On March 11th, 2008, Damascus, Oregon citizens struck an unequivocal blow for freedom. Tax freedom. On that historic day, the citizenry sent a stern message to their government: you can no longer raise our taxes – or fees – without our explicit approval.
And the message to governments across the nation is: you could be next.
A measure approved with 70% of the vote provides that any tax or fee increases proposed by the city of Damascus must be approved by the people in a referendum:
“A special election Tuesday has left residents with extraordinary power over local taxes and property laws and has city officials feeling a bit smacked…
“[The] measure — passed with a 70 percent yes vote — dramatically reduces the City Council’s power. Residents will now vote on all fees or taxes the city proposes, including those that the city passed after Jan. 1, 2006.”
The efforts were led by the President of the Taxpayer Association of Oregon, Dan Phegley, who helped to finance these citizen ballot initiatives.
Predictably, city officials whined about the outcome:
“’I hope voters understand that this will slow the city down and create a real burden on the process,’ said Damascus City Councilor Dave Jothen.”
Duh, you think so, Dave? You think maybe that’s why 70% of the citizens passed it into law? You think maybe they were getting a little tired of you and your cronies raiding their pocketbooks every time you went on a spending spree? That applause you hear, Davie, is the sound of thousands of your constituents rejoicing at watching you have to move more slowly because the “burden” of democracy has just been affixed to your back!
It is government that burdens the people, not the other way around. And citizens have every right to ensure that they are not taxed without their approval – no matter how slowly it makes the politicians move. It’s called freedom.
ALG CTA: While the vote in Damascus may be just a tiny crack in the wall, the vote is a tremendous blow to the concept of “Big Government.” People across America are just as sick and tired of the reckless spending as they were in Damascus. It could be the start of a Tax Revolution, demanding that no taxes or fees be raised without approval via referendum, placing such questions on the ballot at the local, State, and national levels. That would be something to hope for. And it would make Damascus a modern day Lexington and Concord.