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PHOTO BY GREG WALTERS |
A Christmas Gift
from Us to You!
from Us to You!
This week's advert features Edgar the Dragon . . . Enjoy!
USE THIS LINK . . .
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
The way to crush the bourgeoisie is
to grind them between the millstones
of taxation and inflation.
If you drive a car, I’ll
tax the street
If you try to sit, I’ll
tax your seat
If you get too cold, I’ll
tax the heat
If you take a walk, I’ll tax
your feet
The Beatles
The Taxman Cometh!
Next Tuesday the Raytown Board of Aldermen
will consider new fee and license schedules for certain activities within the
city of Raytown. According to the documentation provided by the City
Administrator’s office, the fees cover Business Licenses for banks, adult
entertainment establishments, tattoo parlors , massage parlors and body painting studios.
At this point, I shall digress from the
narrative of this story. You may have noted the text speaks of licenses and
fees. The title is about taxes. Let’s be fair about this . . . if someone takes
money from you to help pay for community services, it is a tax.
Use any euphemism you want. A “fee”, a “license”,
CID, TIF, it is still a tax. These taxes are designed to be paid by the end
user. The proprietor of a business merely passes them through the end user.
My favorite on the list of “new fees” is a fee
requiring a licensed business owner to pay another fee to give a product away
for free!
Like many of you, I decided to stay in last
night, watch the Kansas City Chiefs play in a very lopsided football game against the Denver Broncos, and the watch some old Christmas movies. After all, it is that time of the year!
Stricter Enforcement
of Tethering Laws BY PAUL LIVIUS
Tuesday night the Raytown Board of Aldermen will consider language change that will tighten up rules concerning the tethering of animals in Raytown.
The language change (new language shown in bold type, stricken language in red) is shown below:
Sec. 6-103 (c) It shall be unlawful for an owner, keeper or harborer of an animal to tether the animal outside except when the owner, keeper or harborer of the animal is
The motion
was approved by the Committee and sent forward to be considered by the entire
Board of Aldermen.
Alderman
Walters said, “I believe the unlimited tethering of animals in yards is both
cruel and dangerous. The proposed ordinance will solve both of those problems.
It is a good compromise . . . a good solution for both the pets and their
owners.”
Chairman
of the Committee, Bill VanBuskirk , scheduled the first reading of the amended
ordinance to be held on December 17th.
BY GREG WALTERS |
Electronic Billboard at
City Hall Carried Over (again!)
A
controversial proposal to erect a $40,000 electronic billboard at Raytown City
Hall appears to have been shelved by city staff. At last Tuesday’s meeting City
Administrator Damon Hodges requested the Board carry over the item over until the
January 7th meeting.
Hodges
told the Board he wanted to meet with the sign company to hopefully “provide a
better proposal” and then bring it back to the Board.
Alderman
Bill VanBuskirk asked if the $40,000 price tag would remain. Mr. Hodges replied
the amount to spend may change.
It has
been suggested the money could be used at a higher traffic location in Raytown.
Some have suggested a monument sign, similar to those used in other area
cities, welcoming motorists to Raytown.
The use of
$40,000 to place an electronic billboard at City Hall has recently come under
public ridicule. Some have gone so far as to suggest better uses for the money.
Though he has not made any public announcements, Mr. Hodges has indicated there
are other proposals to be considered.
They may
be only four months, but these twin girls show the bond they developed long before
they were born. Too young to crawl, they still manage to show their affection
for each other. Place them on blanket apart from each other and they will somehow wiggle
their way to be back together.
Lily and Maya are looking forward to their first Christmas.
Lily and Maya are looking forward to their first Christmas.
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