MONTGOMERY COUNTY:

IT'S RAINING TAX AND

DOGS!

$40 Dog Tax Spurs National Headlines, Punchlines

When I testified in support of the men and women of the Montgomery County Police Department on January 15, 2009, I didn't realize how accurately I was predicting the future.

As you recall, and have been reminded by the cheap shot article in yesterday's Post, the county executive and council were (and still are) attempting to deny retirement benefits for disabled police officers.

They ultimately failed, but in their ongoing quest to shift blame from the council's fiscal incompetence to the police department, they're going to keep bringing back this phony "scandal" again and again.

That 10 degree evening, I pondered the future of the council's scapegoating. Now that the council had targeted senior citizens in their budget cuts, and tried to take benefits away from disabled cops, I said, "I shudder to think who will be next... Girl Scouts and puppies?"

Well, it's happened.

Introducing the Dog Tax. In order to take your dog to any county dog park, you must now pay a mandatory tax of $40, plus $5 for each additional dog you own.

This was quietly announced by the county, as usual.

But this quiet insult to your intelligence - and your pocketbook - has now been picked up by the national media, including USA Today. People all over the country are now laughing (once again) at the fiscal incompetence of our county council, and the over-the-top concept of... a dog tax.

Maybe it's the excessive wagging of tails. Or the high cost of each sound wave emitted by a bark. Or the fiscal toll of a dog catching a frisbee in mid-air.

I don't know what the justification is. We'll have to await the explanation of the proven financial wizards on the council and the council staff. After all, that's why they make the big bucks... ...so they can use us as ATMs to pay off their politicial cronies in the budget.

But wait! Does a tax on puppies mean that... ...Girl Scouts are next?

Hide your Thin Mints!!