re: Massive layoffs and pay cuts likely coming to state and local governments

Trust me, local governments will do whatever they can to maintain their size and their tax revenues.

Nashville’s mayor, in the wake of a few weeks of lost sales tax on the front end of the tourism season here, has announced the city will be raising property taxes by at least 20%. Great news for a city who’s population is becoming more unemployed by the day.

This is after 10 years of growth in tourism-related and hotel-tax dollars that would be the envy of any other city of comparable size, and our poor ol’ mayor says aw shucks, we don’t have a rainy day fund.