On Tuesday, October 7 she sat patiently waiting for an opportunity to address the Pima County Board of Supervisors. After waiting through hours of Board business, she had to opportunity to address the esteemed panel including supervisors Ray Carroll and Ramon Valadez, who appeared to have something better to do, or some place they would rather be.
The elderly, long-time Pima County resident began by thanking the Board for the “opportunity to address them. “I thank you for providing this forum so that we can try to get your attention,” she said. She then offered a simple suggestion, “I highly recommend that you move the Call to the Audience at the beginning of the meeting so more people can participate and share their concerns.”
“Over the many years my family lived in Pima County the property taxes we have paid totals five times what it cost us to build our home. Every year I go before the so-called Board of Equalization to challenge how the assessor has valued our home – trying desperately to keep down taxes so I can continue to live in my home.”
“But you keep wanting to buy property to someday build soccer fields on and fancy public buildings that go two to or three times over budget, and you don’t plan for maintenance costs, there is a new plan for super-dooper high class no kill animal facility and take your bombastic pride increasing taxes on the poor and those on fixed incomes.”
“You delight in grinding the faces of the poor into the dirt.”
“I can’t join in with Mr. Carroll and complain that that I can’t go to some function because I have to celebrate a special occasion at the Arizona Inn … because I can’t afford to go to any such place and I can’t afford any lattés that everybody’s seems to use as justification to raise the taxes yet again.”
“Just this year, my property taxes have gone up over $175, which represents a month’s worth of groceries for me that I must do without, and next year it will be two more months’ of groceries.”
“Then I’ll have to figure out how to do without and then you’ll impress me with much how much less this fancy facility for the animals, we all love, will cost so that you can have the five or $6 million slush fund to use as the majority of the Board of Supervisors wishes.”
“You continue to neglect homeless youth and families of Tucson and blame everyone else for the unsafe and dangerous conditions of our streets.”
“You give money to your special interests with taxpayer funds and yet your lawyer says no comment when asked if this is legal.”
“I called Mr. Straub on Friday to see if he figured out how to answer, and he replied it’s too complicated, and that his professional responsibility is to protect the majority of the Board of Supervisors and not the taxpayers, who pay his salary.”
“I am not secure my property. At any moment my ability to pay the taxes on my property will be taken away by inflation, sickness, family emergency, or the next time you folks decide to go further into debt by raising my property taxes.”
“You were out of touch with reality, tone deaf to how your policies for the poor and the middle class, and businesses in Pima County.”
“Thank you.”