The county issued nearly 229,000 tickets, and warnings, in FY 2009, and collected almost $7.4 million. According to the Acting Manager, the $10 would “generate $1,520,000 in additional revenue, which would be offset by $20,000 in so-called non-personnel costs.”

The additional revenue wasn’t included in the FY 2011 proposed budget, but was advertised “to allow the County Board additional flexibility with revenue decisions for the FY 2011 budget.” How thoughtful to provide the Board with additional flexibility? Serving the County Board. of course.

Tell the Board your thoughts on whether to increase not only the above fines, but also the real estate tax rate. Write them at:

    countyboard (at) arlingtonva.us

According to the study, “Nonpaying status used to be a sure sign of poverty or near-poverty, but Congress and the President have changed the tax laws to pull much of the middle class into the growing pool of nonpayers.”

The number of “nonpayers” averaged 21% from 1950 until 1990. Since 1990, however, that percentage has increased. The Tax Foundation writes:

“Since it was enacted in 1913, the income tax code has contained provisions that exempt low-income workers or greatly reduce their income tax burden. These provisions include the standard deduction, personal exemption, dependent exemption, and the earned income tax credit (EITC). Between 1950 and 1990, the percentage of tax filers whose entire tax liability was wiped out by these provisions averaged 21 percent.

“Since the early 1990s, however, lawmakers have increasingly used the tax code instead of government spending programs to funnel money to groups of people they want to reward. Credits have been enacted to subsidize families with children, college students, and purchasers of hybrid cars, just to name a few of the most well known. In terms of tax revenue, the most significant of these socially targeted credits was the $500 per-child tax credit enacted in 1997. The 2001 and 2003 tax bills doubled the value of the credit to $1,000 and added a refundable component.”

Here’s a graph of the growth from the Tax Foundation’s study:

Sure seems the time has come to reform the tax system!

• “Adjust STAR back-office” transit “efficiencies in operations and program management practices to improve the overall cost efficiency of the local transit program.” Management anticipates minimal customer impact.
  

• Implement minor adjustments to route schedules and span of service on ART routes 61, 62, 51 and 53. Management again anticipates minimal customer impact.

Guess you don’t have to be efficient when it’s other peoples’ money you’re spending.

Norm cites this Virginian Pilot story to ask whether the bill involved a tax hike based on the following:

“Whipple's legislation was directed at online hotel booking companies such as Orbitz and Expedia.com, which book rooms at discounted rates and resell them on the Web. They now pay retail sales and hotel occupancy taxes only on the discounted price they pay the hotel - not on what they charge the customer.

“That's not fair, Whipple reasoned: A customer who books a room directly with the hotel pays tax on the full retail rate. So the Arlington County Democrat introduced a bill, SB452, requiring that the tax be computed on the full price of the room. The measure would also mandate that the tax be clearly delineated on the customer's invoice.

“The bill was approved by the Senate, 40-0, and a House of Delegates subcommittee, 10-0, advancing it to the full House Finance Committee.”

And here’s where the blindsiding comes into play. Responding to one lobbyist who claimed a similar measure has levied such a tax, Sen. Whipple said:

“It is not a new tax," Whipple countered. "The question is, what amount is it levied on? It's not complicated. It's a tax on the retail value of the room. Virginia is losing tons and tons of money because of this loophole."

Norm notes the action of the lobbyists has some folks upset, specifically Arlington County Treasurer Frank O’Leary. Here’s how the Virginian Pilot describes it:

“Arlington Treasurer Francis O'Leary, who suggested the bill to Whipple, said the committee's action will cost Virginia and its localities some $33 million in lost taxes this year - $5 million in Virginia Beach alone - at a time when the state is scrambling to plug a $4 billion-plus hole in the budget and cutting hundreds of millions from public education and health care.

“This stinks," O'Leary said. "These people are stealing our money, and then when we try to get it back, they hire high-priced lobbyists to fight us."

Guess Mr. O'Leary wasn’t at the hearing discussed in yesterday’s Growls when the government officials and their lobbyist marched to the General Assembly to lobby against taxpayers’ interest. Of course, when Arlington taxpayers travel elsewhere, local government officials in those localities happily tell those taxpayers the  taxes collected from Arlington County travelers will reduce their taxes.

