As they have no idea how to balance a budget and always need more money for their pockets and think our pockets are lined with gold and deep, NO!

Elected officials are always looking to raise more revenue. 

If a city was properly managed, they would make & save money similar to a lower to middle class family does i.e. become good stewards of what they have. Good management is often hard to find or compromised. Who picks up the slack? The consumer who at first balks then over-time accepts the increase. Taking and making what we have work smarter not harder is key

They don't care or understand that it will make it more unaffordable for the buyer. Cities just need the revenue & don't give a hoot how they get it.

I am waiting for our town to start doing weird stuff because 1% of the tax comes out of a huge mall which is not creating revenue right now. Is the current budget going to handle it? Bet not.

Real Estate on all levels from builders to, REALTORS to Landlords are being taxed and tasked with much of the bailout...yet they want stricter building codes and lower fees. Middle finger in the air, we salute the politicians.

misguided is an understatement and about as polite as you could have referred to it. I can think of some terms not as flattering.

Looks like they may be pricing buying consumers right out of the market. A shame, really!

They dont care who pays for it, they just look at it as an easy tax to pass.

Way to increase housing costs and deter new construction!  I see California is rubbing off on them.  Sorry.

The builder does actually pay those fees ... and then pass them on to buyers.

As for the "thinking" part of the question - it appears none give a rats bottom - they only focus on getting re-elected because they don't live by the same insanity they create. 

Who do you think is really going  to pay for the stimulus money being handed out by various levels of government at the same time tax revenue is way down?

Politicians can create a balanced budget on dreams that seldom come true!

An 86% increase. Expect sales of new homes to slow beginning in 6 months or so..

Leaders?  More like whip-cracking task masters.  Yet another reason why contempt for Government, at all levels, is increasing in this country.

I have never understood why SELLERS of resale properties have to pay our state excise tax but, the BUYERS of new construction have to pay that tax - the builders get off scot-free. 

Yes, misguided and likely politically motivated. 

Why should all of the tax payers foot the bill for the costs brought on by new construction? Targeting the source of the expense is the right way to go. Is it fair that for every 300 new houses built the taxpayers should have to pay for the 15 new classrooms required or the additional fire trucks, school buses, police cars, trash trucks, water plant expansion and other associated infrastructure improvements required to accommodate the new construction? If the new homes don't pay for it then we all do.

Why does everyone refuse to look at the big picture?