Dan Reinhard

Minot

So where do we go from here? There is a prayer entitled “Negativity” that one can recite when negative feelings have captured one’s thoughts. There is on the other hand reality – the acceptance of truth with an honest appraisal of any given situation.

If a commissioned salesman were to see an abrupt decrease in the purchases of a product he sells, his income will go down. If he were to tell his employer that he has fallen behind the eight ball due to lower sales, what do think the owner would say? I would venture to say that the owner’s response might be; this is not a game of pool that we are playing. And he might continue by saying: this is life where many humans made of flesh and blood suffer during extreme downturns in the local economy. The bottom line is: employees worry about their health, security and safety, but even the business owner’s income is impacted during tough times. Even government suffers…

In a State where I was born, when an individual reaches age 65, their property taxes on their home can never be raised. Taxes stay the same until his death, they can be lowered, but chances that property taxes will be lowered is fool-hearty at best. Numerous retired folks live a simple and meager existence on a fixed income from Social Security and possibly a small pension. As taxes and prices continue to rise greater than the miniscule cost of living raises, what are we creating? Seniors requiring welfare? Should they call the Social Security office and claim they need a larger “benefit” because they have fallen behind the eight ball? Should they demand that their pension should be raised as well?

When will the Minot elected commissioners, manager and mayor also realize that decreases in tax revenue for the city might also be indicative of a decrease in income salaries for taxpayers? Attempting to raise property taxes at this time is the wrong thing to do. Like any business, when times are bad, benefits are cut, jobs are lost and lifestyle changes are made. Steak, lobster, champagne, camping, boating, golfing, vacations, first class accommodations are wonderful in moderation but some of those things we can live without. Times will improve but we all have to understand that Minot is a small city and will never keep pace with Fargo or Bismarck. Not in a hundred years… But that’s OK.