Money, money, money.

5/1/2010






Uncollected Taxes. Uncollected bills. Reports of low cash, no cash and bills gone unpaid.



Is this our government at work?



Where is our money applied and what is planned for services to the tax and rate payers of Newburyport MA?



I am really surprised (discouraged) at the lack of questions coming from the public on these issues. It does appear that all is not well with Newburyport City finances and very little is being addressed publically. Questions on expenditure and oversight are alarmingly absent from the public.



It is odd that a new treasurer is leaving, the auditor 'finds' $2 million in uncollected property taxes, that the city, in our name has not pursued recovery, by law and there is no public or city council outcry for an audit of the city accounts and processes to protect the taxpayers!



I have been researching the city approved budgets and the actual spending allowed and I, for one, am alarmed at the expenses allowed and the trend to just spend more on needless programs.



We have seen cutbacks and reductions in areas that are basic support, being transferred to line items not approved by our elected council, or apparently not fully legal expenditures and there is no follow up on public representation or notice. Open books are not being examined by the taxpayers and shenanigans are assumed in an open air environment.



Tax money being spent like a' drunken sailor on leave' and intermingled with department funds that are not approved by the budgets approved by our elected officials or stolen and never repaid to the accounts are not being spoken by the lips of the taxpayers. Apathy seems to be the new political wave. Sadly, we will see more reductions in services due to the ignorance of the taxpayers to over see our own government.

Dan