Members of the Amarillo City Council voting on a proposed tax increase. All members voted in favor of the tax increase and are shown raising their hands. Councilman Eddy Sauer (center) seconded the proposal and voted in favor of the tax increase/Screenshot
By Thomas Warren III, Editor-in-Chief
In boxing, if a fighter calls himself a champion but never actually wins a match or participates in the sport, can he really call himself a champion? Of course not. That would be silly for someone who has never set foot in a boxing ring to call himself a champion.
What about politicians though? If a politician calls himself or herself a champion on an issue which they have never taken a stand on, can they claim the title? Of course not. However, in Amarillo, that doesn’t seem to be the mindset.
Take Councilman Eddy Sauer, for example. During his 2019 Amarillo City Council re-election campaign, his campaign distributed literature declaring him a “champion for low taxes,” despite his overwhelmingly pro-tax record. Still, he took his self-described title and ran with it. Now that he’s back in office for another term, he has voted for multiple tax increase, in total defiance of his original campaign promise.
A flyer from the Sauer campaign in 2019 billing him as a “champion for low taxes.”/Photo by Amarillo Pioneer Staff
Just considering his record, Sauer lied to Amarillo voters about whether or not he actually would oppose efforts to raise taxes. It wasn’t just Sauer, as Amarillo Mayor Ginger Nelson and others also mislead voters. But when a person declares himself a “champion” of some realm and, to paraphrase UFC commentator Jon Anik, steps into the ring in the black and gold befitting a champion, then he better be willing to back it up. And, so far, Sauer has never earned or defended his self-given championship and has, if anything, shown himself to be the champion for tax increases.
On Tuesday, when the Amarillo City Council voted on the first approval of the proposed tax increase for the year, Sauer voted for the item and even seconded it. He showed no opposition and was even one of the first two people on the City Council to declare support for the tax increase, which passed unanimously.
I just have to ask, how is voting to approve a tax increase following through with your pledge to be the “champion for low taxes.” It’s not.
Just like with the rest of the Amarillo City Council, when Sauer promised to be in favor of low taxes, he lied to the voters of Amarillo. The incumbent members of the City Council had no fear of lying to voters though because they knew Amarillo Matters would be there to help them out if voters asked any questions.
Sauer has shown he is not eligible to call himself a “champion for low taxes” and has effectively relinquished his self-given title, just as the rest of the City Council has shown they have no intentions of following through with promises to oppose tax increases.
Luckily, the tax increase is not yet final. Taxpayers can still have their voices heard at the tax hearings at the Amarillo Civic Center Grand Plaza on September 8 and 15. I recommend anyone who opposes the tax increase and who opposes politicians lying to us during their campaigns about their positions on taxes to show up and make their voices heard.
Do not let your elected officials get away with lying. Show up to the City Council meeting, sign up to speak, and make it clear that Amarillo does not want a tax increase, even if it’s given to us by a supposed “champion for low taxes.”