Since the mayor has no problem adding 31% to our burden, we the people should also ask that the Mayor to submit a similar proposal. This will be his alternative proposal and cannot include even a dime of tax increases. Additionally, I would ask that the ten highest paid employees of the City also submit a similar proposal. Additionally, the City Clerk and the City Administrator should also be required to submit a proposal for how the City can get by without the 31% tax increase.

The people can read their submissions.

The Times Leader can conduct a poll and see which individual proposal from the eight would be the best for the City. I suspect that with so many different proposals, each with the objective of saving the 31% increase, one or two or perhaps all would be acceptable to the people. Clearly the proposal that is not acceptable would be the one asking everybody to go into poverty because the custodians of the City, the representatives in Council and the Mayor have chosen not to do their jobs properly.

As most seniors and fact checkers know, the increase in Social Security this year is a meager 1.7%. Consequently, the Medicare increase just about gobbles up the whole SS increase for seniors. Despite how hungry WB City Council and the Mayor are for revenue, it is inconceivable that the Mayor, Council, and those filling the two most important positions in the City -- Administrator and Council Clerk, and the many employees earning over $100,000 per year would expect seniors, many of whom make $100,000 only every ten years, to cough up another 31% of their assessed value to the WB City Government. If it were a fair increase it would be no more than the 1.7 percent inflation rate that the federal government has decided is the real inflation rate. If none of these officials have challenged the US Govt's proposition that inflation is at 1.7%, they should not be permitted by law to increase their request by more that 1.7%


How can the nation's rate be 1.7 % while a small town like WIlkes-Barre has an inflation rate of 31%?

Oh, and how can it be that many of those who work for the citizens of Wilkes-Barre are fortunate enough to find their salaries approaching or far exceeding $100,000.00 with OT each year. Why is it that these workers would not accept any concessions when those who pay their salaries typically make less than 1/4 of their bloated wages?

I know and you know that a Council and a Mayor that represent the people and not themselves would demand that the 300 or perhaps less employees consider the financial impact on the 40,000 plus citizens, more or less of WIlkes-Barre. If the workers choose not to help the citizens then the citizens should choose not to help the workers!