Originally Posted by Cedwards38 (Post 613945)

Most of the time I just keep my mouth shut and read. Occasionally I chime in with some observation about a topic in this forum. But honestly, as one who spent 30 years in a public service career, I take a little offense at your statement about "wasteful bureaucrats" and feel compelled to respond. I guess I am one of those wasteful bureaucrats of which you speak. I spent a career as a public school teacher, elementary school principal, and a a statewide education department. I don't recall trying to waste your money, nor did I ever.......ever come in contact with someone else whose goal was to do that. We always tried to provide good service to the public, most of the time with meager budgets.

Yes, people want good roads, street lights, public buildings, parks, police and fire protection, armies, sanitation, health standards, etc, that government provides. They just don't seem to want to pay for it. You tell me friend, in increasing populations, with increasing public and social demands, and increasing inflation, how government budgets are supposed to continue to provide service, but at the same time be cut. It's simple arithmetic. It doesn't work that way.

You state, "They will always waste it." What? Are you serious? Remember that the next time you cash a social security check, take advantage of Medicare, vacation at a state or national park, drive on a paved four lane, or see a service man walking down the street. Remember that when you see school buses taking children to learn and back home and providing them with a hot meal and supervision all day long. Remember that when you see bridges, overpasses, hydroelectric dams, public utilities, road signs, and public universities. Remember that when you see firemen and policemen risking their lives to protect us all. Remember that when you think about this country and all the dedicated and honorable public service employees who make it run every day.

Has government ever wasted a buck? You bet, every day. And so has everyone else, including major industrial corporations, and every small business owner who ever made a payroll in every hamlet in America. They waste too, but they don't call it taxes, they call it prices and pass it on to the consumer. I'm not complaining. Thats just the way it is. You spend to grow and show progress, except in the private sector its called research and development and innovation and in the public sector its called waste.

Just stop it. Stop the government bashing. Stop the anti-tax nonsense. Do I want an impact fee in Sumter? Not particularly, but if they create one, I'll try to be constructive in seeing that it works for me too, and when it does I'll appreciate it.

Originally Posted by Cedwards38 (Post 613945)

Most of the time I just keep my mouth shut and read. Occasionally I chime in with some observation about a topic in this forum. But honestly, as one who spent 30 years in a public service career, I take a little offense at your statement about "wasteful bureaucrats" and feel compelled to respond. I guess I am one of those wasteful bureaucrats of which you speak. I spent a career as a public school teacher, elementary school principal, and a a statewide education department. I don't recall trying to waste your money, nor did I ever.......ever come in contact with someone else whose goal was to do that. We always tried to provide good service to the public, most of the time with meager budgets.

Yes, people want good roads, street lights, public buildings, parks, police and fire protection, armies, sanitation, health standards, etc, that government provides. They just don't seem to want to pay for it. You tell me friend, in increasing populations, with increasing public and social demands, and increasing inflation, how government budgets are supposed to continue to provide service, but at the same time be cut. It's simple arithmetic. It doesn't work that way.

You state, "They will always waste it." What? Are you serious? Remember that the next time you cash a social security check, take advantage of Medicare, vacation at a state or national park, drive on a paved four lane, or see a service man walking down the street. Remember that when you see school buses taking children to learn and back home and providing them with a hot meal and supervision all day long. Remember that when you see bridges, overpasses, hydroelectric dams, public utilities, road signs, and public universities. Remember that when you see firemen and policemen risking their lives to protect us all. Remember that when you think about this country and all the dedicated and honorable public service employees who make it run every day.

Has government ever wasted a buck? You bet, every day. And so has everyone else, including major industrial corporations, and every small business owner who ever made a payroll in every hamlet in America. They waste too, but they don't call it taxes, they call it prices and pass it on to the consumer. I'm not complaining. Thats just the way it is. You spend to grow and show progress, except in the private sector its called research and development and innovation and in the public sector its called waste.

Just stop it. Stop the government bashing. Stop the anti-tax nonsense. Do I want an impact fee in Sumter? Not particularly, but if they create one, I'll try to be constructive in seeing that it works for me too, and when it does I'll appreciate it.

Originally Posted by rubicon (Post 613957)

Cedwards: I do not wish to hurt your feeings nor denigrate your standing. However despite ever increasing educational costs America's standing in education against other countries is 17th. And while we do better in universities it is because of immigration and not a result from our high schooling programs.

The OP welcomed impact fees. The OP might consider that Sumter County village residents are charged a bond in addition to the land and domicle unit.
Perhaps I was misled but it is my understanding that Lake county village residents did not pay a bond.

We don't need more taxes. We need better money management by our public servants. They are quite wasteful and use our taxes to futher their re-elections. It is all getting maddening. Seniors would not be dealing with the hemming and hawing about social security and medicare if our public servants kept their hands off of the fund. Public sevrants for the most part perform like teenagers on spending steriods with a newly acquired credit card and they know how to recklessly spend our money.

I don't blame Mickelson in the least for his comments. the recent tax changes by the fed and the state of CA bring him to 60% tax rate and that is just plain obscene

Originally Posted by Cedwards38 (Post 613968)

Thanks for your response. I don't recall advocating for more taxes. I just stated that its not all "wasted." On behalf of all public servants across America (and I'm not talking about elected public servants, I'm talking about the bureaucrats referred to in the comment) I'm sorry you feel that way. You get what you pay for. I'm done.

