Well, let’s hope the flurry of storms we’ve seen in these parts over the last two weeks is the last Ole Man Winter will pull on us this season, sweets. As Iyam writing this week’s missive, the temps are the highest they’ve been in three weeks, and Cobina’s lumbago has finally taken a rest. Of course, we ain’t sayin’ March is going out like a lamb jest yet, and we’ve seen plenty o’ snow in April. Let’s jest hope it is the beginning of the end o’ winter, that’s all.
Here in the Asylum by the Sea, we’re all on pins and needles to find out when herroner is gonna propose her new budget. As we head past the Ides of March – witch is Friday – we can see that the days are getting shorter wherein she can make her annual address.
Sammy Bluejay was fluttering about the Actors Colony, and perched himself outside the thoid floor. He said that the work is movin’ apace toward finalizing the budget, and it wouldn’t be surprising to find that a small increase in the mill rate is gonna be part o’ that package.
Remember the MARB (Municipal Accountability Review Board) has kind o’ dictated through the Five-Year Plan that the city’s mill rate be increased to 40 and that the maximum be allowed on cars and other property. Already the Tax Assessor has sent out notices to pert near all the businesses that we know about, lettin’ them know that their assessment has been upped 10 percent.
Here at the papyrus for the thoid year in a row we got setch a notice – an easy way to increase revenue. Y’see, hon, under state law, the assessor can up yore tax bottom line by 10 percent without leavin’ his or her office. So, municipal governments do that on personal property cuz they can and it’s a good way to add to their bottom line. Is it moral? No. But who says morality has anything to do with it.
In our office we still have desks that we got back in 1997, yet the assessment on those things has gone up, not down — jest so there can be more on the levy. Other businesses are getting it, too, jest as we sez.
There’s another thing that’s happening. We know of one or two businesses that filed forms and had them sent over via the US Postal Service. They’ve received letters saying their forms have not been received and they’ve been fined. Except dates don’t jibe, letters dunning them are sent one day after letters alerting them of missing paperwork, and, of course, it’s all on the taxpayer to prove a negative. Tax Assessing and Collection are the only places where incompetence is the fault of the taxpayer, not the professional involved.
So, circling back, we are waiting for the announcement o’ herroner’s budget address. So far, no mention of it – and we get all the pertinent info from the thoid floor, lemme tell yew.
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Whilst we await that, we’re still awaiting woid o’ when things are gonna start percolating over at the Haven site. The wag was here t’other afternoon and we were talking about the fack that more than a month ago businesses in the area were alerted that work was gonna begin any time now. We’ll we’ve passed that and are no into that limbo where plans go to die.
The wag reminded us that the developers were awaiting a clearance from the Dept. of Transportation for something or t’other, but we were told that bit o’ red tape had been handled and things were gonna start some time after March 1. Well, like we said above, the Ides of March are Friday, and nary a spade o’ dirt has been overturned over there excep’ for the former house that was set afire three weeks ago.
Jest when things are gonna happen over there is anyone’s guess. We can’t believe the developers want things to hang the way they are, cuz they’re now payin’ for security details to watch over the four blocks o’ boarded up buildings so that we have no more fires.
We shall see what transpires in the next week or so, but I wouldn’t be one to hold my breath waitin’ for things to get going. One could have some very dangerous effecks from setch a venture. That’s for sure.
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Well, it’s nice to see that local resident Jay Barrett got his wish, and Mr. Donald Trump called the man last week. It was a big item in these parts. And, in a nice show of nonpartisanship, it was his sister, Bridget Hoksie, that arranged the call.
Mr. Barrett, who will be the subjeck we hope of a profile in these pages, is sufferin’ from a disease and was hoping that one of the things he could do is talk to the President, whom he supported. We hafta say, we think it’s great that a busy many like the Prez took time out to call him. I guess all that nasty talk about him is just that – nasty talk.
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Hereabouts, there is a real brew-ha-ha comin’ up over the new governor’s idea to put tolls into the state. And now, the Demmies in the General Assembly are runnin’ cover for him. Martin Looney – who has never met a tax he didn’t like – sez that anyone who thinks there aren’t gonna be tolls should be fitted for a padded cell.
Effen that’s the case why are we goin’ through the motions of public hearings and setch. The Demmies have made up their mind, and now they’re not even coverin’ for the fack that the money will be used just for roads and bridges. They let the cat outta the bag when it was said that the “state needs the cash” and that means that the tolls will be just another cash cow for them to continue to spend and spend and spend. Meanwhile, people are leaving the state in droves.
Jest like Lowell Weicker lied to the public about the state income tax 25 years ago – how it was gonna give the state all he cash it needed and stop budget battles, neither of which is true – Lamont lied to people and said he was not in favor of it. Don’t think this is over. These people are gonna spend us into oblivion. The only thing that might save the state is bankruptcy.
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Meanwhile we see that local yokel Rep. Dorinda Borer hosted a hearing on one of the woist ideas that has come down the pike: early voting. States all over the country are havin’ trouble with this, but Connecticut and the usual suspecks in the Demmy party think it’s a great idea.
We were wonderin’, effen this goes through, does that mean the buses that are usually seen around polling places in various cities to dump off voters, will they be a thing of the past? We remember a few times in the last few years wherein buses of voters were dropped off jest before 8 peeyem, and an emergency order got to keep the place open.
This is voter fraud waiting to happen, and they won’t even hafta work for it.
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With that bit o’ chatter, I’ll close mitt luff und kizzez,