B-1 83 said:

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nortex97 said:

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The full quote was:

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The right to vote should be stripped of all felons, and those who do not pay into not contribute to the entity that is the subject of an election.

Same for property taxes. It's not a perfect system, but it's what we use. That said if you're somehow exempt or yours are frozen, you cease voting in elections that determine how their spent/allocated or raised.

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There is a valid argument that only people who pay taxes and/or own real property should be allowed to vote. The rationale being, those with an invested stake in the state who pay it's finances via taxation, are the ones who are most interested in the management of the government, and taxation rates/policies.

I am not sure why your grifter father's exemptions are expiring, but it sounds like you, and perhaps he as well, are quite interested in changing the government's tax policies, and I would support your continued rights to vote, though I think we should be making voting much harder for a lot of people. I am not sure what the right answer to property tax reform really is, but I don't think Texans are going to get rid of it, anytime soon. Ultimately, 'the king will always get his share.'

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1. I know of nobody who pays no taxes. There is nearly $.40 a gallon on gasoline, sales tax, taxes on cable TV, taxes on your phone….. "If you stand too long, I'll tax your feet…….'cuz I'm the tax man…"
2. Dad died. His exemptions died with him, as they should.

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But if you are paying those taxes with money given you by the government, are you really the one paying those taxes?

Husky Boy Jr. said:

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The most equitable way to tax is a state income tax but that is a non starter for the state GOP.

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No its not. The most equitable way is a sales tax

Langenator said:

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Husky Boy Jr. said:

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96ags said:

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I don't mind the property tax system, but it should be based on your purchase price not a annual valuation.

As long as you don't add to or change the use of the property, the valuation should not change.

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That makes a lot of sense. Plus I would avoid dealing with the mouth breathers at the appraisal district.

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This is essentially what California did with Prop. 13 back in the 1970s. Value is set by the sale price at time of sale, and the assessed value can only rise by some limited percentage (2% per year, I think.)

This can lead to its own distortions, especially when people own a property for a long time. My parents have lived in the same house in Livermore (about 40 minutes from Oakland) for about 50 years now. They paid $36k for the house when they bought it, I think a year or two before Prop. 13 passed. Current tax assessment is in the $85k range.

A quick look at Zillow tells me that if they sold the house today, they'd probably clear $1m, easily. (An almost identical house, on a slightly smaller lot a block and a half away, sold for $1.015m 6 months ago.)

On one hand, there's no danger of being taxed out of the house. On the other, they can't afford to move out, even if they downsize, unless they either leave the state, or buy a single-wide somewhere like Modoc or Barstow, because they wouldn't be able to afford the taxes. That's actually part of the reason that the real estate market in California is so pinched - because people like my parents can't afford to sell their house and move into a smaller one.

If you want to make the tax system fair, to my mind the ultimate in equality would be a fixed head tax. Every adult resident pays $x every year. No exemptions, no exceptions, everyone pays the same. Not that it has any chance of happening.

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Curious why your parents don't move out of Cali? With that kind of profit, Id move, get the same home for less money and spend the profit.

Jarrin' Jay said:

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Martin Cash said:

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Jason C. said:

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Taxes that increase with fluctuating "market-based" property appraisals carried out by the taxing entity, instead of by vote by representatives, are undemocratic. Especially when they're (after income taxes) the largest tax most taxpayers pay. We aren't talking adding half a penny to sales tax when a housing market gets hot.

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You do realize that the taxing entities have nothing to do with appraisals, right?

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It is a scam system. If you bought your house for $300K you should be taxed on $300K. Not $450K just because maybe you could sell it for that. What if the valuation was $1 million? Why should you have to pay tax on $1 million?

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As well, I don't think people should have to pay ISD taxes if they do not have children attending the ISD. There is way too much waste and reckless spending and budget increases in public school systems. They only way this stops is to cut off the $ flow and have the ISDs and schools be held accountable to those who are actually using and paying for the services.

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To your first point, I agree in principle, but I worry about the unintended consequences. Though your tax burden is locked in, it also prohibits people from selling later. That will inevitably have an effect on the market.

I agree about the ISD taxes as well. I'm not sure the solution though. Because even though I might not have kids attending school any longer, I still benefit from my house being zoned to good schools. Is that worth the amount we pay? I dont think so...but it is worth something.

