To the editor:
One of the stories on the front page of last week’s Republican was headlined, “Caribou Mil Rate set at 26.1”. What does that mean to you, the taxpayer of Caribou? Well, if you know that last year’s mil rate was 24.1, then you know that the 2011 tax rate increased by 2 mils. Not a big deal, right? Two doesn’t sound like much. But, it also means that your taxes are going up by 8.3 percent. If you paid $1,000 last year, you will pay $1,083 this year. And, if you paid $5,000 last year, you will pay $5,415 this year. And this is after the Homestead Exemption Act … that’s already figured in. When was the last time any of us got a whopping 8.3 percent pay raise?
The State and many Maine towns have taken steps to save money. Employees have been given furlough days and are contributing more to the cost of their benefits. No one wants this to happen, but it is happening in the private sector and has been for quite a while. The Council’s mantra has been, “We don’t want to cut services.” You don’t have to. The library is closing an hour earlier each day. The service is still there, the hours are different, that’s all. Furlough days don’t mean you have to close the offices completely … you can stagger the days off. It may mean someone has to wait in line a few minutes longer, but the service would still be available.
Citizens for Responsible City Management (CFRCM) presented the Council with several money-saving suggestions, every one of which was ignored. The sad fact is the administration in the city of Caribou does not have the courage to take the bull by the horns and do what needs to be done to hold the line at government spending. It’s as simple as that. It is so very easy to spend other people’s money. What is going to happen when the well runs dry?
Lately, I have had people call me and stop me on the street to complain about the taxes and other issues happening within our city. You are preaching to the choir. You need to call your councilors, stop them on the street, and tell them what you tell me. Write letters to the editor, make your opinions known. And don’t keep voting for the same people year after year.
I hear the same excuses time after time. “I have a business, I may lose customers, or there might be retaliation.” From whom?
We in CFRCM have put our businesses and personal reputations on the line to try to make Caribou a more affordable place in which to live. We have tried, and will continue to try to stop the out-of-control spending that has been running rampant for the past several years. But we need your help.
CFRCM meets every second and fourth Tuesday of each month in the Caribou Room of the Library from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Join us at our next meeting on July 12. Our meeting dates and times are posted on CaribouWatch.com.
We’ve had hundreds of people sign up as silent supporters, but now it’s time to become an active member. We need you to stand up and make your voices heard. Remember, if you don’t stand for something, then you stand for nothing.
Joan Theriault
Caribou
