Quote:
Originally Posted by fantasymaker
When the Government was doing it I didnt repeatedly run into things that "We just cant get to that today"
or that "The Key Is lost"
In other words whle Im sure that lots of cousins were alerted the government emplyees where FAR more honest.
Wow I cant belive what I just WROTE!
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I can't either.
Although, the 'privatization', or semi-privatization, of our government(s) has been on my mind for some time. It has kinda crept up and I didn't realize just how it has/might affect us.
Here in Texas, we have an Appraisal District who appraises property and collect taxes. Now that was once done by a county employee - the tax-assessor-collector - elected by the people. I am not sure why they decided they needed another entity to do this. What I do know is, the ones doing the assessing are not really answerable to anyone - perhaps the county commissioners - but I don't know what power they really have. I do know that the person running the office can most certainly make 'favorable' adjustments to some and refuse others. Your only recourse should your hearing go against you, is get an attorney and few have the money for that.
So, now, the amount your property is assessed is almost completely out of your control. You can't vote anyone out of office.
Also, most if not all counties, in Texas have a county auditor who keeps the books and writes the checks. That was once done by the County Treasurer - elected by the people. In some instances, that can be a good thing, if you have an honest and incorruptible auditor. If not, they are just going to rubber stamp the spending and the auditor is answerable to no one - but the district judge who appointed them and it is a political appointment.
There was a man in our small town who made a living buying run down houses, fixing them up and either renting or selling them. He was certainly making money, but it served the city well. He fixed up eyesores, when the houses were fixed, they were now paying more taxes, etc.
He once moved a house on to a lot and the placement was approved before the moving by the city inspector. A couple of weeks later, the inspector came out and told him he would have to move the house 3 feet one way because of the way the lot drained. That would have cost him a ton of money, necessitated cutting a very large, old pecan tree and he already had the permit to place it where he had.
He talked with the city council and were told he would have go to before the zoning commission. He found out the city had hired an outside entity to not only write the zoning laws for the city, but to administer them as well. He found out he would have to make an appointment, out of town, go before this private zoning board to try to get a variance.
The real travesty was - he would have to put up $300 just to get to talk with them!!!!
Our government is being outsourced to private enterprise over which we have little or no control nor input.
