Editor:

I am reading that the library board has purchased land in the Yellowstone district ("Land locked," CS-T, Nov. 5).

The voters voted no to the tax increase to build a new $40 million plus library facility. But the library board is buying the land anyway. At an undisclosed price no less.

When the proposed price of the parcel was first discussed it was three times the assessed value. Now the price is not disclosed.

The library is funded with tax money. Anything the library does is open to public inspection. I suppose that because the Foundation purchased the land, not technically the library itself, it is OK to hide the details of the purchase?

So much for open government and responsiveness to the will of the taxpayers.

Same deal with the court house. How many times did the voters say no to a tax increase for the court house and the county build the darn thing anyway? The commissioners said they found the money to build the court house from "other sources." "Other sources" are other taxes that we have to pay that are not subject to ballot approval. (Read that "Rob Peter to pay Paul.")

Now there are budget shortfalls in county government, city government and state government and guess what the powers that be intend to do ... put a raise in the sales tax on the ballot.

The arrogance of many of our elected officials (and non-elected persons who pig out at the trough of public funding) matches the arrogance of the Wall Street bankers who took the TARP money, paid off their workers with huge bonuses and are now stockpiling flu vaccine.

MARY ANN BUDENSKE, Casper