My father played poker with me when I was about 9 years old. I lost all my saved money to him. After we were done with the game I said: "Give me my money back." He said: “No, that is not how gambling works.” I cried but I never did get that money back. I never gambled again. My lessons were hard knocks. I have my father to thank when I look with skepticism on this property tax reduction fiasco. Now, as reported today, the Latin Builders Association will spend millions on a State referendum initiative to "help us" lower our taxes? If that isn't a bad omen, I don't know what is. Marcus Rubio is going to help. Yeah, sure. There Is only one thing I do know for sure: In the end the taxpayers are going to get screwed.
Looks like Governor Crist has one good idea:
Slash the budget by $459,000,000. I like that one. At least he is doing what Republicans once stood for. I looked over what he was slashing and there was the Hialeah treatment plant that the Mayor of Hialeah said Hialeah would build. Good.
I am pretty good at looking at the big picture.
In the beginning the tax reduction will look good like those 4% mortgages. In the end you will end up paying more — might be in 4 or 5 years but -- in the end it will not be a good thing for any person or entity except for the fat cats: our government.
Think about it, and ask yourself questions like: Why would our government screw itself out of money? Why are developers trying to help us reduce our taxes, so they can build more and screw our quality of life perhaps? What will happen to the caps we now have on how much the government can raise our taxes? Will we have bond issue after bond issue?
The layers of government need the money to both give us services and to squander. They are going to get it some how, some way and it ain't going to save you money in the long run.
4 comments:
I agree. I think the only way to go is sales tax however then they will add other taxes in a few years and we will be saddled with the highest sales tax in the nation.
Your dad reall kept your money?
Sales tax is hugely regressive - the poor pay the most as a proportion of income. "Disposable" income only has meaning to people who have it.
I have a bit of bad news on the water plant for Hialeah. Sure, they said they'd build it, but they never said they'd pay for it. Guess who's going to pay for the plant? The County. So instead of the State funds going to soften the blow to rate-payers, the county water customers get to pony up the dough for the extra spices that will be added to our water from the salty floridan.
you are right anon...
and the county will probably also pay for the $800,000 infrastructure OUTSIDE the UDB on Hialeah's annexed land that the Governor slashed.
I am not sure I get how reducing property taxes and increasing sales taxes does anything except increase housing prices while there is a shift in who pays the tax. My guess is poor people and renters end up paying more in taxes (through sales tax increase) and rich folk with high property taxes end up paying less taxes. Is this a good thing?
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