It is well-known that Post Falls has the highest property taxes in this area. Over twice as high as Hayden’s taxes and even higher than Coeur d’Alene on an equal comparison. It is also known that Post Falls property values are continuing to drop (more than 10-15 percent in the last year and more than 50 percent since 2008) while in the last two years Hayden property values are trending upward. It is clearly more popular to live in an area with lower taxes. So as we see; we Post Falls residents get hit in the pocket every year with our high property taxes and get completely slammed when we want to sell our house or property.

Now our “tax and spend” Mayor Larkin is lobbying behind the scene and at council meetings for another 3 percent tax increase. We taxpayers can only hope that some of the other council members join Kerri Thoreson and not slavishly follow Mayor Larkin’s lead and give in to his badgering. Certainly, two of the more recent additions to the council, Joe Malloy and Betty Henderson, need to show some backbone and be true to their conservative roots and vote down the increases. We need a more imaginative council to come up with program and expenditure reductions.

Incredibly King Larkin is still pushing his “bridge to nowhere” over I-90 at Greensferry which will cost us taxpayers greatly in the future not only to pay for its construction but to maintain it up to federal standards in the many years to come. Sure, Mayor Larkin gives us smoke and mirrors arguments that the citizens want it and that business will benefit and that it is free but hasn’t given us any numbers to back up this argument nor hard numbers of the full cost to construct and maintain this bridge which is not needed. Perhaps he expects this bridge to be named “Larkin Bridge” as his legacy. The main legacy that he leaves behind when we vote him out of office is a city that has been decimated by high taxes and low property values.

It is surprising that the conservative Idaho residents of Post Falls and tea partiers seem to have only focused on national politics and seem to have given Mayor Larkin and his council followers a free pass.

DAVID SHAW

Post Falls