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McLennan County is having its first emergency services district proposed by an area of the county for fire and emergency services. Your recent article highlighted why, but did not explore alternative ideas.
As it is proposed and would work now, it is a new tax on citizens for something we pay for now with our tax dollars. The county now gives a small flat dollar stipend to all volunteer fire departments annually. It is so small that it is not enough. But an additional tax is ridiculous. I propose the county use the tax dollars we pay now and let each district get their share, managed by an independent board of the county and taxpayers in that area with CPA oversight. Make it work just like TIF zones work now.
For example, if ESD 1 has 5,000 taxpayers and the county collects tax dollars from them, then the county takes the new proposed tax from that money already collected. So if it is 5 cents per $100 (the new ESD proposal is 10 cents) on a $200,000 home, then that is $100 per homeowner times 5,000 homes, equaling $500,000. Take the money from the taxes we pay in our area and keep it in our area for ESD services.
The county (and the city of Waco, since we are in its extraterritorial jurisdiction) are shrugging their responsibility. The county pays thousands to the sheriff for police protection, but only $6,000 for Elm Mott Fire & Rescue? The sheriff's funds are not an additional tax. The city of Waco is saying nothing about annexation, and letting us possibly shoulder this burden.
Are you a young man or women who wants to make money and travel? Are you at least 17 years old and need a good job? Did you not finish high school? I was once in that position.
I joined the Navy on my 17th birthday. I attended boot camp in San Diego. Four months later I was flown to San Francisco to go aboard my ship. Little did I know when I arrived after 8 p.m. on Friday that my ship was going to Asia on Monday. I loved the trip as I saw many places in Asia such as Hong Kong, China, the Philippines, Japan (several places), Okinawa, Thailand, etc. I learned a lot.
After my four years, the Navy gave me the ability to go to college. I finished college and was accepted to Officer Candidate School. I finished that and was chosen to go to Aviation School in Florida. I finished that and was assigned to an air squadron in San Diego. Soon we were sent to Vietnam. We finished one 10-month stint and came home for two months, then went back again for 10 more months. I went one more time to Vietnam before the war ended.
So, you can now join the military even if you have not graduated from highh school. Remember, if you complete four years, the military will pay for your college. Do you know any other great job like that which would pay for your college?
When we have been telling God to get out of our schools, to get out of our government and to get out of our lives, he has backed out calmly.
And left us with no one to give us blessings, to keep us safe and no one to hear our prayers.
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