By Maggie Jackson, Kansas City Star Reader Advisory Panel

I’d like to take a moment to address a topic, which as a citizen, I find increasingly irritating. It’s the absurd justification local government uses for the unauthorized increase in personal property and school taxes due to the decrease in home values.

Wouldn’t it be nice if the common citizen could phone his employer and state that he isn’t earning enough to cover expenses, so the company must correct the shortfall? Oh, and the boss has no say so in the matter. I’m sure most of us would agree that that person would not hold a job with the company for very long.

In essence this is what local government is doing by increasing taxes without voter approval.

Citizens understand that the economy has affected city budgets. They also understand that schools will not receive as much funding due to the decrease in property values. However, what local officials foolishly fail to realize is that citizens are supposed to be in control.

When government begins to impose taxes without going to the community for approval it is essentially failing to uphold its public servant duty. Citizens have had to learn how to live on shrinking budgets; government should not be exempt from doing the same.