We were stunned to receive our office property tax bill this week and see that it’s increased 76% from last year. They’re charging us more than $5,000 for our modest metal shed on Railroad Street. A friend said he was having a hard time absorbing a 12% increase for his comfortable but modest home right next to the tracks. For what? Crumbling curbs and roads that keep the alignment technician busy – factor the shop bill into your effective tax burden.

As we opened the envelope and nearly vomited, we realized that this bill was handed to us by politicians who all claim to be fiscally conservative. Republicans dominate the legislature, which has been shifting the burden from income taxes to property taxes for many years. Governor Kim Reynolds promises to eliminate the income tax. People with limited means will pay a disproportionate share to the state by paying property taxes, sales taxes and fees. (Water rates in Storm Lake are increasing at least 7% per year for the next few years, to name the most glaring example of the lack of investment in a system designed for a multi-state cattle processing complex.)

The Buena Vista County Court is controlled by so-called conservatives who couldn’t even keep track of the millions of dollars in tax revenue that was supposed to be distributed to the city and just disappeared into thin air. They are shameless and don’t understand the value of a dollar. The City of Storm Lake and the County are locked in a horribly expensive legal battle and now the County is acting like nothing happened. Perhaps this is another reason why our property tax bill has gone up 76%. The County transferred at least $5 million to the wrong accounts and squandered it all. The solution is simple: raise taxes so they can lose even more of it.

These people are all running unopposed this fall because they are such good conservatives. Our state legislators are unbeatable, no one dares run for the seat on the court. The city manager is getting another raise. We’re paying.

A friend was discussing the City Council’s proposed downtown improvement plans and asked what would help businesses the most. We thought about that. We don’t need a three-lane Lake Avenue or building remodeling. First, the government shouldn’t tax us out of business. We can’t afford a $2,000 tax increase because highly paid government officials can’t manage the coffers. We can’t afford special levies as a result of a downtown master plan. The city should fix Geneseo Street. That would be a good start. They should stop harassing businesses and squandering us with costs. They should fix the downtown storm drains, which aren’t working. They shouldn’t lose $5 million or more in tax revenue and squander it. They shouldn’t oppose an audit of those missing funds.

Our state legislators gave us the book ban, which will cost the city of Alta hundreds of thousands of dollars to build a new library. They created a new welfare system for rich people who want to send their children to private schools, away from the rabble. We pay for it through higher property taxes. What the community colleges don’t get from the income tax is shifted to the property tax. This is the stuff our Republican state legislators come up with.

Conservative. Ha! They are big spenders who never have to answer for their actions.

The proof is provided in the tax assessment.

The people of Buena Vista County seem content to tax our property beyond measure while public officials happily burn money.

A warning up front: The county assessor will raise the appraisal again so the government can put us out of business and you out of your home.

The Republicans who claim to be the party of small government, less spending, and fewer regulations are deep in your pocket. They control the legislature and the courthouse. The people on your school board and city council will tell you they are frugal hawks, too. They must be on the state payroll or work for health insurance to be able to afford such tax increases themselves. They will laugh at it because they can. We just take it, pay the taxes, vote for lazy accounting, and tell ourselves we are conservative. We cannot afford that kind of fiscal discipline.