Tired of being nickeled and dimed

EDITOR:

I sent the below to the Douglas County tax collector on Aug. 3, 2009. I urge other Douglas County property owners who are fed up with being nickeled and dimed to death to contact the county treasurer to voice their opinion. In my opinion, the surcharges that have been added to credit and debit card payments amount to a non-voter approved tax hike and should be rescinded immediately.

I am writing this to let you know that I am very angry and upset by the decision to gouge the taxpayers of Douglas County by imposing surcharges on credit card payments for property tax bills. That decision indicates a complete disregard of the current difficult times that most homeowners are experiencing in this current economic downturn. It's bad enough that you seem to justify tax increases on properties that have lost up to 40 percent of their value in the last three years, but then to add insult to injury by imposing additional fees this way is absolutely disgusting.

I strongly urge you to reconsider this unwise decision and return to the way the system existed in the last few years. It seemed to be working just fine. May I remind you that the tax revolt in California was brought about by the public's outrage at the endless assaults on property owners in that state. Consider what would happen to local governments in this state if the property owners of Nevada finally said, "enough's enough." It wouldn't be a pretty picture.

Eric A. Ellison

Minden