<pre><tt>"while<br>those less fortunate families will realize a 1% cost increase each time <br>they<br>go through their grocer's check-out line."--T. Hansen<br><br>Actually they experience a 20% tax increase. As a 5 cent tax to a<br>6 cent tax is a 20% increase. <br><br>Poor people also spend a greater percentage of their income on <br>taxable items, like food and clothing. As much as or more than 50%<br><br>Many poorer families only realize taxes through sales tax. <br><br>So what this really means is a family of four living on about $30K a <br>year, will experience a 10% increase in taxes. All so property owners<br>can get a $600 deduction--Maybe, which I don't think they will really see. <br>Their property taxes will likely just be increased that amount or more. <br><br>What is horrible about this plan is that before the Republicans adopted the<br>idea of a 20% sales tax increase it was the Democrats plan to raise sales tax<br>20% for education. So it appears there
really is not a difference. Both the Democrats<br>and the Republicans wanted to steal from you, they just had different ideas what to<br>do with the money they stole from you. <br><br>Best,<br><br>_DJA<br></tt></pre> <br><br><b><i>Tom Hansen <thansen@moscow.com></i></b> wrote:<blockquote class="replbq" style="border-left: 2px solid rgb(16, 16, 255); margin-left: 5px; padding-left: 5px;"> >From today's (September 1, 2006) Moscow-Pullman Daily News with a special<br>thanks to Geneva Farnam.<br><br>------------------------------------------------------------<br><br>I am a homeowner, and I suppose I should be really happy about a property<br>tax cut, but I am not if it would be at the expense of people who can least<br>afford it. <br><br>No matter how low your income, you have to buy in order to live, and when<br>you buy, you have to pay the sales tax. It's just not right. <br><br>Geneva Farnam,
Moscow<br><br>------------------------------------------------------------<br><br>And just how does Dale "Comb-Over" Courtney's Brainless Log (BLog) respond?<br><br>This is how:<br><br>"Let's do the math. Your property taxes will go down $300 for every $100k of<br>valuation. <br><br>So if you own a house appraised at $200k (the average house in Moscow these<br>days), then you will save $600 per year. <br><br>In order to pay $600 more in sales tax (at a 1% rate), you'd need to spend<br>over $60,000 per year in items that are taxed by Idaho sales tax. <br><br>I don't personally know anyone in Moscow who has that kind of income. <br><br>Maybe you do, though.<br><br>Bottom line: sales taxes are far less detrimental to the poor than are<br>property taxes. You can control the sales taxes (choose when/where to buy;<br>choose not to buy discretionary items; etc). You don't have the option of<br>not paying your property taxes - taxes that go up without the owner actually<br>having
more income to pay for it."<br><br>Nope. Nothing wrong with your math there, C-O.<br><br>Question, though: Since this discussion concerns poor people and property<br>tax, how many poor people do you know who own a house valued at (or over)<br>$200,000.<br><br>C-O further claims that sales tax is a discretionary tax, as its impact is<br>gauged on the increase or decrease of a person's purchasing habits. You may<br>be on to something, C-O. Just think how much that poor family's tax<br>liability would be reduced if they simply gave up food.<br><br>The bottom line here is (as illustrated by Dale "Comb-Over" Courtney):<br><br>People fortunate enough to own property will realize a tax liability<br>reduction of "$300 for every $100k of valuation [property valuation]", while<br>those less fortunate families will realize a 1% cost increase each time they<br>go through their grocer's check-out line.<br><br>Thanks for the math lesson, C-O. And as far as not having the "option
of<br>not paying your property taxes" is concerned . . . well, that's another<br>discussion for another day.<br><br>Seeya round town, Moscow.<br><br>Tom Hansen<br>Moscow, Idaho<br><br><br>*********************************************<br>"If you are going to take Federal Money, then you need to accept the Federal<br>requirements."<br><br>- Dale Courtney (December 5, 2005)<br>*********************************************<br><br><br><br>=======================================================<br> List services made available by First Step Internet, <br> serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994. <br> http://www.fsr.net <br> mailto:Vision2020@moscow.com<br>=======================================================<br></blockquote><br><p> 
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