Two issues that the National Taxpayers Union has long worked on demonstrated just how huge a political impact they can have yesterday.
Tax hikes and out-of-touch public employee compensation led Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Alvarez to his downfall as his constituents voted at a nearly 90% clip to recall him. In the name of plugging a budget gap, the two-term Mayor pushed a property tax increase on the people of Miami-Dade County in the middle of the lingering recession. Yet, he then handed his aides and other public employees increased salaries.
Alvarez further abused taxpayer resources by using public employees to campaign for him, rather than stay at work.
Ultimately, this is a reminder that raising taxes in the midst of recession will cause major political blowback. Public servants, be it executives or legislators, must realize we have an overspending problem in America, not a revenue problem. Taxpayers should not serve as a bailout fund to insulate unrealistically compensated public servants and public employee unions from the economic challenges that citizens face on a daily basis.
You can read more on this story in the Miami Herald.