The Sept. 7 CK Reporter article, “Officials proposed plans to cut 15%,” shows the tax and spend mentality of our current “leaders.” They demonize and stomp on private property owners while emptying their pockets to fund art, green space, 54 advisory councils, studies, salmon protection, and plans for a government center.

Now their coffers have run dry and their solution is raise property taxes or eliminate 19 sheriff’s deputies and reduce the jail expansion from 275 to 190 beds. According to County Administrator Malcolm Fleming they’re going to, “try to minimize the impact on specific departments by implementing ‘system-wide’ cuts.”

That’s bureaucratese for “we can’t possibly eliminate the fluff we’ve been wasting your money on, or you’d notice how incompetent we’ve been, so we’ll make across-the-board cuts in the hope you’ll be frightened enough to vote yourselves a tax increase...”

At least Jan Angel understands the property owners are tapped out. I hope Patty Lent is elected so only 1 of 3 will believe higher taxes is the only “solution.” The economy of Kitsap will not improve as long as over-regulation and taxing everything possible prevails.

Carolyn Riplinger
Seabeck.