Letter to the Editor: Let Meeker folks decide on spending

Dear Editor:
Can Meeker resist the temptation of creating bigger government?
We are in very a unique position in this community. Compared to most of the folks in America, we are rich in tax wealth yet very low in population growth (about 10 percent in 30 years), and like much of the rest of the country, the increase in family incomes around here during those same years has increased very little.
During those years, our local, state and federal governments have increased in size, and tax-funded spending has increased at a much faster rate. Our tax-funded spending has increased far, far, faster then the population and their incomes.
In Meeker, thanks to oil and gas companies and a sprawl of very nice homes that are not adding kids to our school system, we have become tax rich! We have taxpayer-funded county services other counties in our state and other communities in our country only dream about.
Because of our huge tax-funded resources, we are becoming a very, very, top-heavy tax payer, job-funded community (a 90 percent Republican community?). Remember, average incomes in our country haven’t changed much since 1999 (except for the wealthiest). Where does the money come from to operate our ever-expanding government-funded services when taxpayers don’t make any more money? Who is paying? Where does the money really come from?
But here in Meeker, we are tax rich!
We have a very well-funded recreation district (as in “recreation”), wealthier then our school district! We have a super-duper highly funded Meeker Police Department and our Rio Blanco County Sheriff’s Office has a budget of about $3.5 million a year.
Taxpayer-funded jobs are popping up around here faster then a noxious weed. Some folks even support more taxpayer-funded jobs in our community and want to build a justice center and $40 million hospital. Will that result in more tax burdens to the local taxpayers? Who pays for these things? Our broke federal government? You?
More then 40 cents of every federal tax dollar spent today is borrowed money. For us to spend huge amounts of money for something like a new hospital that, I believe, most of the people in Meeker view as an example of irresponsible taxpayer-funded spending, the same kind of spending that has put our federal government in a 18-plus trillion dollar debt.
Spending money doesn’t make people healthier. Some it even makes sick.
We have a broke school district! How can that be? It’s like the rich “right arm” doesn’t know the poor “left arm” even though they are connected to the same body.
Is Meeker going to be like Washington, D.C., where folks believe that expanding government best serves the greater population by they, the tax-spenders, choosing how to spend our tax money… rather then us?
Folks in places like Alaska and Wyoming believe that the money tax spenders want to spend is better off in the hands of the taxpayer for them to choose how to best spend their money.
Want to create economic development in Meeker? Give the tax money back to the people. Let’s try that!
Rather then building bigger government, let the taxpayers in this community decide how to spend that money. Meeker is already rich. Let’s just keep it a secret!
What do you think?
Shawn Welder
Meeker