What blows my mind about that discussion, is the amount of $$ schools spend on each kid per year. While private schools have as good or better education, and spend far less per child.

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Curious why your parents don't move out of Cali? With that kind of profit, Id move, get the same home for less money and spend the profit.

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That would seem to be a good financial option. But it does stink if your only/best option is to leave the only home you've ever known because of bad tax/fiscal policy.

And from the State's perspective, they should want to keep that money in Cali.

The same liberal politicians that bemoan racist gentrification of historically minority neighborhoods also support increasing property taxes to fund their terrible schools.

LongVolatilityAg said:

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Yep I absolutely hate paying my property taxes every January.

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Pay 'em in December!

flakrat said:

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B-1 83 said:

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nortex97 said:

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The full quote was:

Quote:

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The right to vote should be stripped of all felons, and those who do not pay into not contribute to the entity that is the subject of an election.

Same for property taxes. It's not a perfect system, but it's what we use. That said if you're somehow exempt or yours are frozen, you cease voting in elections that determine how their spent/allocated or raised.

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There is a valid argument that only people who pay taxes and/or own real property should be allowed to vote. The rationale being, those with an invested stake in the state who pay it's finances via taxation, are the ones who are most interested in the management of the government, and taxation rates/policies.

I am not sure why your grifter father's exemptions are expiring, but it sounds like you, and perhaps he as well, are quite interested in changing the government's tax policies, and I would support your continued rights to vote, though I think we should be making voting much harder for a lot of people. I am not sure what the right answer to property tax reform really is, but I don't think Texans are going to get rid of it, anytime soon. Ultimately, 'the king will always get his share.'

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1. I know of nobody who pays no taxes. There is nearly $.40 a gallon on gasoline, sales tax, taxes on cable TV, taxes on your phone….. "If you stand too long, I'll tax your feet…….'cuz I'm the tax man…"
2. Dad died. His exemptions died with him, as they should.

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But if you are paying those taxes with money given you by the government, are you really the one paying those taxes?

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"Given to me by the government"???????

I don't have kids... the dollars I pay for school / community college taxes is stunning. And it never goes down over the years

Then I see what I/we pay for in Colllin County... giant school palaces... auditoriums, atriums, technology, maintenance and upkeep for huge football stadiums, way top heavy school administrators, etc.

Is amazing what Jonh Adams, Abe Lincoln, etc. could accomplish with paper, quil/pencil, bound books.

Y'all sound broke.

Tenants paid $200,000 in property taxes for us this year.

And I loved every minute of it.

First year of no mortgage for us. Sucks to pay those taxes...and no tax benefit from the interest. Kind of disappointing, really.

AgGrad99 said:

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Curious why your parents don't move out of Cali? With that kind of profit, Id move, get the same home for less money and spend the profit.

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That would seem to be a good financial option. But it does stink if your only/best option is to leave the only home you've ever known because of bad tax/fiscal policy.

And from the State's perspective, they should want to keep that money in Cali.

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They thought about moving to AZ or NV when my dad retired in 2002, but most of my relatives also live in the Bay Area (one of my late great-aunts lived in the Full House neighborhood of SF) and they had, at the time two-three decades of friends and relationships there.

They'll turn 84 and 80 this year, and if they left that familiar place and support structure, they'd probably have to move into some kind of old folks home.

And my dad worked for Lawrence Livermore National Lab for 30+ years, so his pension comes from the University of California. I'm sure CA would like to keep that money in state.

B-1 83 said:

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rgag12 said:

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B-1 83 said:

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Here's another twist to the "taxpayers voting" concept………..

The 4 heirs to the family ranchito all live outside of that county. We pay taxes there, yet cannot vote on issues impacting taxes there. How do we solve that little pickle?

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Move there or sell the land

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So I should have a vote in some of my property tax impacting areas, but not others? Ok…..

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I really wonder if all those people that are from New York and New Jersey that homes in Florida just vote in New York and New Jersey in all elections….. how does a state check if you own land in different states? I as a notary have seen people pull out multiple different state id's out of wallet in the past….. I get the Heeby jeebies and tell them I can't do the notary….

The answer is in this book written by Neal Boortz and Representative John Linder in 2008.

Get the book here

9-9-9