It seems as if every time a Democrat running for office finds himself losing, he'll tell our senior citizens that his Republican opponent wants to do away with Social Security. This has always been a way to scare old folks away from voting for the bad old Republicans.

The Democrats are now using the Medicare card, trying to convince old folks that the mean old Republicans want to cut seniors off from their Medicare safety net, when the GOP is actually trying to change the rules in order to save Medicare for future generations.

Such tactics are contemptible. The national Democrats have proven that they have no scruples when it comes to these two issues. Now, it seems that there is a new scare being used by our local elected officials.

Here in Newton County, we're being told that unless tax rates are raised, government employees will have to be laid off.

Newton County Chairman Kathy Morgan told the board of commissioners last week that 52 employees would lose their jobs if the county doesn't increase the millage rate.

Read about it at covnews.com

She says the millage rate needs to be raised from 10.91 to 12.12, representing a $67.76 increase in taxes paid by the owner of a home valued at $100,000.

We would grieve if in fact 52 employees were cut, but then we grieve every day as we see local businesses cut their work force in order for them just to survive.
The point is that good businesses do what they must to control expenses, including cutting employees. It's a hard decision, but the county is a business, and if cuts are needed to balance the budget, then cuts have to be made.

Don't raise the millage.

Raising taxes now on over-burdened homeowners is not the thing to do.

We are asking our elected officials to run our county like a good business. That's why you were elected.
Raising taxes now in these hard economic times is not good business for anyone.