Sign Up::: Take your computer, printer and note pad to the mayors office and say; "Let's clean this mess up. You will definately get the attention of the GOB.

Good idea Don, and your avatar looks like a number 4 super shrimp in the vice.

"Amanda responded to my other post, and then blocked the post. So much for the all-knowing Amanda and her blocking of posts addressed to her. I was wanting to reply to something in her response and to my shock and surprise it was blocked. Amazing ting dat."
Auxillou Beach Suites

Amanda posted a topic of discussion in a very formal and professional way, theres nothing "sly" about it, and locked the topic so she could get "real results" not message board bs. Then someone else chose to discuss the topic publicly, most likely because it is a hot topic of many property owners on the caye, there only needs to be one thread about property taxes, thats why your "pointless" other posts were blocked.

I have learned to not call a San Pedrean a Belizean. They have in no uncertain terms told me that Belizean's live on the mainland.
So, keeping in mind that Mr. Blake gave all of the island of Ambergris Caye to San Pedreans how many San Pedreans live in the low cost housing?

Are not these poor area filled with immigrants from other areas of Belize or other countries coming here seeking wages they can not make in their own country? How many of them actually own the building they live in? How many ‘upright’ citizens are making a living off of sub-standard housing? Are not these slumlords the ones who owe the taxes?

Apologies to bywarren whose name should not have been the one to appear on my post. I agree with most of your reasoning, especially the need to find solutions to the pressing problems facing us.

To Casa De Amor 2, if you and Amanda think this thread is nothing but "message board bs" then why are you responding here? You obviously believe your reasoning is more superior, so go kiss ass to Amanda privately. No need to post here.

To ScubaLdy, "immigrants" move to SP for different reasons -- you have your reasons and the mainlander Belizean and/or the Central American immigrant also have their own reasons. Not everyone that moves here moves here to retire. Many people move here specifically for the reason you have said and that is to improve their lot in life. In most cases, most of those that move here to improve their lot in life come from very deprived backgrounds. To sneer at them arrogantly because you have come from a background of plenty and have probably never known an empty belly in your life doesn't mean everybody lives like that. To want to tax others who lived under deprived circumstances because you need paved roads on which to drive your 2008 golf cart and air-conditioning for your mansion is nothing but arrogance. The first thing you should do is humble yourself with the realization that what you consider "normal" are unattainable luxuries to most everyone else. Why should they pay for you to live a lifestyle that they themselves cannot afrord?

And just out of curiousity, if the property taxes of even the slum properties you refer to as slum properties are raised, what will happen to the rent that the renters pay,do you think?

I was not being facetious when I asked that anyone that could afford to pay more taxes try to relieve a little human suffering and help to pay the overdue taxes of someone that can't afford to pay it. Such a gesture would serve two purposes, one is to relieve human suffering just a little bit adn the second would be to increase the tax revenues to the town council, something which some posters have already said they can afford to do.

In the end, though, I think that if you rely on elected officials to solve your problems that you will continue to be disappointed. That is not to say that there are not capable people at the helm, just that our system of governance does nor promote the best and the brightest. It just promotes the most loyal.

Best bet to solve issues is privately -- maybe through a trust fund funded through donations and administered by capable people chosen from amongst yourselves. That is the best way to ensure that your goals and ambitions as a group are met.

OK, in a effort to try and get this back on more of a discussion on ways to solve our problems as opposed to picking on one another, let me make one last try at justifying the one suggestion I offered. Keep in mind I throw this out as just a suggestion hoping to get more thought started and other suggestions that might be even more relevant. It was not meant to start a war of words between people who I believe all want genuinely to find ways to make the community a better place for all.

My reasoning for using property tax comes from my experience with other properties I own that uses property tax to fund municipal needs. I do not know of any tax that is “fair” to all. Some pay more and some pay less and some receive more and some receive less.

Do not assume just because I feel that the few hundred dollars I pay means that all property taxes should be raised. There are ways to assess the tax that can make it more equitable - like homestead exemptions and other credits for those deserving. Again, I am only relating to my other experiences with property and funding needs. If I look at what I pay for other properties, what I pay here is extremely less and I find it hard for me to be critical of what I receive based on what I am paying.

Now granted, when I talk about increasing taxes, I catch all kinds of hell from some of my friends in business who feel they are taxed too much. And being conservative in my politics, even the talk of raising taxes makes me wonder what I am saying.

