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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Retired Educator" data-source="post: 290771" data-attributes="member: 3373">I'm going to be in the minority and not very popular. I've read some ideas about replacing property tax and using the legacy fund is suspect. The fund is sizable but wouldn't last very long if used totally to replace the property tax. Where would we be back to then? Not to mention that was an initiated measure where the measure specifically said only the interest could be used. I'm not a lover of tax, I'd prefer to pay no tax. No property tax, no income tax, no sales tax, none. I also realize that s not possible. I'm not in the camp that says I never own my house with property tax. I own my house free and clear as well as some farm land. The property tax doesn't go towards a payment, it's a payment for services. It pays for road maintenance , fire protection, police protection etc. Perhaps it would be better if we all owned some equipment and each of us was in charge of so many miles of road maintenance and each of us hired our own police officer. Hardly practical.For elderly there is the Homestead Tax Credit where they are allowed to not pay much of their property tax. Go to your county office and ask for the forms. Fill them out and much of your tax bill is removed. Not difficult and open to everyone based on income. If you are wealthy your taxes will remain, if not you will save most of the tax bill. Not true with sales tax.If you don't like your tax bill, have you ever been to a Tax Equalization Meeting. Schools, cities, and counties all hold them yearly. You have the opportunity to express why your tax bill is unfair. It can't be just that you think it's too high but you can protest that your property value is not fair. Mistakes are made,usually in miscalculation of square footage or maybe in crop acres.  I'm betting that none of property owners would be willing to sell the property for what it's been valued. If you think your local politicians are spending too much you also have the opportunity to attend their budget hearings. Also held annually. At those meeting you can express your feeling about where too much is being spent. It doesn't help much to just say "You're spending too much." It's much more useful to have some suggestions of specific areas where cuts could be made. Since I was in the education field as well as a city official for many years I can assure you that those meetings rarely had anybody attend. It's so much easier sit downtown at the coffee shop and complain.In addition, also based on many years of working in a field where much of the money needed to operate on came from property tax I know first-hand how few people want to use their time to run for a position (school board or city council) to make the decisions necessary to operate a city or school. Now that I've pissed off most of you that was not the intention. The intention was too suggest if you don't like the way things are going, get involved and do something about the issue. As a, what i considered a wise and knowledgeable man, once told me, "If you're complaining about a problem without suggesting a solution, all you're doing is whining."</blockquote>

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