Free Keene

Last week I picked up a copy of the projected 2006-2007 operating budget for the city of Keene. Although the 392 page, one and a half inch thick, spiral bound volume is going to take days of study to fully understand, the first thing that jumped out at me were the salaries of government workers. Department heads are being paid huge salaries upwards of $90,000 and benefits many tax payers can only dream of. Since when was working for the government a way of getting rich?
City workers are working for the people, right? Why then is it that the majority of the people are making less than what some of their servants are making? While residents are working to pay mortgages, city property tax, rent, or just keep food in the refrigerator, the city assessor is making $83,174 annually, plus thousands in benefits and retirement packages. Who pays for all this? All Keene tax payers, including those who are struggling to make ends meet.
This is why we need a change. The current city council has allowed the budget to grow larger and larger year after year, with no sign of slowing. It is no wonder why property taxes are so high. It is no wonder why many poor people can’t afford to pay rent. In my mind the solution is simple. Cut spending wherever it has grown, starting with the salaries of overpaid bureaucrats. Tax payers should not be employing individuals who make more than they do. Welfare for the upper-middle-class is senseless, and it is not what this country was founded on.
Making changes will take time, but there is one thing I can count on until then. If I can’t afford to go on a vacation this year, I can rest assured that my tax dollars are going to someone who can.

Toby