Yes, the logical approach is to look at all taxes that are now collected and see if that is enough money to fund the needs - assuming also, the BIG assumption, that they are spent efficiently by government. Some of you believe this is the case. If that is true, then the efforts need to be directed towards a more efficient use of the monies. If not, then other funds are needed and thus my willingness to pay more in property tax as one possible solution. Even us conservatives must be willing to be taxed more if it is needed and if it is proportioned as equitable as possible understanding the difficulty in achieving what is equitable to all.

The worse possible outcome is to have our quality of life deteriorate beyond repair for lack of funding. And I am reluctant to end this on a negative note, but we face some serious concerns that could do just that if solutions are not found. Then we would all have good reason to pick on one another.

Again, bywarren, your response assumes that the answer to the vexing problems is funding. I don't see it that way.

I, personally, would object loudly to any increase in property tax liabilities. Even if you increase property taxes, and then temper the increase with a homestead exemption of some sort, it does not change the fact that someone's tax liability has increased, and that can never be a good thing for poor people who are already struggling, which there are exponentially MANY more of in Belize than there are rich retirees.

And, yes, I said "in Belize" not "in San Pedro", because inevitably whatever becomes policy in SP (or anywhere else in the county, for that matter) sets policy for the entire country. Under our system of laws, what becomes "precedent" somewhere sets the stage for it to be copied elsewhere. And I don't think an increase in property taxes is something the majority of Belizeans can afford. You would be throwing out the baby with the bath water going that route, because the less people have the angrier they get. There are many more other imaginative ways to get funding than raising taxes, believe me.

In regards to security issues, the first step I would take is as was suggested before -- hire private security (either as a group of private individuals or even as a municipality). This would at least act as a deterrent until other remedies can be put in place.

Another step would be to start a lobby to have those draconian gun laws changed into something that is more favorable to private gun ownership. The reason predators get away with so much is because individuals have a hard time arming/defending themselves, and the predators know this. The laws of Belize as they are written state pretty much that if you are found with a gun in your possession or on your premises, and you cannot prove legal ownership of it, then you are considered guilty until proven innocent. Yet, the armed robber is considered innocent until proven guilty. Go figure. If you are an innocent visitor in a home where your host has a gun stored somewhere, but he/she cannot find the license for it when he/she is raided by the police (while you are innocently in the home), even though you did not know about it, you are still hauled off because you are still guilty until proven innocent. And the law also states that the police can raid any establishment without a warrant if they are looking for guns and/or drugs. So, if your neighbor who doesn't like you (or Gawd forbid -- the predator who wants to ensure you are disarmed before he attacks you) makes a malicious call to the cops indicating merely a suspicion of a gun in your place, your life can become hell. With all these draconian laws on our books, you can see why we, the average citizen, will continue to be victims. We are all too scared to defend ourselves for obvious reasons.

At least when you hire private security, gun-issue liabilities revert to the security firm and not to you individually. Hence, my suggestion that you go that route first.

As to the police, they are usually well meaning but they are limited by their circumstances (understaffed, underfunded, underpaid, etc.). I really believe they do the best they can under the circumstances. They just operate under dire circumstances and there seems to be a lack of political will to change those circumstances. Even with any extra funding you provide, it is highly unlikely their circumstances will change, because the command does not report directly to your municipal body, it reports to Belmopan. And there is clearly a disconnect between GoB's needs and SP's needs. (Or any private individual's needs, or they would have done more to halt crime before it spread this far in the first instance.)

Which is why I recommend, again, that you as a citizens group go about providing security privately. That way you are in the driver's seat.

Many good points again. But you start out by saying the assumption of lack of funds is false. This is refering to the crime issue that started this whole discussion. But then you say:
"As to the police, they are usually well meaning but they are limited by their circumstances (understaffed, underfunded, underpaid, etc."

Which I agree with and seems to be a funding issue. Sure, you can circumvent the issue with private security. But one of, if not the primary responsibility of government is protection of the public.

It would seem to me the logic would be to make sure the existing system could be "fixed" to solve the problem before creating another system. We are in more trouble than we realize if government cannot perform its responsibilities.

PS: Either way you are talking about additional needed funds. Private security comes with a cost. Thus the need for revenue. I would be interested in your other ways of generating that.

"To Casa De Amor 2, if you and Amanda think this thread is nothing but "message board bs" then why are you responding here? You obviously believe your reasoning is more superior, so go kiss ass to Amanda privately. No need to post here."
Auxillou Beach Suites -

I felt there was a need to respond to all the bs you wrote in the other threads. It says your on caye caulker...... let us worry about our own problems on AC, and you do the same on CC. then we can all be friends

CDA 2, Ease up.