The bill passed the House of Delegates 86-13 on February 4, but was defeated in the Senate on a party line vote, according to Norm Leahy blogging at Tertium Quids.

Norm also provides a video that shows several local government officials, including an official from the Virginia Association of Counties (VACo) for which Arlington County taxpayers pay about $36,000 annually, “lobbying against the interests of taxpayers, or in this case, taxpaying property owners.” The bill has “fiscal implications,” which are spelled out in the Department of Taxation’s 2010 Fiscal Impact Statement:

“This bill would have no impact on state revenues. To the extent that shifting the burden of proof to the locality results in more appeals, this bill may increase the costs to localities of defending local tax appeals. To the extent that shifting the burden of proof to the locality results in more successful appeals, this bill may result in a decrease in local tax revenues.”

Although the shifting of the burden of proof may increase the cost of defending appeals, it’s seems the higher responsibility of the local government should be to correctly assess a taxpayer’s property. Consequently, it was disconcerting to watch local government officials lobbying against the interests of taxpayers.

While visiting the Tertium Quids blog, you can join the Tuesday Morning Group and/or signing up for the TQ Email Updates. And for anyone who believes the claim of the VACo lobbyist that the assessment process is "user-friendly," please contact ACTA.

Both Virginia Senators Mark Warner (D, score of 11%) and Jim Webb (D, 13%) received an F grade. Scores less than 16% received an F, which NTU describes as Big Spender. The average score for Democrats in the Senate was 9% and the median score was 6%.

Arlington County’s other member of Congress, Rep. Jim Moran (D). also received an F with a score of 2%. In fact, Moran scored lower than Virginia Representatives Gerald Connolly (D) with 6% and Bobby Scott (D) with 4%. The Democratic average in the House was 8% and the Democratic median was 4%.

Communicate with your Congressional representatives:

• Senator Jim Webb (D) -- write to him or call (202) 224-4024

• Senator Mark Warner (D) -  write to him or call (202) 224-2023

• Representative Jim Moran (D) -- write to him or call (202) 225-4376

• The Manager’s Office would eliminate one of the six issues each year of The Citizen. That plus reducing the number of brochures and flyers printed would save an estimated $27,180. Why not just  eliminate the cost of printing and postage, and send The Citizen electronically? For those few people who affirm they don’t have e-mail available, paper copies could be continued for a few more years. So instead of saving $27,180, Arlington’s taxpayers could save over $100,000 annually.

• The Acting Manager proposes some “transit service adjustments,” -- described as “minor” and the impact as "minimal" -- to the “route schedules and span of service on ART routes 61, 62, 51 and 53.” These “minor” adjustments would save an estimated $54,000 annually. Why wait to implement them until FY 2011? Why not implement them immediately?

When it’s taxpayers money they’re dealing with, it must be difficult for the county worthies to act quickly.

For the complete list of proposed FY 2011 budget reductions, see the County Manager’s Message in the FY 2011 proposed budget.

“Forty-two heavily redacted pages detail the antics of Diane Hartmann, the VA's director of national programs and special events. In this role, her primary duty was to coordinate rehabilitative events for disabled veterans, but, according to the report, Ms. Hartmann had other interests. For example, Ms. Hartmann allegedly spent her work time coming up with strategies that would contribute to a successful grand opening event for a friend's new business. Among the files investigators say they found on her government-issued computer were marketing plans, invitation letters, mailing lists and advertising flyers for this private event.”

The Times editorial closes with:

“Most Americans would consider a salary of $155,500 (not counting bonus) to be a godsend, especially in such a troubled economy. Although she was making triple the median household income, that apparently wasn't enough loot for Ms. Hartmann. Investigators recommended that she be forced to pay back $26,704.48 in extra benefits she appropriated. That was the harshest penalty suggested.

“The scariest aspect of this story is how little coverage it has received. In official Washington, misconduct of this sort among so-called public servants is considered business as usual. Little thought is given to being responsible stewards of public funds. But if lying, destroying evidence and misappropriating public funds don't constitute a crime, then the laws need to be rewritten. Plundering government employees should, at the very least, be fired on the spot for putting themselves above their duty.”

