Former City Councilors organize to oppose fee on May ballot
EUGENE, Ore. - Two former Eugene City Councilors are heading up a new political committee to fight passage of a city services fee on the May ballot.
Paul Nicholson and Bonnie Bettman McCornack head the group called "Citizens for Truth, Justice and the American Way."
They say the city fee is a bad idea.
"I don't think that we should allow the city to obtain funds through blackmail, frankly," said Nicholson. "They ought to be offering us real alternatives."
"Another council can change the mix of services," McCornack said. "Another council can shut down Sheldon Pool. This council in two years could shut down Sheldon Pool."
The fee would apply per residence and per business to generate an estimated $5 million in new revenue. The money would help plug a hole in the city's budget and save a fire crew, the Sheldon swimming pool and other services, according to the city manager's proposal.
A tax is taking money from people. A fee is taking money from people. Now if you are currently in our public school indoctrination centers please understand that there really is no difference between a fee and a tax when it is compulsory, or in other words pay or you are in trouble. If they want this to be voluntary then I would suggest that the fee would be a fee.
These two counselors are the voice of REASON! Fees NEVER go away and really they are taxes disguised as "fees" - $120 a year is nothing for the upper crust-but it is a lot for the poor- we need counselors that think more progressively. Thank you Ms. Bonnie Bettman McCornackand Mr. Paul Nicholson.
User fees / taxes rarely, if ever, go away. The money set aside as a "resolution" for proper funding of (fill in the blank) is NEVER enough...ever. Only a fool would vote in support of any rate hike for any reason until they start thinning out administrative personnel and reign in the parasitic and bloated spending habitsÂ
The biggest problem I have with this one is that it is a fee in perpetuity. Anything else we vote on we are only stuck with for 5 years. THIS City Council wants a Forever Fee. $5 million per year forever with no way of getting rid of it.