RE: Proposition 1 Sales Tax Increase
To understand my comment you need to understand that I was Controller for the City of Corpus Christi and I understand the “money grab”. The increase in sales tax will go into a “slush fund”. Sales tax receipts to an agency like the Emergency District means there are no financial controls on what the money is spent on. As our population increases the increased sales tax will mean about 3 million dollars over the next 10 years. Experience tells me that the money will give us the highest paid Fire Chief in Texas and an employee pension plan giving retirees at 55 years old 100% of their salary as the rest of us hope for Social Security solvency. That is how these types of money grabs have worked in Texas over the last 20 years and I don’t believe this one will be any different. This grab had to be lead by the newly elected County Commissioner for our district and that person holds full responsibility for this. These type districts are “subsidiaries” of the county and county commissioners decided to take away Buda’s money plain and simple otherwise this proposition would have never made it on the ballot.
I have had need for Buda Emergency services and found the EMT poorly trained and not very knowledgeable compared to Corpus Christi EMTs. They sent a firetruck and an ambulance for a person with a broken leg. We were charged twice because they choose to send 2 EMT teams. This is just another way they do the “money grab”. I am over 65 and resent the money grab and the current economic situation it makes it even worse. More money needs to be spent on proper training and proper equipment (about $300) be kept on the ambulance.
Jack McCord
Buda
