Your Opinion: Taxation without representation

Dear Editor:

I would like to thank several people for reminding me of the upcoming vote sponsored by the Transformation Committee. I started to submit a letter a few weeks ago, but had to wait until my blood pressure came down to where I could think somewhat clearly.

The very idea that a group of unelected tax-and-spend liberals would propose a tax increase during a recession in ludicrous. Then they expect the taxpayers to bow down and go along with their feel-good scheme.

I do not recall the News Tribune publishing a complete list of the Transformation Committee members. It would be helpful to the citizens to know who these people are, their approximate ages and where they work. Also, has there been a detailed, itemized list by priority and cost estimates of the proposed projects? Or, is this a Nancy Pelosi-type proposal, "Vote for it, pass it, then we will see what is in it?"

There have only been a few projects mentioned that have had any great publicity. Of these I feel that three need more scrutiny. A trolley system which the city needs like it needs another round-about. Hello, the city already has a bus system which does not support itself. All summer I watched for a report that the former councilman and his ilk were not on Adrian Island laying out the hiking/biking trails, pit toilets and playground areas. Yet the Transformation Committee still has developing that flooded mud flat on its list of projects. Unbelievable. Converting the old St. Mary's Hospital into classrooms for Lincoln University has some merit. However, Lincoln and the hospital owners should be leading the expense of the conversation, not the Transformation tax.

Are we to understand this will be a city tax voted on by only city residents while the rest of us have no vote, only added taxes. We all know that the residents of Cole County and some of the adjoining counties make 75 percent or more of their purchases in Jefferson City.

This Transformation tax fiasco is purely taxation without representation.