Kerry and Taxes Side by Side

There has been an interesting thing happening here in Mahoning County with Issues 1 & 2 for the November election. A few months ago, huge bill boards went up all over town saying "Vote YES on Issue 1! Not a new Tax!"
I soon found out that Issue 1 concerned the defense of traditional marriage here in Ohio. I was surprised that the bill boards felt the need to tell me that if I voted Yes on Issue 1, I wouldn't get taxed, but alright, I'd take it.

Well, turns out that there is an issue on the ballot about renewing the .5% Mahoning County Sales tax. It was supposed to be issue 1, but when the state initiative for the marriage amendment got on the ballot, it became issue 1, trumping the county issue. So, now the signs have all been changed, they say "Vote Yes on Issue 2! Not a new tax!"

Does anyone else wonder where the money is coming for these bill boards? Not one, but two! Are there people privately funding this initiative to continue a tax that took at least two separate elections to pass? If so, then wouldn't these people be better off just giving that money to the county and leave the rest of us alone to shop in peace, with that extra .5% in our pockets?

Well, the bill boards aren't the only advertising going on - there are yard signs! That's right, yard signs! People have signs in their yards encouraging voters to renew a tax that may not be new this November, but it was new pretty recently and thus I would prefer not to be paying it.

But here's the point. Today I saw one of these "Vote yes on the tax" yard signs...right next to a "Kerry/Edwards" sign.

At least this person understands that a vote for Kerry is a vote for more taxes, and apparently, they're ok with it.

But I'm not.