Just last year, John Kurtzman, Chief Counsel to Stark County Prosecutor John Ferrero, was stumping for an increase in the county sales tax. The sales tax would be used to pay things like... the Stark County Prosecutor's office, where Kurtzman draws a taxpayer funded paycheck.
The sales tax, according to Kurtzman, was a good thing;
"John L. Kurtzman, chief counsel for the Stark County Prosecutor’s Office, told (Tuscarawas Township) trustees that Sheriff Timothy Swanson will hire back deputies if the tax passes and that some would be assigned to road patrol."
"Kurtzman, like many other county officials, encouraged trustees to pass a resolution of support. He highlighted several points regarding the tax, including that 30 percent of it will be paid by visitors to the county. The tax issue will appear as Issue 29 on the ballot" (The Independent, October 12, 2011).
Unfortunately, last year's John Kurtzman must not have talked to this year's John Kurtzman about the importance of government being properly funded.
Because when Massillon City Council started debating possibly reducing the city's tax credit to 50 percent, meaning that people like John Kurtzman, who lives in Massillon, but pays zero (that's zero with a 'z') taxes to Massillon, would have to pay half the city's income tax, John Kurtzman led the opposition.
“You are now pitting families against families,” he said. “When these people file their tax returns in April, they have to pay more taxes...They are taking food away from their children" (John Kurtzman, The Independent, February 8, 2012).
Kurtzman had no qualms against "taking food away from their children" when he worked to raise the county sales tax.
Kurtzman and his boss, Stark County Prosecutor John Ferrero, were once again back at Massillon City Council last night to express their opposition to people like John Ferrero and John Kurtzman, both Massillon residents, having to pay any city taxes.
John Kurtzman once more took to the microphone to read letters from taxpayers who couldn't afford the reduction in the tax credit.
We want to know why last year's John Kurtzman didn't read letters from those people who couldn't afford the sales tax he and John Ferrero were pushing.
It's absolute hypocrisy.
John Ferrero and John Kurtzman don't want to pay any taxes to fund Massillon City government.
And they don't.
But they sure were just fine with raising taxes to fund their own office, and their own salaries.
“We’ve got to protect our clients,” he (Ferrero) said. “I can’t sleep at night thinking about that scenario (cuts). How did a proud county come to this? It’s a situation that’s going to be a nightmare” (John Ferrero, The Independent, October 29, 2011).
Four months ago.
Four months ago, John Ferrero couldn't sleep at night thinking about cuts... for himself.
Four months later, it appears John Ferrero couldn't sleep at night thinking about taxes... that he himself would have to pay.
The tax credit reduction failed last night, and failed substantially.
And people have a right to their vote, and to express their opinion on the issue.
And that's OK.
What isn't OK is the gut wrenchingly disgusting, unvarnished, blatant hypocrisy on display by Stark County Prosecutor John Ferrero, and his Chief Counsel John Kurtzman.
Four months ago, they were pushing a tax to benefit themselves.
Four months later, they were vigorously opposing paying any tax, not one red cent, to benefit the city where they live. (and pay no taxes).
But at least John Ferrero will finally be able to sleep at night.
Because he won't have to pay Massillon City income taxes on his $115,000 dollar plus tax payer funded salary.
And we won't have to worry, in the words of his employee, John Kurtzman, about food being taken away from the children.
But the kids were probably hungry already.
From the money taken from their families by the Ferrero/Kurtzman sales tax passed just four months earlier.
