Mitch,
You may have been trying to hit a nerve with Daren, but you inadvertently hit one with me with your statement:
As growth in the cost of government programs drives growth in the need for money…
The cost of government programs is not something external that just
rises on its own. It is within control of local governments. They do
not need to raise more money, they need to spend the money they have
better. Until we have real spending caps tied to population growth and
inflation, we can expect governments to try to grab more money with
higher taxes, fees, borrowing, and now eminent domain. We cannot just
write it off to “growth in the cost of government programs.”
The Norwood example is just the latest manifestation of
metastasizing government power. It is yet another example of what
happens when city government becomes a homeowners’ association instead
of a provider of public safety.
