OPINION: Blood from turnips

Unemployment figures reached their highest level in 26 years during the last quarter, and economists expect the rise to continue. Throughout Colorado Springs and the United States, hard-working taxpayers are losing income to unpaid furloughs, layoffs and pay cuts. In greater Colorado Springs alone, it is estimated some 25,000 people are out of work. Unprecedented federal spending, so far, hasn't helped.

In the midst of this economic drama, Colorado Springs City officials continue their relentless quest to get blood from a turnip. While others are getting by on less, City Hall wants a raise.

City officials asked voters in April to extend a property tax that is set to expire at the end of this year, giving residents tax relief. Voters overwhelmingly said no. The tax originally was in place to pay for improvements to Powers Boulevard. It has done its job, and it is time for the tax to vanish. Voters told the city they would like to regain personal control of that money. They wanted less from City Hall, and more personal freedom to control their own cash. If city leaders are contemptuous of this, and consider the voters naïve, so be it. City Hall doesn't belong to politicians and city staff. It belongs to the people who pay taxes and vote.

It was the second time in six months that local voters said "no" to new local taxes, and therefore "yes" to less from city and county government. And less they have received.

City officials have locked public restrooms, installing signs that explain their financial inability to keep them open. They have cut back on watering parks. This was supposed to turn the parks brown for all to see, but rain has deluged us. They nixed the July 4 fireworks display, explaining an inability to afford police and fire protection for the privately funded event. So far, taxpayers haven't revolted and they've barely complained.

On July 4, residents ventured to other nearby fireworks displays, which were easy to find.

The message is clear: citizens of Colorado Springs want less, at this difficult juncture, from city government.

But city officials seem incapable of embracing this fact, regardless of election results. In May, just after voters said no to extending the expiring tax, City Council members told City Manager Penelope Culbreth-Graft to propose options for getting voters to say yes.

She's supposed to present her ideas July 13, so voters can be badgered once more with this question in November.

The city's Sustainable Funding Committee plans to go before City Council on July 27 to present 17 ideas for wringing more money out of the taxpayers. They suggest possible new taxes for smokers, cell phone users, property owners, a head tax for employees who work inside city limits, new automobile registration fees, a new special tax on alcohol, a doubling of the lodger's tax and more. What part of record-setting recession do they not understand?

One member of the funding committee, former state Sen. Andy McElhany, thinks all the proposals are bad, saying: "It's just very bad policy to raise taxes in a recession."

That's just good common sense. City leaders should wait this one out, perhaps finding revenue through the liquidation of assets including Memorial Hospital and Colorado Springs Utilities. Rather than proposing taxes, city officials should continue their quest to eliminate expenses and downsize local government, which is not the source of our great lifestyles in Colorado Springs. It is hard to imagine city leaders who hand out pink slips to low-ranking employees, and lock public restrooms, while continuing their lavish subsidization of organized youth recreation - valuable activities which should be funded entirely by parents.

Thousands of hard-working people in Colorado Springs struggle to feed their families in these hard times. New taxes, in any form, will only increase their pain. City leaders would serve their constituents best, at least for now, by serving them less.

 Editor's note: The third paragraph has been corrected to reflect that the expiring tax is a property tax.