Posted on 05/18/2006 6:52:36 PM PDT by Dubya
Why couldn't the state have raised the sales tax to fund education? Is that prohibited by the constitution?
Personally, I live here and my property tax estimate went up over $1,000 over last year, so I'm thrilled that it will be coming down. The biggest compaint I've heard is that the business tax will be passed down to the consumers. That's honestly okay with me because there are a lot of "consumers" out there that don't pay any property taxes.
I hear all this bitching and bellyaching, but nobody steps forward to over a viable alternative.
Lots of big talk from you, BobL, as there always is, except when it comes to offering solutions.
Here in Harris County, we conservatives are now convinced that Dems (or anyone else) must be put into power
This redaction and revision might get the length back to normal:
Here in Harris County, we conservatives are [I] now convinced that Dems (or anyone else) must be put into power
The royal "we" is a dead giveaway. Just trying to be helpful. Nobody with any credibility on this site uses the term "we" as a synonym for "I." Nodody. And some on this site have credibility, as to the honesty of their posts, and some don't, even when there is disagreement. And most with any tenure on this site know who is in which category.
YUp. You don't think the criminals in Austin will allow themselves to be taxed do you?
Don't tax you, don't tax me, tax the man behind the tree. No, that is not original with me. That is from Russell Long. The aridity of serious policy debate, which often is the case on this site, is disappointing. But this site is still simply splendid. The wheat is well worth enduring the chaff.
He's got the same marketing team, as a matter of fact.
Is it a desireable thing? No.
But nobody seems to be able to come up with anything except "spending cuts" (nobody ever says where) or sales tax increases (which are just as onerous as a business tax).
The money to fund Texas schools has to come from somewhere, and it's not going to magically appear out of slot machines or lottery tickets (as Carole Keeton "Ma" Strayhorn advocates).
It was *supposed* to be the Lottery. I don't know what happened with that, because I don't play it.
The Texas lottery has been losing popularity for the last eight years.
Lotteries and gambling and surpluses are variable and cannot be a source of stable funding for anything.
You won't get an answer. But this near atheist Wasp thinks slots and lottery tickets are Satan's work. They prey upon the poor and the addicted, and cause ever more to be addicted. It's evil. The issue causes some very recessive Calvinist genes in me to come out.
If someone's home value goes up $50,000 or $200,000 or whatever, why would they bitch about paying an extra $1,000 in property taxes, when they just got a windfall in net worth and borrowing power?
I'm not being argumentative; I'm asking sincerely, why is this a problem?
They would tell you, for the same reason that they bitch about paying higher income taxes because they suddenly made an extra $100,000 last year.
That's how I feel about it, too. Nothing makes me sicker than having the Lottery numbers touted every evening as the top news story on the local TV news.
Again, that was because it was supposed to be a boon to the school systems, as to why they still do this - like it's a "public service announcement." For the children.
Governor Hunk? But he's soooo photogenic!
That's what I figured, but I was hoping there was some other reasoning I hadn't considered. I guess it's like Barbra Streisand the other day glomming free tickets to some concert or something that she didn't want to pay for.
The home owner is paying annual property taxes on an unrealized gain. It's analogous to forcing stock holders to pay taxes every year on stocks they hold for many years that go up in price but are not sold.
For many older people who have very deep roots in a home and community, raised a family and want to stay there after retirement, their home is a lifestyle asset and not viewed as a financial asset to be leveraged to take on more debt. In fact, the primary goal is to reduce debt in later years of life. For these people, an escalating home value is meaningful only to the heirs of their estate, but the annual property taxes come directly out of their income used for living expenses.
Especially for retired persons under age 65 living on fixed income, escalating property taxes can have a direct, negative impact on quality of life. Financially speaking, even without a state income tax, Texas is not among the most desirable states for retirees because of the high property taxes.
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