Originally Posted by Cedwards38 (Post 613945)

Most of the time I just keep my mouth shut and read. Occasionally I chime in with some observation about a topic in this forum. But honestly, as one who spent 30 years in a public service career, I take a little offense at your statement about "wasteful bureaucrats" and feel compelled to respond. I guess I am one of those wasteful bureaucrats of which you speak. I spent a career as a public school teacher, elementary school principal, and a a statewide education department. I don't recall trying to waste your money, nor did I ever.......ever come in contact with someone else whose goal was to do that. We always tried to provide good service to the public, most of the time with meager budgets.

Yes, people want good roads, street lights, public buildings, parks, police and fire protection, armies, sanitation, health standards, etc, that government provides. They just don't seem to want to pay for it. You tell me friend, in increasing populations, with increasing public and social demands, and increasing inflation, how government budgets are supposed to continue to provide service, but at the same time be cut. It's simple arithmetic. It doesn't work that way.

You state, "They will always waste it." What? Are you serious? Remember that the next time you cash a social security check, take advantage of Medicare, vacation at a state or national park, drive on a paved four lane, or see a service man walking down the street. Remember that when you see school buses taking children to learn and back home and providing them with a hot meal and supervision all day long. Remember that when you see bridges, overpasses, hydroelectric dams, public utilities, road signs, and public universities. Remember that when you see firemen and policemen risking their lives to protect us all. Remember that when you think about this country and all the dedicated and honorable public service employees who make it run every day.

Has government ever wasted a buck? You bet, every day. And so has everyone else, including major industrial corporations, and every small business owner who ever made a payroll in every hamlet in America. They waste too, but they don't call it taxes, they call it prices and pass it on to the consumer. I'm not complaining. Thats just the way it is. You spend to grow and show progress, except in the private sector its called research and development and innovation and in the public sector its called waste.

Just stop it. Stop the government bashing. Stop the anti-tax nonsense. Do I want an impact fee in Sumter? Not particularly, but if they create one, I'll try to be constructive in seeing that it works for me too, and when it does I'll appreciate it.

Originally Posted by Bogie Shooter (Post 613973)

I think the Sumter County Commissioners do a good job keeping our taxes low and providing services.
Impact fees should not be used for building a performing arts center.
You don't belive that Mickelson pays 60% in taxes.........really!

Originally Posted by BobnBev (Post 614057)

Toll agents who work triple overtime in their final year so they collect 175% of final year salary in retirement.?????????????????????????????????

You must have made that up. Can you support that statement with facts?

Originally Posted by perrjojo (Post 614055)

Yes, I do believe that he pays 62%
Under current tax rates, Mickelson would pay 13.3 percent in state income tax and 39.6 percent in federal income tax. That's 52.9 percent combined. Medicare and Medicaid is an additional 2 percent. The new health-care levy is .9 percent on earned income and 3.8 percent on investment income.

Now figure in gasoline tax, property tax, personal property tax, sales tax, etc, etc,etc.
Each of us probably pays FAR more in taxes than we realize.

Originally Posted by Cedwards38 (Post 613945)

Most of the time I just keep my mouth shut and read. Occasionally I chime in with some observation about a topic in this forum. But honestly, as one who spent 30 years in a public service career, I take a little offense at your statement about "wasteful bureaucrats" and feel compelled to respond. I guess I am one of those wasteful bureaucrats of which you speak. I spent a career as a public school teacher, elementary school principal, and a a statewide education department. I don't recall trying to waste your money, nor did I ever.......ever come in contact with someone else whose goal was to do that. We always tried to provide good service to the public, most of the time with meager budgets.

Yes, people want good roads, street lights, public buildings, parks, police and fire protection, armies, sanitation, health standards, etc, that government provides. They just don't seem to want to pay for it. You tell me friend, in increasing populations, with increasing public and social demands, and increasing inflation, how government budgets are supposed to continue to provide service, but at the same time be cut. It's simple arithmetic. It doesn't work that way.

You state, "They will always waste it." What? Are you serious? Remember that the next time you cash a social security check, take advantage of Medicare, vacation at a state or national park, drive on a paved four lane, or see a service man walking down the street. Remember that when you see school buses taking children to learn and back home and providing them with a hot meal and supervision all day long. Remember that when you see bridges, overpasses, hydroelectric dams, public utilities, road signs, and public universities. Remember that when you see firemen and policemen risking their lives to protect us all. Remember that when you think about this country and all the dedicated and honorable public service employees who make it run every day.

Has government ever wasted a buck? You bet, every day. And so has everyone else, including major industrial corporations, and every small business owner who ever made a payroll in every hamlet in America. They waste too, but they don't call it taxes, they call it prices and pass it on to the consumer. I'm not complaining. Thats just the way it is. You spend to grow and show progress, except in the private sector its called research and development and innovation and in the public sector its called waste.

Just stop it. Stop the government bashing. Stop the anti-tax nonsense. Do I want an impact fee in Sumter? Not particularly, but if they create one, I'll try to be constructive in seeing that it works for me too, and when it does I'll appreciate it.

Originally Posted by njbchbum (Post 614132)

in new jersey, where schools are supported primarily by local municipal property taxes [with a modicum of state aid] we have:
566 towns BUT we have:
603 school districts....21 counties....AND we have:
624 school superintendent positions - some of which are supported by a schol business administrator! tell me there is no waste in education!

Originally Posted by BobnBev (Post 614057)

Toll agents who work triple overtime in their final year so they collect 175% of final year salary in retirement.?????????????????????????????????

You must have made that up. Can you support that statement with facts?