Ah, the wonders of bureaucrats. And there are people who want Washington to run the nation’s health care system?

Let’s take a closer look at the cuts being proposed by the Manager. Some make you wonder why they weren’t made years ago. For example, “Reduce a number of non-personnel expenditure budgets in travel, operating supplies, memberships, training, telephones, unclassified services, postage, and operating equipment” in the Commonwealth Attorney’s office. Or eliminating “the planner position supporting the Neighborhood College program and the County Board’s Walking Town Meetings, and the non-personnel funds for Neighborhood College ($20,000).”

The two lists, which together run to 35 pages, are in the County Manager’s Message section at the beginning of the FY 2011 proposed budget, and can be found here.

Today's Wall Street Journal explains why the Post has its panties in a bunch:

"The Senate tied itself in knots Monday as it tried to get around a single lawmakerl's objection to a spending bill, a showdown that has become emblematic of capital's partisan gridlock.

"Sen. Jim Bunning (R, Ky) again blocked a $110 billion bill that would have extended unemployment benefits and other programs after halting its progress last week. And on Monday, the impact of his blockade started biting, with the the expiration of benefits t o 100,000 peoplel and the suspension of 41 transportation projects across the country.

"Mr. Bunning is holding things up by objecting to a "unanimous consent" request to advance the bill quickly, a routine maneuver for moving legislation forward that requires all senators to go along."

“There comes a time when 100 senators are for something that we all support. If we can't find $10 billion to pay for it, we're not going to pay for anything. We will not pay for anything fully on the floor of the U.S. Senate. Now, he said I only offered one way to pay for this. That's untrue. I offered more than one way. I negotiated with the Leader -- the Leader's staff, rather, and we had worked out two-week extension to $5 billion with a different pay-for. The debt that we have arrived at , even the head of the Federal Reserve Bank, Chairman Bernanke, said it's not sustainable. It's unsustainable. What does that mean to the American people, to the same people that are struggling to pay their bills, that are on unemployment, that could have been covered had the Baucus-Grassley bill been considered, and could have been covered not for 30 days but for three months?”

What Bunning is trying to do is to get Congress to pay for legislation it passes rather than add to the nation's debt and thus passing on the cost of the bill to our children and grandchildren. Unfortunately, that point seems lost on the Post’s elite reporters and editors.

For additional views on what Sen. Bunning is trying to do, here’s a National Public Radio story. In addition, Fox News reports a story with this subtitle: “Kentucky Sen. Jim Bunning, a lame-duck Republican whose gruff, irascible style even rubs his fellow party members the wrong way, is not only blocking an unpaid stopgap bill to extend jobless benefits, but also creating political theatre to the dismay of Republicans and to the delight of Democrats.” This ABC News story may be what originally stirred the pot.

HT WMAL 630 AM's Chris Plante

The budget also contains $16.22 million in budget reductions. The Manager indicates that nearly every department, court and constitutional office is impacted. Eighty-seven positions are being eliminated, and no step increases or COLAs are being approved.

In public safety, some proposed cuts involve reducing community policing by 50%; reducing personnel staff;  and reducing other staff. The Sheriff’s department would reduce three deputy sheriffs and three non-uniform support personnel. In the Fire Department, the Manager proposes eliminating a heavy rescue unit, a liaison with OEM, and eliminating a deputy director.

The libraries will be open 372 hours a week, a reduction of 73 hours. Most branches will be closed one day each week. Park maintenance will be reduced. For further information on  proposed budget reductions, see the first section of the budget labelled the “County Manager’s Message.” Cuts are pretty evenly divided by dollar amount, including 40 under $25,000, 33 between $25,000 and $50,000, 42 between $50,000 and $100,000, and 33 over $100,000. In addition, there is a long list of so-called “Tier II” options, including 13 revenue options totaling $5.5 million and 20 expenditure options totaling $3.9 million.

