For Whom the Drive Tolls
With the influx of people to outlying areas, I have wondered many, many times why Memphis and Shelby County don't do something that a lot of other major cities do--install toll booths at the county line. Obviously there is SOME desire to capitalize on these people who choose to live OUTSIDE of Shelby County, yet still seem it worthy enough to provide a living for them. Don't get me wrong, the city of Memphis isn't exactly a utopia, but such places like Lakeland, Collierville, Germantown, Arlington, and Bartlett all offer alternatives.
Recently there was a push to start a payroll tax. If you worked in Shelby County, you paid it. Supposedly it would've repealed a bit of the real estate tax. So if you were a resident, you'd be paying more from your paycheck but less for your property taxes--so it's a push. But obviously the people who don't live here would have the financial effect.
And here's the deal--these people really don't have a choice. Towns like Oakland, Hickory Withe, Olive Branch, and Southaven aren't big enough to provide jobs to all the folks who live there. In my office--a building of about 30 people--there are 4 people who live outside of Shelby County. And another girl's mom does, too. Of course, the most general argument you hear from the likes of them is, "Well, we're still spending money here." Yeah, we appreciate that 6 bucks you spend on lunch every now and then. Or that occasional birthday present you picked up at Target. But I'd be willing to bet that most of these people, most of the time, are buying regular stuff like groceries and gasoline right by their house--NOT in Shelby County. Let's assume that somebody spends an average of $20 a week here--food, junk at Target, etc. In 52 week's time, they've given exactly $88.05 to our tax revenue. Woooohoooo! Stuff the coffers, would you?!
Leah and I were at Wolfchase Galleria a week or two ago. It was amazing to walk down the aisle of cars and look at the license plates--Tipton County, Fayette County, Desoto County, etc etc. Geez, why aren't you people shopping in your own town? Oh yeah, that's right....there ISN'T anywhere for you to shop. So Memphis is good enough to provide a job and a mall for you, but not good enough to live in. And an occasional trip to the mall or stopping at our Exxon once a month doesn't really amount to the same thing.
So, let's put up toll booths. Inbound Hwy 64 from the likes of Oakland. Inbound on Hwy 14 (Austin Peay) and Hwy 51 from places like Atoka and Munford. And one of three things is gonna happen--a) they're gonna pay it, and we get the revenue, or b) they'll quit their job and it can be given to somebody who actually lives in Shelby County (or won't have problems paying to come here), or c) they'll move to Shelby County and pay taxes to the government where they work, like the rest of us.
Recently there was a push to start a payroll tax. If you worked in Shelby County, you paid it. Supposedly it would've repealed a bit of the real estate tax. So if you were a resident, you'd be paying more from your paycheck but less for your property taxes--so it's a push. But obviously the people who don't live here would have the financial effect.
And here's the deal--these people really don't have a choice. Towns like Oakland, Hickory Withe, Olive Branch, and Southaven aren't big enough to provide jobs to all the folks who live there. In my office--a building of about 30 people--there are 4 people who live outside of Shelby County. And another girl's mom does, too. Of course, the most general argument you hear from the likes of them is, "Well, we're still spending money here." Yeah, we appreciate that 6 bucks you spend on lunch every now and then. Or that occasional birthday present you picked up at Target. But I'd be willing to bet that most of these people, most of the time, are buying regular stuff like groceries and gasoline right by their house--NOT in Shelby County. Let's assume that somebody spends an average of $20 a week here--food, junk at Target, etc. In 52 week's time, they've given exactly $88.05 to our tax revenue. Woooohoooo! Stuff the coffers, would you?!
Leah and I were at Wolfchase Galleria a week or two ago. It was amazing to walk down the aisle of cars and look at the license plates--Tipton County, Fayette County, Desoto County, etc etc. Geez, why aren't you people shopping in your own town? Oh yeah, that's right....there ISN'T anywhere for you to shop. So Memphis is good enough to provide a job and a mall for you, but not good enough to live in. And an occasional trip to the mall or stopping at our Exxon once a month doesn't really amount to the same thing.
So, let's put up toll booths. Inbound Hwy 64 from the likes of Oakland. Inbound on Hwy 14 (Austin Peay) and Hwy 51 from places like Atoka and Munford. And one of three things is gonna happen--a) they're gonna pay it, and we get the revenue, or b) they'll quit their job and it can be given to somebody who actually lives in Shelby County (or won't have problems paying to come here), or c) they'll move to Shelby County and pay taxes to the government where they work, like the rest of us.
posted by Eric C at 7:31 AM
1 Comments:
Ok, I just find this so weird that the day you post this is the same day that a ugly conversation about how great other counties (fayette basically) are so much better than here! And to top it all off you were at lunch and so the one person I have to make these ugly comments and be on my side with these arguments was not here. I am with you I have been saying put up toll booths forever! We should start that petition, or whatever it is we need to get that going!!!! You should blog about stuff here more often!
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