Your Opinion: Transformation plan cons taxpayers

Dear Editor:

From the date the Chamber of Commerce packed the council chamber, predictably ensuring their friends on the council voted properly, until the "transformer tax" balloting occurs, transformation warped faster than the USA Patriot Act flew through Congress. Taxpayers slaved for a year to get their citizen's petition on the ballot.

Economic repercussions from greedy tax laws are suffered by citizens' families for many years. The chamber heeds to no Sunshine Law; they'll tell taxpayers anything they wish. Federal law regulates conflicts of interest regarding the revolving door between businesses and government. Recently, chamber, council and staff decided citizens were wasting their important time and ruled thereafter. Citizens could speak only three minutes in open council sessions. How many "off the record" secret meetings or consultations have transpired regarding this chamber tale? This sounds suspiciously like a "chamber-pot plot."

When ethical business persons make a reasonable profit, they reinvest their money. Taxpayers mustn't finance giddy dreams for a last chance to reap dubious future windfall profit for businesses. There are several multi-millionaires locally; they and their associates could easily underwrite transforming for themselves if it was truly such a necessary, marvelous, profitable adventure.

The Animal Shelter set the standard for how citizens should donate. Taxpayers could invest chamber donations in jars placed on local businesses countertops. Receipts would be required, donations must be tax deductible. Chamber and friends are prohibited from jar-stuffing. Said jars would remain empty. Imagine, chamber and council begging a banker for transformation funding; full disclosure and a repayment schedule would be required. When chamber friends proclaim, "We aren't repaying anything, we can do sooo much! We want it!" they'd be spending years of quality time with psychiatrists. Transformation is as poisonous a prospectus as the Wall Street-AIG theft.

Taxpayers, you're being conned into "investing in the chamber's future" with transformation, not yours. Citizens must walk in the streets (no sidewalks) and our police are overwhelmed. Taxpayers won't receive free prison tours or rooms at conventions, far in the future.

No tax ever quietly expires when promised. Your grandkids will be paying or this extortion if you don't "Just Say No." Chamber-council business greed can't be tolerated by taxpayers. Federal and Missouri lawmakers admit new taxes aren't acceptable. The chamber doesn't care. America, Missouri and average taxpayers are broke. If taxpayers don't stop them. Chamber and friends will take every last penny; it won't be only one-half cent.

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