COMMENTARY: Wayne Allyn Root hands out his inaugural Hall of Shame awards

For this column, I will hand out my Hall of Shame awards.

My first award goes to Nevada’s local governments. They are demanding a property tax increase. They want to remove the cap on the property tax. Governments are filled with people who love to spend OPM (other people’s money). Did you know local and state governments across America collected all-time record property taxes in 2016? As in the most in history. Ever.

But they always need more. It’s never enough. Because greedy governments spend it all. Double it, triple it, quadruple it. They’ll still spend it — and about 30 percent more. Then they’ll tell you it wasn’t enough. They waste our hard-earned money. Their results are pathetic. Government fails at most everything it does. Then the bureaucrats blame us and demand more.

It’s time for citizens to tell government officials to make do with less. Learn to live on a budget. Or just maybe, cut your own obscene salaries and pensions. Nevada’s greedy local governments join the Hall of Shame.

My next award goes to the IRS. An assist goes to my favorite liberal “man of the people,” Sen. Chuck Schumer. Thanks to Schumer, the IRS is now allowed to hire bill collectors. They will be assigned accounts the IRS has given up on. The bill collectors will be allowed to identify themselves as “IRS contractors.” These aren’t tax cheats. These are poor, desperate people who reported everything they owe. They just can’t pay it and feed their kids at the same time. But heartless politicians and government bureaucrats — who worship at the altar of taxes — want to hire mercenaries to go after our own citizens.

But wait — it gets better. Americans will be targeted by every con man — looking to steal money from scared, desperate people — pretending to be an “IRS contractor.” Can you imagine having to deal with the vicious heartless IRS … and ruthless bill collectors and scam artists.

How will anyone tell the difference?

So why did Schumer pass this bill? Two of the four private collection agencies that will be hired by the IRS are in Schumer’s state. The IRS and Schumer join the Hall of Shame.

Finally, we move to our last award recipient: MGM Resorts International. I never thought a private company could compete with the IRS for greed and shame. I was wrong.

Only months after raising valet parking fees from free to $13, greedy MGM executives have decided to dramatically raise them again. Valet parking will now cost as much as $25. And for the “privilege” of parking in a crowded, smelly, hot, exhaust-fumed garage, a quarter mile walk from the hotel, you can pay $12. This is what happens when you think of your customers as sheep.

The economy is still in hell for many working- and middle-class Americans. Incomes are down dramatically, while costs are up dramatically. Many Vegas homes are still underwater. Las Vegans are either struggling to survive, or running in quicksand. No one has a nickel to spare, but MGM officials think they can raise parking fees by 39 percent every few months. They think locals and guests have $25 per day for parking — before they’ll give you the privilege of spending $100 on lunch or $200 on dinner.

I have a question for MGM CEO Jim Murren. Are you on the Adelson or Fertitta payroll? Because your decisions are making Sheldon Adelson and the Fertitta brothers richer by the day. Adelson’s Venetian and Palazzo charge nothing for valet parking and garage parking. Locals casinos such as Red Rock and Green Valley Ranch charge nothing for valet and garage parking. Guess where I’ll be going?

Two million Las Vegans will never again step foot in a MGM property. That was one hell of a business decision. MGM actually beats out the IRS for the gold medal in the Hall of Shame contest. This is the upset of the year.

What were the odds?

Contact Wayne Allyn Root at Wayne@RootforAmerican.com.