In their letter, the seven mayors said, “Our airports need the tools to finance the estimated $738 million of infrastructure improvements they will require over the next 20 years – financed not by taxpayers, but by airport customers themselves. We need this tool just to catch up with our neighboring states, all of which already use bonds to build their airports and their economies.”
The GUARDIAN is opposed to allowing politicians the luxury of spending nearly three quarters of a BILLION dollars in public money with not a single vote from the citizens who own these airports. They can sell bonds, but need to ask permission.
A major risk factor in their attempt to abolish the vote of citizens lies in another area of the law. A current elected body does NOT have the authority to obligate a future elected body. Only the people have that right. Even though our property taxes may not be used to repay a debt, incurring that debt must be approved by 2/3 of the voters. Otherwise a city council or county commission could change their mind 10 years into a project.
Same holds true for laws of the state. While a legislature can pass a law, the next session can repeal it. HOWEVER, when it comes to the constitution, a 2/3 vote of the legislature AND approval of at least half (+1)of the voters in the entire state is required to change it.
Multiple screwups with public funds and no voter oversight like TVCC, the Bujak affair, Nampa and their abuse of taxpayers with the police building and library are evidence enough for me we need more voter oversight not less of these people. I will not be voting for these amendments.
ReplyDeleteThe Hospital ad on TV endorsing HJR 4 is just plain untruthful. They need to be called out on the lies and half truths. Believe nothing you hear and half of what you see with all this bunk. Vote NO on all of them. The goal is to remove voters from all debt decision making.