Say what you want about wars and presidential elections. What really gets people riled are local issues, especially taxes. On a September evening in Holly Springs, Miss., the town square was crowded with citizens angry at their city and county officials for planning to hike local property taxes from $5.2 million to $6.5 million.
Ben Prince: "We rent 115 trailers, you know, mobile homes. I'm paying $40,000 a year in taxes. If they raise taxes again, it'll break us. We won't be able to be competitive. This will stop development cold."
Eddie Dixon, president of the Marshall County Board of Supervisors: "A lot of people don't want a tax increase. The problem is we need a tax increase to offset underfunded state mandates to pay for retirement, health benefits."
A woman overhears Dixon and shouts, "No we don't! No we don't!"
