OK, so let me get this straight – the city wants to raise taxes on recreational marijuana sales by an additional 5 percent, but doesn’t exactly know what it wants to do with the money? In other words, city officials are telling us: “Let us have your money and trust us that we know the best way to spend it”?
No thanks.
Maybe I’m wrong here, but I remember not long ago when tax hikes typically were tied to specific proposals, and that these proposals went to a vote. People knew what they were going to be paying for before voting on it. What I am seeing now is analogous to asking the public to support a blank check. And this blank check is not petty cash, it could be close to $900,000 annually. Plenty of opportunity there to purchase another controversial sculpture, give the City Council a raise or throw another expensive retirement party, right?
I suggest the city take a good look at its bloated budget and perhaps get a haircut before asking for close to another million dollars to spend as it wishes. Perhaps the city believes that the marijuana-buying population is just an easy target. They won’t care, right? Just a bunch of stoners who, as long as they can get their weed, won’t mind?
Wrong. It doesn’t matter what demographic the city targets, it still should tie this proposed tax hike to a specific use. I’m sure there are very justifiable expenses out there, and reasonable people will probably support these. But before the city starts reaching its hand into the (edible) cookie jar, I strongly suggest it take a hard look at its own budget.
Dan Corbett
Durango
