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<DIV> Barbara - thank you so much for this information.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Do those other universities own 50% of the housing that their student base is in? Which is where Moscow is at. Give or take a point.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Do you think this new school levy will reduce our present tax burden? Or maybe add to it. I would love to hear your thoughts. Don't you think we are at our maximum tax already? There is no more money from us. We are bleeding at the seams already. So - what happens when our water and sewer rates are increased 67% which is coming shortly? Where are we going to get that money? We certainly don't get raises at our jobs because our employer's cost to keep us is so high. Those of us that are self employed get to deal with almost monthly increases of insurance, taxes .... yadda yadda.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>You are aware that this year a lot of buisnesses in Moscow are hurting because of the weather? You know the students have been going home for the weekends. This hurts all of us. Well....... except the landlords and the insurance guy and a few others that get a monthly paycheck NO MATTER WHAT.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>We are not even going to discuss the gas prices which we all pay.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>My point is: WE CANNOT AFFORD MORE TAXES. WE ARE TAXED OUT!</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Cheers,</DIV>
<DIV>Phil</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV id=IncrediOriginalMessage><I>-------Original Message-------</I></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV id=receivestrings>
<DIV dir=ltr style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt" <i><B>From:</B></I> <A href="mailto:edc@moscow.com">Barbara Richardson Crouch</A></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt" <i><B>Date:</B></I> 04/07/05 13:27:28</DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt" <i><B>To:</B></I> <A href="mailto:FCS@moscow.com">FCS@moscow.com</A>; <A href="mailto:rforce@moscow.com">rforce@moscow.com</A>; <A href="mailto:vision2020@moscow.com">vision2020@moscow.com</A></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt" <i><B>Subject:</B></I> RE: [Vision2020] Tax abuse rampant in nonprofits</DIV></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Mark,</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Many other communities in the US have universities or colleges that are</DIV>
<DIV>tax exempt and do not seem to have the perceived tax burder or problem</DIV>
<DIV>that Moscow has. For example, Pocatello has ISU however, they also have</DIV>
<DIV>diversified their economy so that they are not overly dependent on ISU for</DIV>
<DIV>their economic base - and yes their tax rate is lower than ours.</DIV>
<DIV>Basically, a governmental budget is like any other budget - if you spend</DIV>
<DIV>more than you earn - there is a problem. The people of Moscow may want</DIV>
<DIV>more services than they are willing to pay for - or allow development for -</DIV>
<DIV> that will not be corrected by bringing in more revenues from taxing the</DIV>
<DIV>University or other governmental units.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Barbara</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>> I don't know how it could be accomplished, but I'd love to see all tax</DIV>
<DIV>> exemptions abolished and a proper distribution of the resulting tax</DIV>
<DIV>dollars.</DIV>
<DIV>> I have a sense that most tax exempt entities do not provide a comparable</DIV>
<DIV>> community benefit to offset tax "losses". Even if a governmental agency</DIV>
<DIV>is</DIV>
<DIV>> taxing itself (State, County, Federal, UI, USPO, etc.) - I'd prefer to</DIV>
<DIV>have</DIV>
<DIV>> them taxed and the revenues distributed in a revamped system. I'm</DIV>
<DIV>curious</DIV>
<DIV>> as to whether this would prove to be beneficial for a greater good or</DIV>
<DIV>just a</DIV>
<DIV>> shift of burden from current paying entities at the expense of current</DIV>
<DIV>> exempt entities. Maybe Moscow is unique with its overly burdened tax</DIV>
<DIV>payer,</DIV>
<DIV>> but what would be the negatives that cancel the benefits of a more evenly</DIV>
<DIV>> distributed tax burden? Perhaps an economist or others can weigh in on</DIV>
<DIV>this</DIV>
<DIV>> and provide me with better insight?</DIV>
<DIV>></DIV>
<DIV>> Mark</DIV>
<DIV>></DIV>
<DIV>> Mark Seman, Architect</DIV>
<DIV>> Heather Seman, Landscape Architect</DIV>
<DIV>> 1404 East 'F' Street Moscow, Idaho 83843</DIV>
<DIV>> v 208-883-3276 / f 208-883-0112</DIV>
<DIV>></DIV>
<DIV>></DIV>
<DIV>></DIV>
<DIV>> -----Original Message-----</DIV>
<DIV>> From: <A href="mailto:vision2020-bounces@moscow.com">vision2020-bounces@moscow.com</A></DIV>
<DIV>> [<A href="mailto:vision2020-bounces@moscow.com">mailto:vision2020-bounces@moscow.com</A>]On Behalf Of Ron Force</DIV>
<DIV>> Sent: Wednesday, April 06, 2005 3:09 PM</DIV>
<DIV>> To: <A href="mailto:vision2020@moscow.com">vision2020@moscow.com</A></DIV>
<DIV>> Subject: [Vision2020] Tax abuse rampant in nonprofits</DIV>
<DIV>></DIV>
<DIV>></DIV>
<DIV>> Tax Abuse Rampant in Nonprofits, IRS Says</DIV>
<DIV>></DIV>
<DIV>> By Albert B. Crenshaw</DIV>
<DIV>> Washington Post Staff Writer</DIV>
<DIV>> Tuesday, April 5, 2005; Page E01</DIV>
<DIV>></DIV>
<DIV>> ....Everson raised particular concerns about nonprofit hospitals and how</DIV>
<DIV>hard</DIV>
<DIV>> it is to distinguish them from for-profit hospitals; political activity</DIV>
<DIV>by</DIV>
<DIV>> nonprofits; misuse of entities set up to allow religious leaders to hold</DIV>
<DIV>> property and conduct business for the benefit of a religious</DIV>
<DIV>organization;</DIV>
<DIV>> and deals designed to allow members of a tribe to benefit from gambling</DIV>
<DIV>> revenue without owing taxes...</DIV>
<DIV>></DIV>
<DIV>> <A href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A26388-2005Apr4.html">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A26388-2005Apr4.html</A></DIV>
<DIV>></DIV>
<DIV>></DIV>
<DIV>> _____________________________________________________</DIV>
<DIV>> List services made available by First Step Internet,</DIV>
<DIV>> serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.</DIV>
<DIV>> <A href="http://www.fsr.net">http://www.fsr.net</A></DIV>
<DIV>> <A href="mailto:Vision2020@moscow.com">mailto:Vision2020@moscow.com</A></DIV>
<DIV>> ŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻ</DIV>
<DIV>></DIV>
<DIV>></DIV>
<DIV>></DIV>
<DIV>> _____________________________________________________</DIV>
<DIV>> List services made available by First Step Internet,</DIV>
<DIV>> serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.</DIV>
<DIV>> <A href="http://www.fsr.net">http://www.fsr.net</A></DIV>
<DIV>> <A href="mailto:Vision2020@moscow.com">mailto:Vision2020@moscow.com</A></DIV>
<DIV>> ŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻ</DIV>
<DIV>></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>---------------------------------------------</DIV>
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<DIV>_____________________________________________________</DIV>
<DIV> List services made available by First Step Internet,</DIV>
<DIV> serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.</DIV>
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<DIV> <A href="mailto:Vision2020@moscow.com">mailto:Vision2020@moscow.com</A></DIV>
<DIV>ŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻ</DIV>
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<DIV>--</DIV>
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