Chris Monzel, once again displaying the same faux courage that only his talk-radio-listening supporters would applaud, proposed this week that Council rollback property taxes below the rate of property valuation.
Oh, my! You really went out on a limb there, didn't you, Mr. Monzel! Shall we erect a statue in honor of your courageous stance against property taxes?
"...it's not our money, it belongs to the taxpayers," said Monzel the Wise. Good point. Kind of like his council salary, which I presume he will return to the taxpayers. It's not his, after all.
Monzel's pathetic attempt to win easy points is about as impressive as, well, just about everything else Republicans have come up with over the past several years. What will he bravely propose next? Supporting the troops? Honoring Jesus? Women's suffrage?
If Monzel had assiduously studied tax policy and proposed a restructuring that would be more sensible for the city and individual homeowners in the future, that would be one thing. But this is just a lowbrow attempt to win favor with easily impressed voters. It's one step away from a Jeff Foxworthy joke.
And let's not overlook the benefit to corporate landlords. Is it really that hard to imagine that Monzel got a call from the real estate arm of PNC and Western Southern? They stand to gain millions in tax benefits. He cuts their taxes, they return the favor around election time. It's a classic corporate-Republican play: build a bakery for corporations and toss a few breadcrumbs to quiet the people. I'd be very interested if the Beacon or CityBeat can uncover a paper trail connecting Monzel's proposal with large landowners.
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