Tucson Ghost Giraffe suggests picking a fight with Catalina Foothills residents
by Hugh Holub on Sep. 11, 2011, under politics
Hi. I am Tucson’s Ghost Giraffe. I’m haunting the City of Tucson’s government.
One of the things that fascinated me was all those people living in the Catalina Foothills out in the County who complain a lot about Tucson but won’t annex into the city limits. If they don’t want to annex into the city than they should shut up about Tucson’s politics.
According to my jungle drum sources, if all the Catalina Foothills were to annex into the city of Tucson, that would give the Republians a majority of voters in the city. Thinks what could happen then. Especially if you are a Republican fed up with the liberal Democratic agenda downtown.
But did you know you pay the same water rates inside Tucson as the foothills people do? Now most cities charge 25% or even 50% more for their water utility service outside their city limits as an inducment to annex into their city. How come Tucson gives foothills residents the same water rates as in-city residents? Are they afraid of them?
We need a really good fight between the flatlanders and the hill people here so I propose Tucson raise its water rates 50% to Catalina Foothils residents. Make those rich people who look down on Tucson pay more for water…or they can annex into the city and take over city government…their choice. Tucson’s liberals could soak the rich here.
One of the reason higher water rates are justified to foothills residents is because they are not in the city, Tucson does not get state revenue share for the people out there, and they don’t pay city property taxes. Inside the city water customers generate state revenue share to the city. Plus I heard the law says cities can charge more for water to people outside their city limits.
So what do you think?
Should the Foothills resident get a break on their water bills?
Or should Tucson raise water rates in the Catalina Foothills by 50%
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More from Tucson Ghost Giraffe:
Tucson Ghost Giraffe suggests moving City Hall to El Con
September 11th, 2011 on 7:02 am
Silly giraffe — paying the same water rates as city residents missed a big piece of the water scam. Water doesn’t run up hill even in Tucson, so pumps are needed to get that water up to the foothills. Guess who pays not only for the pumps, their maintence and the cost of energy to run the pumps so our uphill friends and neighbors can have city water? You do, you silly giraffe — you and all of us city dwellers. Fair would be just paying for the cost of delivery of the service rather than sticking to the zoo crowd. Liberal Democrates in city government tend to be liberal with the citizen’s money — not their best interest. Lots of luck in cleaning up those monkey cages.
September 11th, 2011 on 8:26 am
Pima County and the City should merge. Eliminate dual governments. Also, state tax money paid to cities is higher per capita the larger the city, so without counting the Pima County residents, Tucson gets less, a lot less. The reason for the higher rebate is political (think Phoenix); statistics show that the cost of government is lower per capita in a larger city. You could look it up.
September 11th, 2011 on 10:32 am
I have lived in both the city and county. What service, except water, does the city provide to entice annexation besides mismanagement and increase taxes? With our mayor and council, I’ll take the county anytime.
September 19th, 2011 on 10:58 am
Pima County doesn’t provide me with much either. While my road is used by hundreds of foothills residents everyday, it is very deteriorated and quickly breaking down. I pay for private “fire protection” which is not tax deductible. I’m stuck with that terrible Comcast, which charges about 40% more than Cox for the same or lower quality service. I pay for a private trash service, and occasionally, they even pick it up.
For all the whining that my Foothills neighbors do about Tucson, I struggle to see how I am better off out in the county. I have a great home, great lot, great views, and great neighbors. However, none of these are attributable to being outside of the Tucson city limits.
Let’s stop subsidizing Maricopa county, annex into Tucson, and actually get some of our own tax dollars back into our community.