Monday, October 22, 2012 5:12 pm

I am speaking directly to all voters who will go to the polls on Tuesday November 6th, 2012. No matter whom you vote for or what your political affiliation may be, we all are affected by the decision we will make on the referendum for a Sales Tax Increase placed on the ballot by our County Commissioners.

I urge all of you to take the time and consider for a moment exactly what they have asked you to do. Simply put, they want you to vote to increase your own taxes. If they had the power to levy the tax they would. However, an increase in sales tax has to go before the public on a referendum vote. 

I hold no grudge toward any of them for voting to place the referendum on the ballot, but I do question the logic they gave in doing so. It does not seem logical to me that the same group who a couple of meetings ago stated the reason they were lowering their pay from $50.00 per meeting to $25.00 per meeting was to save the taxpayer money and not put the additional expense on the citizens now want you to vote to increase your taxes in November. Russell Reed and Jim Bush were the only two members of the Commission who voted NO on the Sales Tax referendum.

During these very tough economic times with high unemployment rates, high gas prices and high food prices raising the sales tax on the items that we need the most just do not make any sense. The sales tax affects and hurts the poorest citizens of our community. The sales tax affects items like food, clothing and the everyday necessities of life. Things like shirts, socks, diapers, baby food, milk, eggs, cereal and bread are all items that will increase if we vote YES to increase the sales tax.

Imagine for a moment that you are one of the many who live on a fixed income. For those who have that burden due to disabilities, retirement or whatever reason many times struggle to make ends meet and stretch their money from week to week or in many cases month to month. Any additional burden like higher sales tax will cause an even bigger strain on them.

GOD has blessed me and given me the ability to pay the increase and hopefully he has you as well, but there are many who cannot and those will be the ones who suffer the most. I urge everyone who plans to vote in the upcoming election to vote NO against the Sales Tax Increase.

Corey Davenport
Woodbury, TN