YOUR OPINION: Nick Tomboulides Urges Citizens To Speak Against Children’s Services Council Tax
By Nick Tomboulides // January 20, 2019
Tomboulides: 'CSC is wasteful welfare program'
County Commission Chair Kristine Isnardi has introduced legislation to save Brevard taxpayers by abolishing a wasteful welfare program: The Children’s Services Council (CSC).
The CSC has existed for 30 years and accomplished nothing. It is run by politicians, bureaucrats, lobbyists and political insiders for no purpose but to plot for a future property tax hike so they can line their own pockets.
They want $120 million of your money and zero oversight for how this slush fund is spent!
As conservatives, we must oppose the CSC forcefully by supporting Commissioner Isnardi’s effort to repeal.
Here are the two best ways you can help:
1. Speak Out at the County Commission Meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 22 at 9 a.m.
We need speakers at Tuesday’s commission meeting to tell our commissioners to abolish the council and you have to fill out a comment card in order to speak. Each speaker will have three minutes to make the case.
I have put some talking points below which you can use in your remarks. The swamp-dwellers behind the CSC will be packing the house to keep their gravy train on the rails. We have to show up in big numbers.
2. Contact these County Commissioners and make sure they are voting for repeal:
• D1 Commissioner Rita Pritchett: 321-607-6901
• D2 Commissioner Bryan Lober: (321-454-6601
• D3 Commissioner John Tobia: 321-633-2075
• D4 Commissioner Curt Smith: 321-633-2044
Why is the Children’s Services Council such a horrible idea?
Brevard families are already overtaxed and not seeing results. In the last four years, we’ve seen two sales tax hikes, property tax hikes and increased fees on stormwater, trash, ambulance transfers and fire assessments.
The half-cent sales tax for the Indian River Lagoon has clearly been wasted as there are no notable improvements. People move to Brevard to avoid high taxes, but if we keep this up they will start leaving. We must keep taxes low to provide families with a comfortable life and a strong climate for doing business.
Children’s Services Councils have a track record of waste and abuse.
In Palm Beach and Broward counties, where Children’s Services Councils already operate on the taxpayer dime, tens of millions of dollars have been wasted on six-figure executive salaries, travel perks and oversized buildings.
No studies have been presented to show that children actually benefit from having such a program around.
It’s payback for the politically well connected.
The committee sponsoring the Council in Brevard isn’t made up of ordinary people. It consists of well-connected politicians, lobbyists and bureaucrats looking to reap rewards. Expect the first six-figure jobs to be handed out to this group if the CSC sticks around and gets funded with taxpayer dollars.
It is unfair to other worthy causes.
We have over 400 charities in Brevard County that operate based on voluntary contributions. Why should the Children’s Services Council get $130 million in forced taxpayer funding while these worthy groups struggle to get by on private donations?
They haven’t proved they are more deserving. This is political favoritism its worst.
REAL charity comes from individuals, not the government.
Big government programs have never lifted anyone out of poverty — despite wasting trillions of dollars trying.
In fact, these programs encourage poverty and dependency. There’s nothing compassionate about spending other people’s money. Real charity and compassionate come from the heart, which means each individual deciding which causes they would like to support with their own hard-earned income.
When charities have to earn their donors and can’t depend on a taxpayer gravy train, they are closer and more accountable to those they serve.
Thanks for your support and please be sure to forward this letter to as many patriotic Brevard residents as you can.
This Tuesday, January 22 at 9 a.m., join us in the County Commission Chambers in Viera to save Brevard taxpayers. We need a very strong showing – see you there!
– Nick Tomboulides
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