I’m well beyond fed up with covetous government officials, with their greedy hearts and grubby hands, who constantly demand I give more and more – while living on less and less – in order to finance their dreams and schemes.

With every fiber of my being, I hope the Regional Transit Authority (RTA) of Southeast Michigan’s proposed 20-year, 1.2-mill property tax, expected to be on the November ballot, fails big time.

Where to begin . . .

Let’s start with the overall property tax burden we currently face living in Oxford Township and Village.

Township homeowners pay a total of 34.9314 mills annually in township, regional, county and school taxes.

Village homeowners (of which I am one) face a heavier burden at a whopping 41.6613 mills per year.

Those who own non-homestead property, such as local businesses, pay even more. Their tax rates are 52.8756 mills in the township and 59.6055 mills in the village.

My point?

Enough is enough.

Proponents of the RTA millage – which is expected to generate $2.9 billion among Oakland, Macomb, Wayne and Washtenaw counties over two decades – will undoubtedly tell voters, “It’s only another 1.2 mills. That amounts to an additional $95 per year for the average homeowner. What’s the big deal?”

I’ll tell you what the big deal is, when you look at the big picture, another 1.2 mills would add to the sizeable mountain of millages already suffocating taxpayers.

And it would do so for the next 20 years. It should be voted down based on that part alone. Twenty years is way too long for any millage.

You can only heap so much on a beast of burden before his back breaks and he collapses and dies in the field.

The same is true of taxpayers. We’re not beasts of burden, but government officials sure treat us as such with every new plan they concoct to pick our pockets, while enriching themselves, advancing their careers and attempting to justify their existence.

If I’m going to support a new tax – or an increase for an existing millage – it’s damn sure going to be for something local that’s a clearly-defined need (not a want or luxury) and is going to directly benefit my community.

For example, when the North Oakland Transportation Authority (NOTA) sought its first-ever millage back in 2014, I vigorously supported it because that service is absolutely vital to senior citizens, disabled individuals and low-income residents who are unable to drive themselves for a variety of reasons, ranging from medical to financial.

The impact of NOTA is direct and immediate because it serves only Oxford, Addison and Orion residents. NOTA is helping these people – our most vulnerable friends and neighbors – survive and thrive. I’m not a fan of public transportation in general, but I am a huge fan of NOTA.

As for these regional property taxes, I’m sick to death of them. I already pay to support the Detroit Institute of Arts and the Detroit Zoo. I don’t visit either of them, but yet I’m forced to help fund them.

Now, the pro-regional tax crowd wants me to pay for a mass transit plan, none of which involves this little Slice of Heaven we call North Oakland County.

I really don’t give a damn about constructing a rail line to connect downtown Detroit with Ann Arbor.

I love Ann Arbor. I visit Ann Arbor. When I want to go to Ann Arbor, I’ll gas up my crappy used car and hit the road, but I’ll be damned if I’m going to pay for everybody and their brother to go there, too.

The RTA plan also includes expanding various types of bus services on a whole bunch of roads to a whole bunch of places, none of which – surprise, surprise – are in Oxford, Addison or anywhere else in North Oakland County.

Again, if it’s not local, I’m not voting for it and I shouldn’t have to pay for it. We already have and fund a local transportation service. We don’t need to pay for one that does not benefit us in any way, shape or form.

The proposed rail line isn’t going to have stops in downtown Oxford and downtown Leonard. There won’t be new buses running up and down M-24 or Baldwin Rd.

(And by the way, I don’t ever want to see the RTA expand its plans to include this area. I want to stick with NOTA. NOTA is small, local and extremely efficient and frugal. Why trade that for some mammoth, four-county authority which will most likely be poorly managed and wasteful?)

If the RTA millage passes, all the residents of rural North Oakland County can look forward to is shelling out more of their money to support the urban communities.

Undoubtedly, some RTA proponent will read this and respond with something to the effect of, “You’re being shortsighted. You can’t just think of your own community. The RTA plan and millage are about bolstering the region as a whole and increasing economic development. A rising tide lifts all ships.”

My response – I don’t care.

Every time the government crowd pushes for one of these regional taxes, they wave the economic development flag around, promising cities of gold if the citizenry is willing to part with a few measly shekels.

But all that ever really happens is money leaves our wallets and never returns.

You can’t tax your way into prosperity.

I firmly believe all our local governing bodies – the Oxford and Addison township boards, the Oxford and Leonard village councils, the Oxford Board of Education, the NOTA board, the Oxford Public Library Board of Trustees and the Oxford Township Parks and Rec. Commission – should pass resolutions declaring their opposition to the RTA proposal.

Why?

Because every regional tax that passes ultimately hurts their chances of getting local millage proposals approved.

The more outside entities we have siphoning off tax dollars for projects and services beyond our borders, the less likely fed-up and broke taxpayers are going to say “yes” when the locals come calling for millage renewals and increases.

Local officials need to ask themselves if they really want their future millages put at risk by the proposed RTA tax and whatever other regional taxes are looming on the horizon.

Right now, local officials and local taxpayers have a common enemy in the RTA.

We need to band together and fight this tooth and nail, but make no mistake, it’s going to be an uphill battle.

North Oakland County is outnumbered by the pro-tax-and-spend voters in southern Oakland County (the arrogant city folk), Wayne County (land of freeloaders, deadbeats and government dependents) and Washtenaw County (land of the loony Lefties and Ivory Tower know-it-alls).

But just because we’re outnumbered doesn’t mean we can’t put up one hell of a good fight and make some noise.

I, for one, will not go gentle into that good night. I’m going to rage, rage against the dying of my pocketbook.

The RTA folks can take this proposed millage and shove it up their terminals.