No More Sheriff Funding / Jails Closed!

[zibazinski]

Looking at gun laws in my CPL class, it was interesting that the crime rate for states with strict laws was higher than those without strict laws. 1 in 33 carry in Michigan.

[Deleted]

Low tax locales can create their own vicious cycle where the people who choose to live there are poor, need more services, but vote against tax increases. We have an unincorporated pocket between two cities next to where I live. The property taxes are substantially lower than the surrounding areas and it less regulated with less services. Unfortunately that means the average income of the area has been declining as poorer people move in, businesses are shutting their doors because the local residents have less disposable income so the area has less tax revenue, and the wealthier residents are leaving for communities with more amenities.

[swamp]

May 21, 2012 9:47:21 GMT -5 zibazinski said:

Looking at gun laws in my CPL class, it was interesting that the crime rate for states with strict laws was higher than those without strict laws. 1 in 33 carry in Michigan.

Shhh, don't tell WCP that.

[Deleted]

Looking at gun laws in my CPL class, it was interesting that the crime rate for states with strict laws was higher than those without strict laws. 1 in 33 carry in Michigan.

Is it a chicken and egg thing? Do states with more trouble with crime enact stricter laws?

[Miss Tequila]

"Is it a chicken and egg thing? Do states with more trouble with crime enact stricter laws? "

Do people in states with higher crime rates fear for their safety and buy guns? I am not against guns but I do not own own (my husband has hunting rifles but no pistols). But, if I lived in an area where i felt truly unsafe (Detroit) I would most likely get a gun.

[moxie]

"the granola eaters"

^Portland? My twenty-three year old daughter went there and called me and said, "Mom, you would LOVE Portland...it's like a step back into the seventies...hippies." lol Is THAT true?

[Deleted]

Actually it's always the '90's.

[findingdeadbeats]

Skub - I don't live in Oregon. I live on the border county in CA.

The problem with the issues in our area is that I see them spreading. And, since we have less population, I think overall we have less problems here. But, things like health department and building codes used to be enforced which kept people's property values up and the trash from moving in. Since we no longer have that enforcement here, now everyone just moves in and does what they want to - and tell their friends/family who appear to be coming here to do the same.

(We have a fourth neighbor now, that's 4 this year after 10 years of no new neighbors. Clearly there is a reason?)

Imagine being in a major Bay Area city and calling 911 and no one is going to come to your aid? Here it is reasonable to be armed and plan on using a gun to defend yourself if necessary - and the space exists to do that without having collateral damage to other people and their property. However, in a city that wouldn't exactly be the case. And, in more populated areas there will be more crime and problems. (Here our biggest "crimes" are people growing and the meth folks manufacturing. When people don't have what they need to live, they get creative and start businesses........)

I think it is just a sign of the times. People think that services will always be there for them. Um, no, not so much.

[zibazinski]

Oh, please, where have you been. Illegals get more entitlements that citizens who have worked their whole lives. There was even an article in the paper yesterday how they are Coming out and proud about it. Where were the cops to haul their illegal butts away? Yes, Portland and Eugene and Ashland and whatever are def hippie areas. Birkenstocks, no make up, frumpy clothes and hair. Yuck.

[zibazinski]

Florida has reciprocal gun laws with Michigan. Why carry a gun? Because a policeman is too heavy!

[Angel!]

I find this funny. Congress is cutting down on entitlement spending by not extending the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act. But, this in turn means this county gets significantly less federal money. The folks in the county refuse to raise taxes to pay for the difference themselves. As a result their services have been cut.

A county isn't really any different from a house when it comes to budgeting. Income was reduced, therefore spending has to be reduced. I am sure that the outcome of voting down the tax levy was made very clear, but people still wanted to keep money in their pockets.

I'm not sure why anyone would expect anything differently. I wouldn't want to live there, but then I would have voted for the levy also.

[maryjane]

May 21, 2012 10:56:33 GMT -5 @findingdeadbeats said:

kept people's property values up and the trash from moving in

This term is so relative and offensive to me. Who has the right to judge other people as being less than worthless?

I am sure that if I won the lottery and moved to the Hamptons people would be mortified with the trashiness of their new neighbor despite the fact that both of my parents have doctorate degrees and I have had a lot of privileges by global standards.

[zibazinski]

Those who work and pay taxes to live in a decent area and don't want those who can't be bothered to do either ruining it for them?

[maryjane]

I work and pay taxes, yet I still don't think I have the right to use derogatory language.

I remember Shasta writing recently that she had been walking to lose weight. I doubt she would like it if I used derogatory language about overweight people. Anyone opposed to that would be right. Using derogatory language towards groups of people takes away from a conversation, making it less informative and useful for everyone.

[Angel!]

May 21, 2012 19:52:47 GMT -5 @lonewolf said:

May 21, 2012 14:37:05 GMT -5 Angel! said:

I find this funny. Congress is cutting down on entitlement spending by not extending the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act. But, this in turn means this county gets significantly less federal money. The folks in the county refuse to raise taxes to pay for the difference themselves. As a result their services have been cut.

A county isn't really any different from a house when it comes to budgeting. Income was reduced, therefore spending has to be reduced. I am sure that the outcome of voting down the tax levy was made very clear, but people still wanted to keep money in their pockets.

I'm not sure why anyone would expect anything differently. I wouldn't want to live there, but then I would have voted for the levy also.

These people are paying their taxes! The money just isn't going to the services they need or bargained for.

No they aren't. They have one of the lowest property tax rates in the country because they have been subsidized by the fed govt until now. Subsidies disappear & they are going to need to raise more money or cut services. Property taxes are far more transparent than many other taxes. Levies generally go to very specific purposes. The levy they voted on was specifically for money for the sheriff's office. Here is where the rest of their taxes go docs.google.com/viewer?url=http://www.co.josephine.or.us/Files/Statement%2520of%2520Taxes%25209x12.pdf
Each of those levies would have been voted on & approved. Their money is going exactly where they want it to. The county announced that people would be laid off & the jail would be closed without funding. People voted it down & got exactly the outcome they voted.for.

Isn't this what people want? The ability to vote for/against taxes? I'm not going to feel bad that they voted down funding for the sheriff & now have to suffer the consequences of that decision. People complain they don't have enough control over taxes, but then complain when they do have control and don't like the outcome.

[zibazinski]

The economy sucks there. What else are unemployed or underemployed people going to do? Not like they can move, most can't sell their homes. You cant pay taxes if you need to pay for things that others get for free, like food and housing.