Taxing Public Lands

There's no denying it. Most Americans are feeling an economic pinch. And, when dollars are tight, families (and everyone else for that matter) look at taking vacations that aren't likely to take quite as big of a bite out of the family budget.

Vacations a little closer to home start looking very attractive. Vacations like camping in a National Park, or boating on a lake on federal lands. These shouldn't cost too much, right? Wrong! The Recreation Access Tax just keeps on increasing:

The U.S. House of Representatives has decided to take a serious look at the much-criticized implementation, if not over-implementation, of the Federal Lands Recreational Enhancement Act (FLREA), This is the law that has saddled us the pandemic of new and ever-increasing recreation fees to enter and use our public lands, which is why it’s called RAT, for Recreation Access Tax, by its distracters.

It's about time. This is NOT a partisan issue. We already work four months of every year to pay for our government. Should we really have to pay more and more every year to pay to enjoy the PUBLIC lands our taxes are already supporting. I don't think so.

Three Letter Words

The next time you hear about the government proposing the creation of a new "authority" to deal with, well, with anything, you should call your legislator and tell them to just say, "NO." Government's tax and then the spend. It's what they do. Government created Authorities assess fees and then they increase fees. It's what they do.

TAX = FEE

You don't believe me? Well, here is a case in point of how a government created Authority creates a fee that ultimately becomes a tax on you and me (subscription):

Homes and businesses in Mesa del Sol apparently will be the first to get hit by a new Water Utility Authority fee for buying water rights.

Only new buildings constructed outside the water authority's service area will be affected by the rules, which have been incorporated into the water rate ordinance.

The rules will add about $1,250 to the cost of a standard- size home. The fee rises for larger homes, commercial and industrial size projects to as much as $66,000, depending on meter size, said Frank Roth, water authority Senior Policy Manager.

The one-time fee for buildings, called the "water supply charge," will be placed into an account the water authority can only use to buy new water rights or direct toward finding new sources of water.

Lynne Andersen, National Association of Industrial and Office Properties president, said the fees will most likely be passed on to home buyers and business owners.

Here comes the bad part. When elected government officials raise taxes, we at least have an opportunity to vote them out of office the next election cycle. The same is not true for government created Authorities. These folks are appointed, not elected, so the taxpayer has no recourse whatsoever.

It basically boils down to "Taxation without Representation." The last time that got out of control there was a revolution in this country.