Snarky … but have a happy holiday season nevertheless!

You too.

Proposed city fee hikes

Taxicabs: $100 to $471.

Taxicab drivers: $20 to $283.

Sidewalk cafes: $169 to $591.

Pet shops and kennels: $25 to $559.

Trash haulers: $20 to $479.

Hotels: $20 to $603.

Pay telephones: $52 to $114.

Transient merchants: $20 to $213.

Massage parlors: $250 to $559.

Massage therapists, escorts and nude models: $25 to $92.

Installation of new water heater in home or business: $25 to $153 (if venting or fuel type is changed).

Scrap dealers: $200 to $823.

Vendor cart renewals: $100 to $273.

Block parties or other special events with a street closing: $25 to $113-$683 (higher fee for events with multiple street closures, food, entertainment and security.)

Horse-drawn carriages: $20 to $77.

General construction inspections: $40-$50 to $107.

Zoning variance to change permitted use of homes: $200 to $579.

Zoning variance of use for a business: $900 to $1,999.

Pay parking garages: $20 to $475.

Sources: Office of Code Enforcement and Department of Metropolitan Development

Those are some nice Christmas presents, Wilson. Thanks for the update.

But some of those fees needed raised—they haven't been touched in years. However, if it cost me money to put in a water heater (did it myself), I escaped the fee, whatever it is. Charging a fee for this, UNLESS it's accompanied by a safety inspection, is ridiculous.

I got the Treacy carol parody. I thought it was snarky, not the least bit funny.

That Treacy piece would have been funnier had it been tweaked a little more. Too much to say and it made the rhyming sound forced too often.

But, “stooge”? Jeez, I thought it was only Republican pols who lacked a decent sense of humor. Besides, a Groucho Marx comparison might have been more appropriate, since the Stooges were more into physical gags rather than verbal ones.

VG,

I'm with you 100% on the Groucho reference. Of course Rico would call me a Karl Marx brother instead of Groucho! :-)

I forgot about that blue pantsuit.

Even if I accepted your premise that these business taxes have to be raised, a big “if,” you don't do quadruple the taxes in one big swoop.

“All I Want for Christmas is a Tax Increase”

You really want to bring this up after this morning's story and the 2009 CIB tax increase. Mayor Ballard has done little but propose more tax increases since he took office.

Some of those were actually pretty funny.. I wont say which ones.. but.. it'd be even funnier if the Republicans weren't the ones raising taxes and busting budgets. Sadly, raising fees (and yes some do need raised, but quadrupled?) without REDUCING taxes.. is just raising taxes and calling it something else. The really bad thing is that everyone of them ran on an ANTI-TAX platform, and to me, that's the same as lying.

Have a Merry Christmas to all of you. I believe the Republicans are going to have a good year after Obama and the demcract Congress. :)

Those are some nice Christmas presents, Wilson. Thanks for the update.

But some of those fees needed raised—they haven't been touched in years. However, if it cost me money to put in a water heater (did it myself), I escaped the fee, whatever it is. Charging a fee for this, UNLESS it's accompanied by a safety inspection, is ridiculous.

I got the Treacy carol parody. I thought it was snarky, not the least bit funny.

That Treacy piece would have been funnier had it been tweaked a little more. Too much to say and it made the rhyming sound forced too often.

But, “stooge”? Jeez, I thought it was only Republican pols who lacked a decent sense of humor. Besides, a Groucho Marx comparison might have been more appropriate, since the Stooges were more into physical gags rather than verbal ones.

VG,

I'm with you 100% on the Groucho reference. Of course Rico would call me a Karl Marx brother instead of Groucho! :-)

I forgot about that blue pantsuit.

Even if I accepted your premise that these business taxes have to be raised, a big “if,” you don't do quadruple the taxes in one big swoop.

“All I Want for Christmas is a Tax Increase”

You really want to bring this up after this morning's story and the 2009 CIB tax increase. Mayor Ballard has done little but propose more tax increases since he took office.

Some of those were actually pretty funny.. I wont say which ones.. but.. it'd be even funnier if the Republicans weren't the ones raising taxes and busting budgets. Sadly, raising fees (and yes some do need raised, but quadrupled?) without REDUCING taxes.. is just raising taxes and calling it something else. The really bad thing is that everyone of them ran on an ANTI-TAX platform, and to me, that's the same as lying.

Have a Merry Christmas to all of you. I believe the Republicans are going to have a good year after Obama and the demcract Congress. :)