European Tribune - Comments - It's the same fight

It's the same fight | 94 comments (94 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

My local property taxes are 15% of my salary. Yup.

Hey, I feel for you on this one. That is really incredible. I live in Kalifornia, which I've thought is crazy, but at least we got the property tax side of things right, IMO.

As for VAT and Sales Tax, can we really measure those?

Occassionally you say those pie charts that show how a countries GDP is broken down by who spends the money (government versus private) and, often, then shown by the source of the government's money. I did a quick search last night and couldn't find one,,,but one we'll pop up in the next year or so, and I'll try to remember to post a diary on it. But this captures the VAT and different state income taxes--I think you are right it would be difficult otherwise, though one could make some analytical estimates.

by wchurchill on Mon Mar 20th, 2006 at 11:47:23 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: It's the same fight (none / 0)

California swung like a pendulum from one extreme on the property tax scale to the other. The effects of prop 13 are starving the state and local governments.

guaranteed to evoke a violent reaction from police is to challenge their right to "define the situation." --- David Graeber citing Marc Cooper

by Migeru (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Mon Mar 20th, 2006 at 11:56:50 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: It's the same fight (none / 0)

I guess my perspective on that would be different, and more in line with the California homeowners, who want crazy when Warren Buffet as advisor to Arnie, suggested changing that property tax. IMO, and theirs, it is simply outrageous for people to work all their lives in CA, retire, only to have their housing prices grow insanely,,,,,and then be unable to retire in the home they have lived in for, say 25 years.

Now, I would agree with you if that was the states only source of tax revenue, but it's not. State sales tax is among the highest in the country, at about 9.5%,,,,sales tax is also high, in the 8--9% range depending....And the property tax does go up for the change in CPI.

starving the state and local governments.

Give me a break. Why can't we expect our politicians to manage within reasonable budgets?? these politicians here are totally loopy, and incompetent regarding managing spending.

by wchurchill on Mon Mar 20th, 2006 at 12:20:38 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: It's the same fight (none / 1)

Remember when Gray Davis proposed to roll back the car tax rebate () because of the state's budget woes? Arnie run on a platform consisting essentially of "I'll repeal the car tax" and within weeks of being elected he declareda budget emergency. I call that a responsible fiscal policy. Not.

() The legislature had voted to waive the car tax as long as the state budget could afford it, but then people got used to it and the Republicans sold "rolling back the waiver" as "instituting a new tax".

guaranteed to evoke a violent reaction from police is to challenge their right to "define the situation." --- David Graeber citing Marc Cooper

by Migeru (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Mon Mar 20th, 2006 at 12:26:04 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: It's the same fight (none / 0)

Yikes, sorry about the bolding. It's unintentional.

guaranteed to evoke a violent reaction from police is to challenge their right to "define the situation." --- David Graeber citing Marc Cooper

by Migeru (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Mon Mar 20th, 2006 at 12:26:50 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: It's the same fight (none / 0)

I do agree with how you characterize that car tax situation.

by wchurchill on Mon Mar 20th, 2006 at 12:43:10 PM EST
[ Parent ]

It's the same fight | 94 comments (94 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

. Home
. About
. Contact
. New User Guide
. FAQ
. ET Editorial Guidelines
. Search
. Search (Google)

Username:
Password:

. Make a new account
. Reset password

Recommended Diaries

Recent Diaries

Socratic Economics XII: Utopian Government Finance
by Zwackus - May 25
97 comments

A Star is Born
by ChrisCook - May 23
23 comments

$1,000,000,000,00
0 or what we must remember
by Metatone - May 19
69 comments

The balance of anger and fear
by Frank Schnittger - May 17
44 comments

Stable pricing is to metaphysics as variable pricing is to...
by Upstate NY - May 16
8 comments

A little American intercine battling
by rootless2 - May 14
27 comments

Another NRW election
by DoDo - May 13
118 comments

Bundesrat saves PV (and loses Röttgen)
by DoDo - May 12
18 comments

The mainstream German Magazine Spiegel asks, has the US mixed ...
by Democrats Ramshield - May 10
27 comments

Short Term Climate Forces: Black Carbon, Methane, and...
by gmoke - May 9

Twenty days of Crisis for Cameron
by ceebs - May 9
22 comments

SYRIZA and the Eurocrats: a letter of intent
by talos - May 9
363 comments

French Parliamentary Elections: a look under the hood
by Bernard - May 8
59 comments

Sunday Train: The Rock Island Line is a Mighty Fine Iowa...
by BruceMcF - May 6
18 comments

Greece election day II - Election diary and info
by talos - May 6
129 comments

Greece: Election day I - some background
by talos - May 6

The Change They Believe In
by ARGeezer - May 5
152 comments

The Rubble Of Neoliberalism
by afew - May 3
100 comments

Why haven't we had WWIII yet?
by Migeru - Apr 30
258 comments

More Diaries...

Occasional Series

Click for full list