Lake County PAC's and Candidates File Spending Reports

The PAC's in Lake County all raised and spent money with one goal: to take money from the voters.

YOU HAVE TO LAUGH AT THE WILlOUGHBY HILLS LEVY'S PAC NAME: SAFETY FIRST.

BWA HAHAHAHAHA!


Safety first, that's really something.

That tax hike in Willoughby Hills was about safety?

So, if the levy didn't pass Willoughby Hills would have been unsafe?

NO.

The real effect of Willoughby Hills not getting that levy passed is this: police and fire force salaries and benefits would not have gotten raised as much coming up here in the next budget or so.... Bob Weger and some on City Council would have welched on their promise to unions to get them raises after taking a "freeze" last year.

Safety first.  Yeah right.

It's never about your safety.  It's about raising revenue so public employees can get more money (i.e. pay, bennies, etc.).  It's about deals cut by mayors and city council (or, trustees and the like).

It's not about your safety.

Hard Hitting Congressional Campaign Video

This video is hard hitting.  We wish we could insert Mayor Bob Weger into this video to give it a local spin, or Taxn' Trustee Chris Galloway, or Willoughby Eastlake Schools Superintendent Keith Miller, or Lakeland's Morris Berverage.

Calling each of them "the tax man" would fit too!

Hide your wallets, hide your paychecks, hide your _________;  (insert Bob Weger or Keith Miller, or etc.) is coming to tax you! 

Tax Watch: Your wallet will be getting lighter!

It just doesn't end, does it?  Remember when you were a kid and you looked forward to getting mail...then at some point opening the mail box became scary?  Now, its just bills...bills...bills...requests for documentation, and GLOSSY MAILERS OF STEVE LATOURETTE AND BOB AUFULDISH TELLING YOU TO VOTE FOR A LEVY WHICH WAS ALSO ENDORSED BY BOB WEGER AND DAVE ANDERSON (I.E. THE DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES LEVY MAILER)?

We have told you about various money grabs around Lake County, like Taxn' Trustee Chris Galloway's and Trustee Chuck Klco's handout to the Lake County Sherrif to what the Sherriff is mandated to do (i.e. police townships).

We have more money grabs to talk about (later), but need to tell you what's coming down the pipe now.

DOUBLE DIPPN' SUPERINTENDENT KEITH "MONEY BAGS" MILLER and the Willoughby-Eastlake School Board are asking for more money.  "Money Bags" Keith Miller and Treasurer Cliff Reinhardt are getting good at asking for more money.

Case in point, "Money Bags" Miller likes to brag about the one year wage freeze he negotiated with WES' bargaining units...then wham! Months later "Money Bags" gets a levy passed will reward the unions.

Side note:  Is a similar trick being played in Willoughby Hills?  Wasn't there a wage freeze negotiated with safety forces?  Pay back should be coming due soon on that one!

Today we learned that the Lake County Commisioners will be placing a levy on the ballot to support Morely Library.

This is getting depressing...let's finish later.

The Taxes are Coming: Lakeland Levy, Township "Safety" Levy, and a Willoughby Hills Income Tax __________ (fill in the blank).

The hands getting ready to reach into your pockets are getting numerous in Lake County.

Let's see, to start we have the Lakeland levy that will increase by 400%, Taxn' Trustee Chris Galloway's (& Trustee Chuck Klco's and Trustee Jeanette Crislip's) "safety" levy, and...that's right...the Willoughby Hills income tax increase--no wait credit--no wait tax legislation reform--income tax decrease for some, but not others....

Here's what we will do for now.  When we talk about the Willoughby Hills income tax increase--no wait credit--no wait tax legislation reform--income tax decrease for some, but not others, we will refer to as

the Willoughby Hills Income Tax _______.

Lakeland wants to "replace" the $11 per $100, 000 of valuation they get with...get this...a $44 per $100, 000 levy.  Taxn' Trustee Chris Galloway, Trustee Chuck Klco and Trustee Crislip are trying to get Lake County Township residents to pay more for something they are legally entitled too: protection from The County Sherriff.

