- April 18, 2024
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+ Haggling premature; sales tax should not be renewed
Dear Editor:
The sales tax that you people voted for 10 years ago dies (best word I could think of) this year. The politicians will tell you they want to continue this tax, but this is a misrepresentation or, as we Southerners call it, a lie.
The tax you have been paying for the last 10 years and raised $58 million stops this year. What they are proposing is a new tax! According to my figures, the old tax over a 10-year period cost everyone in Palm Coast about $1,082, give or take a few hundred.
I am not an accountant. The pols are going to tell you that the tourists paid a large portion of this tax. What tourists? The ones who came to see the agricultural museum, the Princess Place, the new Town Center, the many bike paths or all the thousands of trees they planted ? Yeah, those imaginary tourists.
I’m reading in the paper that the local politicians are already fighting over how they will divide the spoils of the new sales tax. They are taking it as a given that the ignorant masses will pass the new tax. Just look at all the good they accomplished with the $58 million that was taken out of our pockets.
The trouble with this tax and the new upcoming tax is that it is not raised for a specific purpose. This is like found money: Just spend it on anything. The important thing to remember is this: Spend it all.
I have no doubt this tax will be voted in. Why? Most voters are gullible! Don’t believe me? Then explain Bill Nelson and Obama!
The School Board will tell you, “It’s for the children,” and most of you will buy it. You could give the schools all the money in Flagler County and it wouldn’t help.
The county needs the money or they will have to turn prisoners loose, and the sheriff needs a new office. Palm Coast needs the money to repair the floodwater drainage system, which they let go to hell in a hand basket when they were planting thousands of trees and building bike paths. The city said that if they don’t get the sales tax money they will impose a utility tax that will make the sales tax look like chump change!
Chicago politics comes to Palm Coast. Remember: A penny saved is a penny the crooks didn’t get.
Douglas R. Glover
Palm Coast
+ Striping on Old Kings Road is confusing and dangerous
Dear Editor:
While our city fathers have focused a lot on certain sections of our city, they are ignoring a very serious problem on the other end of town. Let me direct attention to Old Kings Road, at Farragut Lane northbound, past Frontier Drive. Any motorist has to wonder what some of the colorful stripings mean; you can find an array of black, green, faded yellow and faded white here and there.
But what in the world is that green stripe in the middle of the road supposed to mean? In daytime, one can logically assume what some of these stripings are supposed to mean, but try driving that stretch of road at night, or even worse, when it rains. It becomes downright dangerous.
I sincerely hope someone in City Hall will listen and address that problem soon. Surely, there must be others who will share my complaint.
Herb Kuhr
Palm Coast
Editor’s Note: Richard Adams, public works director for the city of Palm Coast, offered this explanation for the green stripe:
“That stretch of Old Kings Road used to be the route for an annual St. Patrick’s Day parade. Several years ago, they painted a green stripe for the event. This was supposed to be temporary but somehow, they got a hold of the wrong paint, and it turned out to be more permanent. They attempted to cover over the green with black, but a lot of the black has worn off.”
