Let’s face it: The homeless have had it too good for too long. Giving them free haircuts means less money for important bumper sticker initiatives.
The audit, which came in at a price tag of $11,450.00, found that nearly 80% of the hair cutting businesses in town had provided at least 10 free haircuts to homeless and disadvantaged patrons in the last quarter. “Granted, Karlsfield doesn’t have a large number of homeless. We aren’t Montpelier or Providence, (Rhode Island), you understand. But it’s the principle,” the audit concluded.
City Manager Kevin Miles said it isn’t a question of providing or not providing help to the needy, it’s “more of a question of, ‘Do you personally want to pay more taxes because the Town of Karlsfield is losing tax revenue from hair cutting establishments who aren’t charging for haircuts, and are therefore not contributing their standard tax base as outlined in Section 11, article 3B, subsection 7a of their annually-issued business license?'”
Miles said in an effort to get the word out and help save the town “and more importantly, the taxpayers money, we’ve had bumper stickers printed up to hand out for free that citizens can put on their Prius’ that express this very sentiment.”
The cost of the free bumperstickers was reported to be upwards of $17,500.00.
Miles said he has seen the problems in other cities when “accurate taxes aren’t paid timely and fully. First thing you know, it’s just a lemonade stand without the proper permits. Next thing you know, you’re looking at Detroit, with all the shuttered auto plants and other industries, and all the sudden, we can’t afford to pay our firemen and policemen. Not on my watch, mister. Not on my watch.”
