Comments for What is fiscal responsibility and transparency? | Eastern North Carolina Now
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Bureaucrats only get real power when elected officials allow them to do so. Bureaucrats are supposed to carry out policy, not make it. There is no question that our city council is a pathetic rubber stamp. Heck, Councilman Richard Brooks is even illiterate, unable to read or write. Our present city council are nothing but yes-men. The real question is who is behind the scenes pulling the strings. Is it the mayor or the city manager, or some of both. The mayor has his fingerprints on the police surveillance of his political opponent, although the city manager was probably involved, too. It was the city manager who was lying through his teeth to try to justify the massive tax increase the city just gave us, so that would suggest he may have been the prime mover in that, but the mayor was likely a very willing accomplice.
The main thing we need to straighten out Washington is at least three competent council members who can think for themselves and not dance on the puppet strings of the mayor or city manager.
Commented: Friday, August 29th, 2025 @ 5:32 pm
By: Conservative Voter
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Nick, I hope you are realizing that all your complaints actually rest on the failures of the City Manager. We all know the Council are just cud chewing rubber stamps.
Commented: Friday, August 29th, 2025 @ 11:47 am
By: Washingtonian
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BCCitizen; As we've discussed, when you state things as they are...very plainly but with knowledge of the audience....fact has a way of shutting down any intelligent opposition.
Peace through strength😎 youtu.be
Commented: Friday, August 29th, 2025 @ 10:22 am
By: John Valley
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This shows the need for some real voter education. I am afraid that there are too many ignorant "Michaels" out there who just do not get it about what this scheming city government has done with our taxes. Throw the Rascals OUT.
If a citizen says Washington did not have a tax increase, they are just clueless. When a city politician or city bureaucrat says that, he is lying through his teeth.
Commented: Friday, August 29th, 2025 @ 9:32 am
By: Concerned Taxpayer
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John, FINALLY SOMEONE GETS IT. I have seen so many talk about the rate decrease and blame the county for their tax increase. The average taxpayer does not understand what you just put in plain English. Well done sir. Now get on Facebook and shut down the misinformation coming from all directions on how this works, lol. The City increased taxes without providing more services. It is about like when they increased the rate .02 to save for the police station. They were supposed to give it back once it was built. Did they do that? NO! So that's an extra .02 that was diverted to fund their other pet projects and misuse of tax dollars.
Commented: Friday, August 29th, 2025 @ 8:48 am
By: BCCitizen
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The "Michael Effect" is rife with people who are not competent thinkers, and then we, the self-governed, get the government we deserve ... A vapid "Michael" government.
These are serious times; the Michaels of this Representative Republic need to smarten up, and NOW, or, we could just "rethink the Poll Test route," which would make US a far stronger Constitutional Republic, or ... at least there would exist more normal, and less crazy.
Commented: Friday, August 29th, 2025 @ 8:56 am
By: Stan Deatherage
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Unfortunately, there seem to be too many Michaels in the general population. They just don't know what they don't know. It kind of makes me want to rethink the poll test route.
Commented: Friday, August 29th, 2025 @ 8:45 am
By: Van Zant
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This Michael dude is totally clueless about tax rates after a revaluation. To keep taxes the same, OF COURSE the rate would go down. The state calculates a "revenue neutral" rate that would generate the same amount of taxes. If a local government adopts a rate higher than the revenue neutral rate, it is a tax INCREASE even though the rate is still less than the previous year. To determine if there is a tax increase or not, the point of reference after a revaluation is NOT the previous year's rate but the revenue neutral rate.
The county taxed this year at the revenue netural rate. The city of Washington taxed 28% OVER the revenue neutral rate. That is a 28% tax INCREASE and it is outrageous. Maybe this lack of knowlege by Michael indicates that there needs to be more voter / taxpayer education on this subject.
Commented: Friday, August 29th, 2025 @ 7:56 am
By: John Steed
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Please..change your strategy here, man. This is like watching the grass grow.
I'm seeing a lot of numbers here but I ain't reading any actual solutions that are coming from you. Call it like it is and let the cards falls wherever. The voter recognizes that more than acronyms and figures that are based off of bulls*** numbers THEY, the Farrahkrat Uniparty, have put out. Why do think Trump has been so effective with communication? He talks to CEOs the same same way he talks to a group of job-site supervisors....in plain English. Everyone's on the same level.
Commented: Thursday, August 28th, 2025 @ 10:46 pm
By: John Valley
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