Angelina County Tax Assessor Has Mystery Fee on Vehicle Registration Notice

There's somethin' fishy going on in Angelina County, and I'm not talkin' about the myriad of lakes and streams.

Just got my Vehicle Registration Notice, and after reading, what can only be described as a printing press gone wild, I was appalled by the fact that an extra charge was added to the bill if I used the U.S. postal service to deliver payment.

Of all the unmitigated gall, Angelina County adds one dollar to the "bottom line", if we, the citizen, buy the stamp, attach it to their return envelope, then complete the process by depositing it in a blue metal box of steel.

What exactly are we subsidizing?  Contributions to the ghastly over funded "comp time" at the Sheriff's office (which I reported on earlier this week), or something simpler, like the paper material associated with the cost of mailing.

And, what's next?  "The Colonel" charging an extra buck for drive-thru, the diner getting nicked for not eating his slab of ribs within 20 minutes, so the table can be turned for the next patron.

Would you go to Brookshire Brothers and just hand over a "George" to another person standing in the check-out line?  When coming across a neighbor walking his dog, do you conclude your idle chit-chat by giving that person money?  I'm calling this the "Just Because Donation", because it's not described on the invoice as a fee.  It's there...just because our elected officials agreed to this nonsense.

You will actually feel better giving that buck to your favorite charity, unless you consider The County of Angelina a "501(c)(3) Corporation".  On the flip side, it's still not as dubious as how the Energy groups bilk customers for a deeply inflated "Customer Charge".  I mean, really, $16.25 on my Gas statement for "recouping the cost of reading meters!".  This, my classic rocker friends, can only be labeled the  -  "Rip Off Fee".

My advice - STOP investing, STOP saving, STOP worrying.  There is nothing wrong with our economy, and should you see my makeshift "show me the money" business set up on the 1st Street, Raguet, Timberland triangle, don't even hesitate to toss me some coin.  Why?  Just because.