Bad Bill Bob's Commentary on SB57

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         
This bill is an assault on private property, adding even more burden than property taxes.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     
In a free country a property owner should not be forced by their government                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   
AND 40% of the people in an area to impose a new tax on their property                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        
and a yearly assessment just to live in their home.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              
The crux of this bill is that if 40% of the people in a proposed district show up with                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        
a petition, then the government officials can start a 30 day protest period to setup                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          
and impose the cost of some special program on homeowners. The protest is                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     
evaluated based upon a 50% cost of the proposed program.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              
Typically petitions must include at least 60% of freeholders. This bill is 40% of                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             
EITHER freeholders OR voters. That means that people who rent would be able                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   
to call for a new tax on property owners in the proposed district. Districts                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  
around the universities would be sitting ducks for abuse by aggressive                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        
signature gathering volunteers.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              
This is a bad bad bill.