Hey--don'tcha know Doyle signed a tax Freeze?
Whassamatta you?
The Elmbrook School Board will vote tonight on a final 2006-'07 budget that includes a 5% increase in the school property tax levy - the largest levy increase in four years.
An increase in the property tax for Milwaukee schools that is more than double what was envisioned last spring ...But now that the actual figures for state aid are completed and other totals have been adjusted by changed circumstances, the increase has risen to 7.7%.
By the way, search that JSOnline article about the State's contribution to the Milwaukee public schools as often as you like. You won't find out how much the State sends.
Interesting, no?
There's a ballot initiative in Nebraska that's supposed to add a spending cap to the NE constitution. It ties and spending increases to a furmula involving inflation and population, and is touted to "lower taxes". only it won't, really.
ReplyDeleteYou see, medicare coverage, and medical coverage for state employees is increasing at multiples of inflation. Being capped, the state can only adjust by clipping state aid to schools, which in turn necessitates local property tax increases to cover the difference.
There's no saving in that, now is there? Here's the kicker:
Joe makes $33 K a year, and has a house worth $150 K. Thurston earns $250 K on a year, and has a house worth $500 K. Proportionally, Thurston would pay much more in income tax than in property tax, compared to Joe.
So Thurston would prefer to limit income taxation, on the state level, versus local property tax, which the proles would proportionally pay more for. A sales tax, closer to the GST found in Canada and other socialist nations, further skews tax burden toward the middle and lower classes.
But what do I know, me being Joe, about Thurston's woe?
Except the guys making $150K are the one who are really screwed. They have to pay for everything themselves, while saving because SS is a lost cause(that they continue to pay into despite no promises it is there for them), and sending kids to college(because they can't get fed money because they seem to make too much), and when they retire, they will have too much to qualify for a lot of other benefits. And then there is my generation...ugh...stop the crazy taxing while you can, we seem to be getting addicted. Is taxation a drug?
ReplyDelete