The royal ruse

Sometimes I feel confident that I understand the motivations behind City Council decisions, yet today I sit feeling confused and a bit deceived.

During our last council meeting, a discussion was held to make staff's case (or was it public input?) for increased fees for water ("4 percent on base rates, 2 percent for the next increment of water use, 4 percent on the next increment and 8 percent on the next level of water use), storm water charge increase (10 percent), transportation fee increase (3 percent) and a sewage rate increase (3 percent).

Just when I thought that the council had gotten the message that parking and signage (read: bad bears get spanked) enforcement was pushing some business owners over the edge, I came to grips with the council's decision to approve of all these increased taxes, which descend over the town like the driving rains of a thunderstorm. Some are trying and succeeding at soaking us for every last penny possible.

It now seems possible that the council's apparent abandonment of the Talent/Ashland/Phoenix (TAP) water intertie plays well into the city's argument that, despite all the purported concern about the need for water conservation, we seem to have too much water and need to raise its cost to cover the conservation that is pushed upon us by the same local government. Get fined for letting your irrigation run while paying more for the water because not enough people are opening the tap.

Looks like we are all getting hosed, again.

It would not take much to imagine the following "revenue enhancements:"

"¢ Fourth of July participatory tax: The true cost of our annual parade is never reflected, as extra law enforcement, street crews, trash pickup and removal and the general crush upon Lithia Park might soon be reflected in a $5 per person charge ($2 for children under 12 and seniors) to help balance our precariously unbalanced budget. It might be prudent to set up a reserve fund should the military bill us for the fuel and time used in the annual fly-by.

"¢ Downtown bicycle parking fee: Do you think that all those green bike parking racks just flew down the flue one night before Christmas? In order to recoup for this amenity, the city could, well, charge us, say, $25 a month, for leaving our cars at home and biking cleanly to work. After all, less cars downtown translates into less parking ticket income, so, according to city logic, something must make up the difference.

"¢ Enhanced lodging charge: After I heard that the council increased this welcome to Ashland fee in order to keep up with those of Jacksonville and Medford, I had to sit down on a stray bench on the Plaza (bear with me) and mull it over. Jacksonville has a relatively small number of rooms and no meals tax. Medford has no meals tax and large parking garage sitting idle. Like the water fee increase logic, our lodging fee was increased because revenues have gone DOWN. In the real world, one lowers prices to enhance sales. In Ashland we increase rates when sales slow. It hurts when thinking about such rationalizations.

"¢ User weighted meals tax: Though 80 percent of the current meals tax goes to fund our never-ending-and-still-not-DEQ-compliant sewage treatment plant and is further funded by current fees and soon the 3 percent increase, it is never enough. Perhaps if all residents of Ashland are carded and charged an additional 5 percent for all meals consumed anywhere in the Valley, we might eventually get ahead of our effluent or at least leave a paper trail.

Our economy and the heartland are both going underwater, the cost of food is running neck-to-neck with the giant squeeze at the gas station, jobs continuously are being outsourced, medical insurance is in need of major surgery and our local government is turning over every stone in search of your last dime.

The city is dealing the cards and the rest of us are getting the royal flush.

(You may tax lance@journalist.com with your insights.)