, car, corporate and computer tax increases are "not an issue."

Federal Diary----"At the start of 2007, federal employees received an average raise of 2.2% without about half receiving a 1.8% raise. This year federal employees will see their pay rise by an average of 3.5%. About half will get a 2.99 percent raise." Social security recipients will receive a 2.3% hike in 2008.

Vice Chairman of the Montgomery County Council Phil Andrews says county employees will get a raise of, "less than 8%." Andrews has voted in three recent years to exceed the charter property tax limit. He opposes our 2008 ballot question to make it more difficult to exceed the charter property tax limit.