Holy cr@p, the sky is falling...

[harley]

Lower property assessments would have zero impact in my local taxing district. They take the total of the assessments, then factor the tax by that.

If every home doubled in value, my tax bill would be the same. If every home value dropped in half, my tax bill would be the same. I think most communities work this way, but I don't know for sure. Based on the comments from some of my neighbors, I suspect that a lot of people don't know how their property taxes are structured.

-ERD50

I'm not sure yet how it is here in my new home state (MD), but I can guarantee you it doesn't work that way on VA. The assessments are directly linked to the tax revenue. When the assessments went through the roof, the pols were beside themselves with glee. They started all sorts of new, ongoing spending projects. Now that the home prices (and therefore the assessments) are falling, they are raising the rates to allow the spending increases to stay in place. I'm expecting a bit of a tax revolution to occur. At least a major "throw da bums out" campaign.

 

[toofrugalformycat]

I can't speak for Texas (and I didn't). But that *is* the way it works in my taxing district. Yes, taxes go up for various (mostly bad) reasons, but it is independent of the property assessment. I traded several emails with our county assessor's office last year to confirm this. She said she wished everyone understood it as well as I did. They spend a lot of time explaining this to people.

The assessment determines how the tax is split among property owners, not the amount of taxes collected in total.

-ERD50

That's exactly how it works in Anchorage too, the city real estate tax, although few here understand it.
We have no State tax. At all.

 

[explanade]

Until the oil runs out.

 

[youbet]

Lower property assessments would have zero impact in my local taxing district. They take the total of the assessments, then factor the tax by that.

If every home doubled in value, my tax bill would be the same. If every home value dropped in half, my tax bill would be the same. I think most communities work this way, but I don't know for sure. Based on the comments from some of my neighbors, I suspect that a lot of people don't know how their property taxes are structured.

-ERD50

That's how it works in my area too. RE taxes are ridiculously high, but we won't pay less in aggregate just because assessments go down. Assessments only determine how much of the total bill each homeowner gets stuck with.

 

[toofrugalformycat]

Until the oil runs out.

Amen.
People are literally paid to live here in Alaska, with our permanent fund dividend every year to every man, woman and child, and no State income tax.
And yet many people complain that they are paying too much tax.
Did I mention this is a Red state?
It's insane.

 

[Nords]

They then tell you how every highshool "needs" their own natatorium and new uniforms for every team down to the chess club.

Heeeeyyyyy... what's wrong with new uniforms for the Chess Club? They may not be as big & strong as the football team, or get to go to so many neat places, or have crowds cheering in the stands and be seen on TV, or be as popular, or get all the hot cheerleaders-- but they bring home trophies too!!

Never mind, I'll get over it someday...

 

[ziggy29]

Did I mention this is a Red state?

The Soap Box is that way...

 

[2B]

Heeeeyyyyy... what's wrong with new uniforms for the Chess Club? They may not be as big & strong as the football team, or get to go to so many neat places, or have crowds cheering in the stands and be seen on TV, or be as popular, or get all the hot cheerleaders-- but they bring home trophies too!!

Never mind, I'll get over it someday...

Hey. I was in the chess club and there was this cheerleader.....

I was also in the drama group so I didn't have total nerd status. I had taken more than the minimum math requirement so I was always suspect.

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Hey. I was in the chess club and there was this cheerleader.....

?

 

[BunsGettingFirm]

Heeeeyyyyy... what's wrong with new uniforms for the Chess Club? They may not be as big & strong as the football team, or get to go to so many neat places, or have crowds cheering in the stands and be seen on TV, or be as popular, or get all the hot cheerleaders-- but they bring home trophies too!!

Never mind, I'll get over it someday...

I see that chess team mental damage takes many years to unwind. Don't worry. I was on the much cooler computer club. Wait, now I think about it, I didn't even win any trophies.

I think CFB is very unfair to appropriate what is obviously a (possibly the only) computer club cheerleader to cheer the chess team.

 

[Sarah in SC]

Chess Club Cheerleader?

Way, way, way too much time on your hands, bunny!

 

[harley]

Hey. I was in the chess club and there was this cheerleader.....

I was also in the drama group so I didn't have total nerd status. I had taken more than the minimum math requirement so I was always suspect.

I think that thinking that being in the drama group moves you out of the nerd group is a pretty good indication of your overall membership level.

You would have at last needed to be in the band. I remember this one time at band camp...

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Way, way, way too much time on your hands, bunny!

Eh, it only took a minute. Plus she has great pom poms and terrific core memory.

 

[toofrugalformycat]

The Soap Box is that way...

Sorry. My bad.

 

[2B]

I think that thinking that being in the drama group moves you out of the nerd group is a pretty good indication of your overall membership level.

You would have at last needed to be in the band. I remember this one time at band camp...

Cool being in band? There's nothing wrong with the band but it never raised your HS social standing except with other band members. It was sort of like being in the chess club but with more noise.

 

[CuppaJoe]

Cool being in band? There's nothing wrong with the band but it never raised your HS social standing except with other band members. It was sort of like being in the chess club but with more noise.

-
LOL, anyone could get into the marching band, it was a little harder to qualify for the concert band although I don't recall anyone being turned down, not even tone-deaf me.

However, I was not allowed to sing in the chorus, now that must have been status. "Megan" and I would sit alone in an empty classroom while virtually everyone else went off to practice for chorus. She seemed to take pride in the fact she could not sing, it was the only thing she couldn't do. She was prom queen and valedictorian. I loved hanging out with her.

 

[2B]

-
LOL, anyone could get into the marching band, it was a little harder to qualify for the concert band although I don't recall anyone being turned down, not even tone-deaf me.

However, I was not allowed to sing in the chorus, now that must have been status. "Megan" and I would sit alone in an empty classroom while virtually everyone else went off to practice for chorus. She seemed to take pride in the fact she could not sing, it was the only thing she couldn't do. She was prom queen and valedictorian. I loved hanging out with her.

My mother was a professional singer and her father was a professional musician. I was drafted to be in the church children's choir. In the first practice the nun got red faced and started yelling at me to sing on tune. She thought I was doing it to get out of the choir.

Due to severe discipline from the church school my grandfather tested me and confirmed I was tone deaf. So was my father.

 

[TromboneAl]

Anyone do a cheerleader in the natatorium?

 

[Sarah in SC]

only T-al could come up with a dirty post that still required a trip to Wikipedia!
It is the building where the pool is, for the lazy.
Jeez!

 

[REWahoo]

Anyone do a cheerleader in the natatorium?

No. But I heard Col Mustard did it in the ballroom with a candlestick.

 

[Zoocat]

Here's a picture of Paulson answering phone calls from all over the world.
Mish's Global Economic Trend Analysis

 

[CuppaJoe]

....
Due to severe discipline from the church school my grandfather tested me and confirmed I was tone deaf. So was my father.

-
You must have been very smart! Like "Megan."

 

[FinanceDude]

Cool being in band? There's nothing wrong with the band but it never raised your HS social standing except with other band members. It was sort of like being in the chess club but with more noise.

That's why I was a hybrid, the dreaded "band-jock". It meant we could date both cheerleaders and hottie band girls with no repercussions........

 

[Sarah in SC]

Sure thing FD, right up until you sold the car for tuition! Then, poof!
I didn't even know there were hottie band girls anywhere!

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Oh, please dont make me cobble up a picture...