Posted on 09/25/2014 1:01:40 PM PDT by MichCapCon
Steve Malanga at Public Sector Inc. reports on Pennsylvania governments increasing taxes in order to pay increased pension requirements.
Malanga follows tax increases in Scranton, York City, and in a number of school districts. He also notes that districts are looking to challenge property assessments in search of more revenue.
The Warrior Run School District in Union and Northumberland counties has a different idea on how to raise revenues. Last week the school district sent registered letters to dozens of property owners advising them that it is challenging the assessments of their properties, asking for a higher value and tax bill. With health and pension costs creating a $1 million deficit, the district is looking to generate $600,000 from the unusual reassessment move.
Some of this is happening in Michigan. New assessing rules have meant more inspections and after the housing bubble, cities are desperate to recognize increasing home values. Cities are also challenging previously exempt nonprofits to pay property taxes.
While Michigan has not seen the volume of tax hikes that Pennsylvania has, it may be around the corner. Allen Park, currently in emergency management, passed a public safety millage that will partially go to shore up underfunded police and fire pension systems. The increased contributions required by the pension system is one of the reasons that the city is under emergency management in the first place.
We are not likely to see such tactics in Michigan school districts, however. Most districts already charge the maximum amounts they can for operating purposes. So the increased retirement contributions must come out of their additional state contributions, through operating efficiencies, or through reductions.
The need for operating efficiencies is one reason why so many districts have contracted out support services.
Public sector pensions are taxpayer funds that public sector employees decided belonged to them.
This financial crises should not go to waste. The optimum liberal solution is to cull off the retirees. The program just needs some snappy marketing like “every retiree a wanted retiree” or “sustainability for the future”. It is not euthanasia but post-career abortions.
How’d this happen again? Gov’t workers are very well paid, but they couldn’t afford to finance their own retirement? Meanwhile, we in private sector are worked to death chasing an ever-increasing retirement date that has steadily crept upwards from 55 to 67? What’s wrong with this picture? They hope for us to, die before we collect, while gov’t employees ‘retire’ younger than ever and live well? Never mind now taxes are being inflated to pay those pensions. SMH.
Sounds like they will be paying some of their people to be self-appointed real estate assessors, to try to dispute the values, in an effort to raise the taxes on some homeowners. Does this seem to be the plan? If it works out for them, this will spread like wildfire in dem-controlled communities across the USA.
So the government drives down property values by jacking up property taxes, then challenges the low property values in order to get more tax revenues. The resident taxpayer gets screwed coming and going. Is it any wonder why property owners view their local township government as an occupying enemy?
Servants, that is.
Look at the PUBLIC UNION equation and it all fits. Republican runs for smaller efficient government (at least a try), Union bosses say that is not for them so they vote for the big gov guy, a Democrat. Comes contract time and the Union says "We elected You" so give us our demands and besides the cost will be buried in bond issues and lies and b*llsh*t until we are both gone. Politico gets re-elected, Union gets bigger, Union bosses get raises and they are happy! FDR was adamantly AGAINST public unions, a fact glossed over my modern union educators!
Pennsylvania is famous for throwing little old widows out in the street for non payment of property taxes. Usually the home is sold at a sheriff’s auction, for far less than the assessed value.
RAISING TAXES
TO PAY PENSIONS
THAT PEOPLE IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR CAN’T AFFORD
FOR A RETIREMENT MUCH SOONER THAN IS EVEN REMOTELY REASONABLE
FOR PEOPLE WHO WORK LESS HARD IF THEY WORK AT ALL THAN THE PRIVATE SECTOR.
Tell me who is stupid here.
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