Social Security Benefits Could Get Their Biggest Boost in 40 Years.

[CaptTom]

Someone paid taxes to put me through school. And back then we had among the best schools in the world. Not sure that's still true, but I certainly don't begrudge paying my share, even though I personally have no kids in the local schools any more.

I'm appalled that some areas specifically carve out a school tax exemption for some residents. Next they'll start charging more for each additional child a parent has in the school. The whole concept of a free education seems under threat.

Property tax freezes also seem unfair to me, although I would certainly benefit. Why should someone pay less just because they've lived there longer? If anything it's new families starting out who need the break.

Finally, I think many people misunderstand the concept of property tax. The municipal budget is divided among all the property owners proportionally, based on property value. If all the properties go up, in theory the mil rate should go down, and everyone would still pay the same percentage of the municipal budget as before. Of course, if the budget goes up, so do everyone's taxes. But it wouldn't be because property values went up.

 

[Time2]

Why aren't property taxes frozen or reduced for people over 65?
We paid our dues many times over the years, we deserve a break. It should not matter how much assets we have. We (for the most part) aren't working and earning income anymore.
Just about every election cycle in our state this issue comes up and is always voted down.

Property taxes are one of my pet peaves, you never own your home, the government is your landlord, and will you will pay them to live in your home as long as you live.
On our ballot we had a proposal to give an additional $50,000 homestead exemption to mostly government workers, but added medical workers and paramedics. Ya, right, then the rest of us homeowners will make up the loss of revenue with higher property taxes. i don't even know how that could get on the ballot. The canvassers must have had a list of government workers, medical workers and paramedics to sign the petition.
The end of democracy, "when the people vote the largess for themselves".
We are there!

 

[Graybeard]

On our ballot we had a proposal to give an additional $50,000 homestead exemption to mostly government workers, but added medical workers and paramedics. Ya, right, then the rest of us homeowners will make up the loss of revenue with higher property taxes. i don't even know how that could get on the ballot. The canvassers must have had a list of government workers, medical workers and paramedics to sign the petition.
The end of democracy, "when the people vote the largess for themselves".
We are there!

What you are describing is exactly what a democracy is - a democracy is 2 fox and a chicken voting on what is for dinner, ie - mob rule.

 

[Koolau]

The whole concept of a free education seems under threat.

I have not seen that.

In any case, there is no free education. It's just a matter of who pays for it. Call it "tax payer funded" but not free. Not a semantic argument either. It's important to remember who actually pays for anything we have taken to calling free. Sorry, just my particular "thing" so YMMV.

 

[CaptTom]

On our ballot we had a proposal to give an additional $50,000 homestead exemption to mostly government workers, but added medical workers and paramedics.

That's horrible. When you start carving out groups like that, where does it end? Whose job is less important than whose? Who gets left paying the lion's share?

In any case, there is no free education. It's just a matter of who pays for it. Call it "tax payer funded" but not free.

Good point. Poor choice of words. I stand corrected.