Last but not least, our friends in Willoughby Hills are at it again!  After swinging and missing this past spring/winter the Willoughby Hills City Council and Mayor have started their campaign for a Willoughby Hills Income Tax ________.

At least this time Mayor Weger and Willoughby Hills City Council heeded our advice: work with the News-Herald...get the News-Herald to do stories on how you cut everything you could...then go after the money!  Mayor Weger has not seen a tax increase he does not like.   Weger has supported every tax increase that could affect Willoughby Hills.

Will Weger and City Council get their Willoughby Hills Income Tax ________ this time?

So sad.

Here's something funny: on June 23rd we tried to get Candidate Dave Fiebig to realize that he needs to pound Liberal Lorraine Fende on taxes...then comes June 24th...a Willoughby Hills Income Tax ______ being considered.

Willoughby mayor says cities still have to provide in down economy - The News-Herald News : Breaking news coverage for Northern Ohio

Willoughby mayor says cities still have to provide in down economy - The News-Herald News : Breaking news coverage for Northern Ohio

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More on this tonight.  It's ironic that the two local Mayors, Anderson and Weger, that supported the MR/DD levy are featured in stories about funds, costs, etc.

Below is a table taken from Willoughby's FY 2008 budget.  This is the most recent information available online on Willoughby's website.  Look at FY 2008 and see if there isn't a whole category that can be cut.

Willoughby Budget Table 2008

A cursory inspection of the table in the above PDF document will reveal that in the Fiscal Year 2008 the City of Willoughby spent $2.3 million on what the Finance Director labeled "leisure time activities."

Bet your bottom dollar the City of Willoughby did not come close to making up that $2.3 million in green's fees at the Golf Course, pool passes, etc.  That's means the City of Willoughby spent the lion's share of $2.3 million on "liesure time activities."

A City spent $2.3 million on leisure time activities?  So let's get this straight.  Dave Anderson says that Cities still have to supply the same services despite the recession and funds drying up.  But, he spent $2.3 million on leisure time activities?

At least Willoughby Hills cut the whole recreation budget.

Tax Levies Steal Disposable Income

The News-Herald ran a telling article over at News-Herald.com today.  Brandon C. Baker lamented in "Down Economy Means Fewer Jobs" there are fewer jobs for the kiddies at small businesses and local municipalities.

It's ironic that Baker included quotes from Mayor Bob Weger.  Ironic?  Yes.  Mayor Weger endorsed the MR/DD levy that just passed.  That levy will gobble more of our disposable income.  That's less money for us to spend at Scooter's World Famous Hotdog (a business in the story) meaning that the owner has less money to hire people.  We had to chuckle when Mayor Weger pointed out that Willoughby Hills has such a low income tax at 1.5%.  Chuckle?  Yep.  Mayor Weger had supported an income tax increase proposed by Willoughby Hills Council earlier this year.  Following the logic here Mayor Weger probably supported the Willoughby-Eastlake School and Library Levies.

So, Mr. Mayor--with all these levies passing and our disposable income being stolen--do you really think we are going to have the cash to go out and spend at small businesses like Scooter's Dawg Shop?

It was good to see that Mayor Weger pointed out that spending stopped six months ago and that the unions had to agree to wage freezes.  Also, he pointed out that looks like wage freezes will be in order for next year.  Sounds like a plan!!!!

It's also good to see that the the recreation department was cut from Willoughby Hills budget, according to the article. Good move Willoughby Hills!  Recreation is not an essential function of government.  Recreation departments could probably be cut from every budget.

Let's summarize a few things here.  First, the tax levies supported by Mayor Weger are BAD BAD BAD for the economy.  These tax levies steal disposable income that could be better spent by us.  Second, it looks like Willoughby Hills started to make appropriate cuts: no wage increases, cut the recreation department, etc.

However, we have to believe that this may be being used to set the stage for another attempt at raising the income tax.  Let's hope not!