Finally, it’s good to read that “funded FTEs” have decreased from 3,822 in the FY 2009 revised budget to 3,718 in t he FY 2010 revised budget to 3,623 in the FY 2011  proposed budget. Further information on proposed spending, as well spending reductions, is available at the Department of Management & Finance FY 2011 webpage. The graph below, from the DM&F website, shows the distribution of $941.8 million in general fund revenues and  expenditures.

    ~ Mark Steyn

HT National Review Online

*Link added to the original.

The general fund revenues in the Manager’s proposed FY 2011 budget is estimated to be $941.8 million dollars, down from $961.8 million in FY 2009 (actual) and $946.8 in FY 2010 (proposed). The decrease from 2010 to 2011 is 0.5%. General fund revenues come from three sources: first, real estate taxes, personal property taxes, BPOL tax, sales tax, meals tax, and several other taxes. comprising $772.0 of the $941.8 million; second, licenses, permits, fines and revenues from the state and federal governments, totaling $160.3 million of the $941.8 million; finally, there is the prior year balance of $9.6 million of the $941.8 million general fund balance. (amounts from section A -- budget summaries of the FY 2011 proposed budget)

Except for real estate taxes, the other tax categories were up or down by small amounts, ranging from an increase of 4.4% to a decrease of 4.2%. The real estate taxes at the current rate are estimated to decrease by 7.1%. Since the real estate tax made up almost two-thirds of all tax revenues, that 7.1% decrease is significant. Following the Board’s budget direction, the Manager’s proposed budget would add $36.3 million to the general fund by raising the real estate tax rate by 6.7 cents.

Overall, licenses, permits, fees, fines, etc. are estimated to increase 3.1%. The two largest categories to increase were “charges for services” by 4.4% and revenue from the state increasing by 3.6%.

The Manager also proposes increasing the water/sewer rate by $0.54 per thousand gallons, i.e., from $11.20 to $11.74. In addition, the Manager provides several tax and fee increases “to the County Board but NOT included in the County Manager’s base budget,” e.g., increasing parking ticket fines by $10 and increasing the decal fee from $25 to $33.

Contact the Arlington County Board with your questions.

CAGW provided the following justification for naming the two government officials responsible for the 2010 census:

“The $2.5 million 30-second “Snapshot of America” Super Bowl Census Bureau ad was rated as one of the three worst ads, and the ongoing media campaign continues to confuse TV viewers and outrage taxpayers.  The ads are just the latest, and most high profile, missteps of Census officials.  The Bureau must deliver a full count of the population to the President by December 31, 2010.  The count is critical to both the allocation of federal resources over the next decade and the integrity of the nation’s electoral process, since it will form the basis of future congressional redistricting activities.  The entire process is expected to cost taxpayers more than $14 billion.

“A February 16, 2010 Commerce Department Inspector General (IG) audit concluded that the effort is plagued with software and information technology glitches and abusive spending practices.  On March 5, 2008, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) designated the 2010 Census as a high-risk program, at risk for significant waste, fraud, and abuse.  Unfortunately for taxpayers, the GAO has been proven correct.

“Secretary Locke and Director Groves have failed to oversee and control the Census.  The Bureau spent $1 billion to develop a handheld device to be used by Census workers as they go door-to-door to cull data from households which fail to return their paper questionnaires (expected to be about one-third of the 130 million households receiving the forms next month by mail).  The handheld computer failed spectacularly, the program was halted, and the aborted process delayed the development of a back-up paper-processing system.  The February 16, 2010 IG audit reveals that a key software component of that paper-processing system is also riddled with deficiencies.

“The audit also reviewed the performance of the 140,000 temporary census workers who went block by block in the fall of 2009 to update the Bureau’s maps and found that costs had ballooned by $88 million, or 25 percent, over the original estimate of $356 million.  The bureau spent $3 million on more than 10,000 census workers who pocketed $300 each to show up for training sessions, but were either fired or quit before they performed any work.  Another 5,000 workers worked for a day or less but were still paid $300.”

And they want to run health care? Sheesh!

"When government policy is mentioned at all in handing out blame, it is usually blamed for not imposing enough regulation on the private sector. But there is still the question whether any of these explanations can stand up under scrutiny."

   ~ Thomas Sowell

HT Real Clear Politics