By Egay Uy A REVIEW of the 2003 tax code of the city could mean one of many things: that the 2015 budget of the Moreno administration is about to be capped by the city council this early. The reported review of the tax measure could mean a reduction in the tax rates given the actions and pronouncements of some members of the city council who unfortunately for the people of Cagayan de Oro belong to the opposing side of the current leadership of the city. But this rate reduction could only be temporary.  Hoping that their orchestrator will be back, and sensing that amidst protestations, the business community obliges after all, the next move after 2016 will probably be to restore the tax rates to their 2013 levels and then “everybody” will be happy again. If the Supreme Court flips-flops, so can a local legislative branch, even as the reasons for such flip-flopping are extreme poles apart.

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The moment of truth has come, or is about to come.  By March 1, the special operations teams of the Task Force Hapsay Dalan and traffic law enforcers of the Roads and Traffic Administration will have their hands filled with the implementation of the Pilot Project: Traffic Code-compliant Divisoria.  Of course, the volunteer groups will be there to lend a hand. A special supervisory and implementing team was created for the Divisoria project, headed by experienced traffic enforcer Carmelito Deloso who will have the full backing of the TFHD and the organic leadership of the RTA.  Implementers of the project will consist mostly of new faces, not the regular personnel we see daily at the Divisoria, augmented by the special operations personnel. Within the week, the enforcers and special operations teams will already be implementing selected provisions of the Traffic Code as a matter of “quick training,” such as the clamping of wheels of illegally-parked motor vehicles and apprehending jaywalkers. TFHD and the RTA must not leave any stone unturned to make this project succeed.  It is a job that must be done after all.

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“You have enemies?  Good.  That means you’ve stood up for something, sometime in your life.” – Winston Churchill.