Example of how government metastasizes: Troy, MI to ask residents for tax increase for THIRD time! Supporters threaten book burning if tax not passed

As I wrote a few months ago (Example of how government metastasizes: Troy, MI): One mechanism bureaucrats use to metastasize government is to peel off essential services and dare taxpayers not to fund them at the ballot box. Police and fire departments have their own millage rates, peeled off so that the central city government can grow but claim they are doing no such thing.  This is how it works: say your city is whatever size it is - 100%. They peel off 10% of their budget in the form of an essential public service like Fire or Police protection which now becomes it's own separate entity on paper and on ballots. Meanwhile the city that should be 90% grows to 98% and claims a 2% cut while it really grew 8%. If you add the 98% city and the 10% service, the taxpayer is on the hook for 108% as city bureaucrats pat themselves on the back for right-sizing government. It's a shell game and Troy is playing it.

Earlier last year, Troy residents rejected a tax hike to keep the library open after the corruptocrats that run the city tried to use it as a human shield for tax increases. It failed. What to do? Metastasize the government by peeling off the library as its own millage request. On the ballot November 2 were FOUR requests for the same thing - a library tax (Repudiation: Troy, MI residents dump 4 millage requests for THE SAME THING, keep government from metastasizing). It went down in flames. But hey - third time's the charm! From The Detroit News: Group promises to burn books if Troy closes library

It's an odd way to support a library tax — threaten a book-burning party if the measure fails.

But some lawn signs popping up around Troy are doing just that, promoting questions and criticism of the group behind the effort.

The signs started appearing in city neighborhoods earlier this month. A line on the signs indicates they were paid for by an organization called Safeguarding American Families (SAFE).

The group registered with the county on June 20 as a ballot question committee and supporter of the Aug. 2 millage. A box indicating opposition appeared to be scribbled out after it was checked.

...Residents will vote on a 0.7-mill tax levy that would provide dedicated funding to the library for five years. If the millage fails, the library will close on Aug. 5.

SAFE promises a book-burning party the same day the library would close. In addition to yard signs, SAFE has T-shirts, mugs and a Facebook page dedicated to the campaign.

And the story of how the city government is trying to metastasize:

...The Troy City Council cut funding for the library and its nature museum in May 2010, saying the city was facing a projected $2.2 million budget deficit and could not afford to operate the library from the general fund.

But can still afford to pay its union employees quite generously, including Cadillac healthcare and generous pensions allowing the employees to retire in their late 40s with full benefits at taxpayer expense.

Residents twice voted down similar proposals last year. Organizers convinced the city to again put the issue on the ballot.

And if the 3rd time fails, they'll put it on the ballot a 4th time. And then a 5th, etc ad infinitum until they fleece Troy residents for more of their hard-earned income in the middle of the Obama depression. Yeah - that'll help.

Related: Typical: As budgets get reduced, public sector pensions and benefits preserved while police and firefighters are cut