If I replace the word "Washington" with the phrase "Wall Street"...doesn't that argument work equally well?

 

What rate of return does Washington create nationally?

My basic point is it doesn't help if they cut federal taxes and we "save" 300$ per pay check, only to have the state and local governments raise taxes and misc. fees right back to the same point, which is basically what happened with these much talked about "Bush tax cuts".

 

At the end of the day I didn't see the 300$ savings from this tax cut (this is just an example number) as it's just being taken away by the state/local government now.

 

Nothing changed, they just shifted which sector of the government gets the money from a federal level to a state local level. Which is awesome, because state/local governments have never been in more trouble, despite the across the board tax increases on everything from property to canned goods.

 

Lewis Black has a great comedy routine where he talks about the 300$ rebate checks most of us received about 8 years ago. Our government, in their infinite brilliance, spent something like 50 Million dollars in postage/printing/manpower to send out a letter to every American informing them that their check was in the mail. Nothing like putting that letter in the same envelope as the check to save MILLIONS in postage, extra envelopes, extra manpower, etc.

 

They have NO idea what efficient means.

Lewis Black has a great comedy routine where he talks about the 300$ rebate checks most of us received about 8 years ago. Our government, in their infinite brilliance, spent something like 50 Million dollars in postage/printing/manpower to send out a letter to every American informing them that their check was in the mail. Nothing like putting that letter in the same envelope as the check to save MILLIONS in postage, extra envelopes, extra manpower, etc.

 

They have NO idea what efficient means.

You do realize why they did that right? Come on man, that's marketing. That is a very large, federally funded ad campaign for the party in power.

You do realize why they did that right? Come on man, that's marketing. That is a very large, federally funded ad campaign for the party in power.

 

I don't care why they did it. It's wasteful. I also don't care who it was marketing for. That's our money they wasted, for no reason. It's just an easy example of the many things they can do to save TONS of money, and they never bother.

Edited November 9, 201015 yr by Y2HH

Cook County generates something like $3B-$4B in property taxes annually. Just to put it in perspective. Cook County has what, maybe 5-6 million people or so? If its $3.5B for 5.5 million people, that's about $650 per person in populace. If that ratio roughly extends laterally, you get $195B.

When I lived in cook county years ago, my tax bill was just over $2000 a year. Yeah, there were portions on their for local school districts, police, etc, but the largest by far were the county, especially if you added them all together. Cook County Hospital, Forest preserve, Road fund, etc. Half the tax bill were for Cook County things. I now pay about 2.5x that here in Will county, but my roads are better and the schools a ton better.

When I lived in cook county years ago, my tax bill was just over $2000 a year. Yeah, there were portions on their for local school districts, police, etc, but the largest by far were the county, especially if you added them all together. Cook County Hospital, Forest preserve, Road fund, etc. Half the tax bill were for Cook County things. I now pay about 2.5x that here in Will county, but my roads are better and the schools a ton better.

 

I live in cook county now, and my taxes are over 2700$ a year, and rising.

I live in cook county now, and my taxes are over 2700$ a year, and rising.

I just saw an article this morning in the Trib, that stated that the percentage effective property tax rate for Chicago residents was actually one of the lowest in the metro area. Northfield was the lowest, and the highest was in poor areas where property values have sunk badly. The property tax regime in Cook County is actually quite regressive.

 

I just saw an article this morning in the Trib, that stated that the percentage effective property tax rate for Chicago residents was actually one of the lowest in the metro area. Northfield was the lowest, and the highest was in poor areas where property values have sunk badly. The property tax regime in Cook County is actually quite regressive.

 

They need to be low in Chicago, unlike the surrounding suburbs who pay much higher taxes, a HUGE percentage of those taxes go to their schools.

They need to be low in Chicago, unlike the surrounding suburbs who pay much higher taxes, a HUGE percentage of those taxes go to their schools.

Agreed, but, doesn't it seem a little broken to you, that people in Northfield pay a much lower percentage to property taxes than people in Robbins?

 

Agreed, but, doesn't it seem a little broken to you, that people in Northfield pay a much lower percentage to property taxes than people in Robbins?

 

I'm not sure why that is. A lot factors into these things. Are we talking about per individual house that their taxes are higher? Or are we considering their taxes higher because it's a denser population? Location also matters.

I'm not sure why that is. A lot factors into these things. Are we talking about per individual house that their taxes are higher? Or are we considering their taxes higher because it's a denser population? Location also matters.

Property tax paid as a percentage of assessed value. The assessment ratios are constant in Cook County, so the only variation is tax paid versus value as a ratio. Just seems odd to me that someone living in a place like Northfield pays a lower percentage of their home value to property taxes than someone in Robbins. Its regressive.

 

How about lowering it without RAISING taxes. That's all I want. Stop raising them, stop spending.

 

They to raise the s*** out of the ones for people over $200K. When Kennedy took over in 1961, it was like 71%, and we all know how prosperous the 50s were economically.

They to raise the s*** out of the ones for people over $200K. When Kennedy took over in 1961, it was like 71%, and we all know how prosperous the 50s were economically.

Don't forget to bomb all the factories in Germany and Japan first. China too for good measure

Don't forget to bomb all the factories in Germany and Japan first. China too for good measure

 

Might as well get India on the way to China. Just to be a bit more thorough.