Taxes

WASHINGTON — An important account in the federal Highway Trust Fund will run out of money this month, a situation that could hamper completion of road and bridge construction projects across the country, Transportation Secretary Mary E. Peters said on Friday.

"Toledo may have a $3 million to $5 million general operating fund deficit by year's end, and city officials may lay off more than a dozen employees within days to stop the red ink.

Mayor Carty Finkbeiner's administration has yet to decide which cost-saving strategies to pursue, but it is seriously considering layoffs along with voluntary and temporary work furloughs among other measures.

Carty tells us that revenue is down in Toledo. And cutbacks are coming.

One of the revenue items he talked about was the Red Light Cameras!

That the revenue was down from the cameras.

WHAT ! I seem to remember that King Carty said that it was NOT about the money or the revenue from these cameras. He said this in defending them and the additional cameras that were being put in.

More Property Taxes ! ?? Come on. A Levy was just passes in Oregon, Toledo and many other areas. Now the same areas want more. We were told that the problem was down in Columbus. And they would fix it. Did this happen? NO!

Now they want just more Taxes. NO!

We need a NO Means NO Law. That once a levy is turned down it cannot be on to vote for 2 years.

The WebSites of both Carty and Marge Brown have been updated!

http://www.cartyfinkbeiner.com/ and www.margebrown.com

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ISSUE 6 POSITION ON TAXATION
(Cleveland, Ohio) August 29, 2008
The MyOhioNow (Issue 6) position regarding the taxes it will pay should the
voters approve the constitutional amendment to permit casino gaming in one
location in Clinton County, Ohio in the November 4, 2008 election- is:
(1) It will pay a tax rate of 30% on gross casino receipts unless another

"SOUTHFIELD, Mich. - Chrysler LLC, now studying a sale of its Viper sports-car business, is following General Motors Corp. and Ford Motor Co. in looking to shed specialty vehicles and focus on main brands.

An interesting article in the Dispatch:

Columbus and other Ohio cities aren't getting their fair share of taxes for hotel rooms booked through online travel sites, according to a federal lawsuit that seeks millions in extra payments.

A fundamentalist Christian group that claims to help young people overcome drug and alcohol addiction through Bible study and prayer has given up a federal grant after Americans United for Separation of Church and State protested the funding.

Lucas County commissioners today are expected to decide whether to put a 0.16-mill, five-year additional levy on the November ballot to reopen COSI.

Yesterday, representatives from four local businesses said they would escalate their efforts to campaign for the levy — and would help the museum create new exhibits if the levy passes.

U.S. driving slid for the eighth straight month in June, making the decline more pronounced that the drop that occurred during the 1970s oil shock.

Republicans in Congress this June united to defeat a proposed windfall tax on oil companies, deriding it as a bad idea that would discourage investment in U.S. oil exploration.

Things worked out far differently in the GOP stronghold of Alaska, a state whose economic fate is closely tied to the oil industry.

Motorists reeling from record gas prices are facing additional bad news in South Dakota.

Hundreds of miles of state roads are deteriorating, and state and federal funds to pay for road repairs are declining rapidly. So, state legislators are looking for money.

The city of Toledo will sell water to Sylvania residents at a cheaper rate in exchange for a share of income tax for all new development at Flower Hospital, the mayor’s of both cities announced Monday.

Toledo Mayor Carty Finkbeiner said the agreement would bolster the city’s tax revenue.

"Over all, the report from the Government Accountability Office estimates, Iraqi oil revenue from 2005 through the end of this year will amount to at least $156 billion.

Councilman Collins report and comments about upcoming meeting with regards to the Erie Street Market.

http://toledoohioneighborhoodconcerns.com/blog/media/images/collinscorne...

The months-long battle between Toledo Municipal Court judges and Toledo city officials over the court's budget is now in the hands of another set of judges.

The seven municipal court judges filed a petition in Ohio's 6th District Court of Appeals Thursday against the city, Mayor Carty Finkbeiner, and the 12 members of city council.

Developer Larry Dillin, who has committed to the creation of $320 million in private investments - including condominiums, restaurants, and hotels - for the Marina District in East Toledo, yesterday proposed changes to the financing structure he needs the city to back.

Toledo's money problems from unemployment, overtime, and fuel costs during the first half of 2008 have helped sink the city more than $2.5 million in the red, Finkbeiner administration officials said yesterday.

At its rate of spending, the city could end the year with a $5 million deficit.

Toledo City Councilman D. Michael Collins yesterday floated the idea of doubling the city's monthly storm water assessment to drastically cut the number of years it would take to complete $44 million in improvements the city needs for storm water control.

The current $3.16 assessment is charged on Toledo water bills and generates about $8 million annually.

As mentioned on WSPD a few weeks ago:
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The city of Toledo is seeking estimates on the cost of privatizing the city's trash collection services.

Mayor Carty Finkbeiner's administration is seeking proposals on a five-year contract to collect trash in all or part of the city, starting in April, 2009, according to an announcement posted on the city Web site Friday.

"In serious consideration for ambassador to Belarus." That's the role John McCain joked that former senator Phil Gramm might have in a McCain administration. Gramm is McCain's most senior economic adviser, the one best qualified to lead the finance team of a McCain presidency. Now, however, Gramm faces political exile because he made the mistake of telling the truth.

The Wall Street Journal has taken notice of what a trainwreck this state has become, especially in the past two years:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121460691372812085.html?mod=opinion_main...

If the American economy is to recover, taxes at all levels must be lowered, economist Arthur Laffer told a Toledo audience yesterday.

Mr. Laffer, best known for the Laffer Curve and for advocating so-called supply-side economics during the Reagan administrations, spoke at the Toledo Club to more than 100 clients of Huntington Funds, a subsidiary of Huntington National Bank.