OT Where does the money come from?

swellwelder · Aug 8, 2006

This has little to do with machining, but it has made me wonder when I look at all the civic improvements in my city, and all around the US. I think back to the 60's and 70's when all the NFL cities were building new stadiums, and almost all of them were combined with major league baseball to save the taxpayers money. Or all the bridges that at that time would have been engineered to be functional, but not works of art as they usually are now. In my town, the city commission decided to replace a bridge built in the 20's with not a simple wider bridge that would have cost maybe a half million, but with a complicated poured concrete arch bridge that cost more than 4 times as much. I could go on, but I am sure you have all seen similar projects in your towns. The question is this: Where did the "people in charge" get the okay to spend our money on such things? Is this all some carryover from the infamous federal "revenue spending" of the 70's, or are politicians just better at squeezing money out of us? What say ye'all?

Dale Nelson

Davis In SC · Aug 9, 2006

This money all comes from us... I just opened a property tax bill for a 5 year old pick-up, $515.00 !!! We just got a new High School, here. They had to cut some corners, due to budget restraints. Instead of an 18 hole golf course, they had to settle for only 9, for the time being. The coaches were acting like they got cheated, only getting a 9-hole course... That school looks like a palace... All at our expense...

LD · Aug 9, 2006

Politicians have to build something new each year so they can prove to you they have your best interests at heart. It doesn't matter that they spent all the available money last year, after all, it's your welfare they're interested in.... really, it's all about you.

Oh, did I mention that you are the only source of cash for their next project.

And don't get me started on how many taspayer funded stadiums have never returned any money to the taxpayer and are now owned by corporations with their logos blazoned overhead.

Calzone · Aug 9, 2006

State funds appropriated for special projects subsidized from Federal funds. Spend it or have a lower allocated budget for next year. $500 toilet seats anyone?

eKretz · Aug 9, 2006

Yeah, don't even get me started on how ridiculous property taxes are around here lately. Mine have almost tripled since 4 years ago. I now have to save almost as much each month for property tax as I have to pay in mortgage payment.

Bobw · Aug 9, 2006

Municipal bonds, build it now, let somebody down the road worry about paying for it.

With the run up in realestate prices over the past 4 or 5 years, the small town politicians are drunk on money. Of course they already spent it 10 years ago, but its no big deal, you really needed that pretty fire station, you know the one, its smaller and will be obsolete before construction begins, but it sure is pretty, and of course this had nothing to do with WalGreens wanting the property the old fire station was sitting on, none at all, complete coincidence.

kenh · Aug 9, 2006

Sorry to say we do not have that problem.
Spendy politicians don't exist up here.

Idaho has a $200 million surplus, probably will be held in reserve.

As far as the building of sports stadiums with public funds, someone should be shot.
One "reason" is it creates employment, yea right, peanut/beer vendors.

Richard Rogers · Aug 9, 2006

I got a call just tonight and it was some political candidate's minion asking me to take a survey. I said "Sure." They lucked out and caught me willing to talk.

I was asked what our biggest problem facing Louisiana right now would be. I said with no hesitation it was infrastructure.

Let me explain what I meant. Like Dale, I see much work to replace 60 year old bridges and the like. However, I think its replacement is nowhere near going to last that long. I also see older things like bridges and roads being ignored because the attitude favors replacement. This is a mistake.

Oh yeah, where does the money come from? I almost forgot that was the question. I think there is more concern with where (to whom) it goes , if you know what I mean.

Richard

nameH10 · Aug 9, 2006

Forget the bridges, I want to know what kind of seed sprouts traffic lights. Must be one for every half mile of road here in my small town.

Davis In SC · Aug 9, 2006

As far as the building of sports stadiums with public funds, someone should be shot.
One "reason" is it creates employment, yea right, peanut/beer vendors.

Then they sell the naming rights to a Dot Com, that goes bankrupt a year later... Odd thing to me is, private companies build all the racetracks that NASCAR runs on. They do not ask the taxpayers for one dime, but the races generate millions for the local businesses. Then why should the taxpayers foot the bill for stadiums, so the NFL teams can pay players millions of dollars per year??? A local college went on a fundraising drive a few years ago, trying to get donations to build facilities, so they can host a summer camp for the local NFL team... I lost all respect for that college..

eKretz · Aug 9, 2006

nameH10, you're not kidding, how about Kennedy Ave. from 45th all the way north to Hammond?

I used to drive that way to work every day, sometimes made it through, and sometimes thought I'd NEVER make it through. (Usually when I was already a little late). Hey, btw, are you still looking for some steel to carve on? I remember you posted about trying to find some odds 'n ends...I could probably set you up with some stuff if you wanted. PM me.

John Stevenson · Aug 9, 2006

Quote :- "I just opened a property tax bill for a 5 year old pick-up, $515.00 !!!" /

How does that work ?
I don't think we have anything like that here in the UK.
You buy a truck, car, boat etc and pay for it including VAT which is usually 17.5% and that's it.
Car's etc have to pay a yearly road tax from free for classics and green cars [ usually hybrids ] up to £215 per year.
They also have to have an MOT, usually 30 to 40 UKP per year after 3 years old.

Thinks like boats caravans etc don't have any more to pay after the initial purchase.

John S.

Spud · Aug 9, 2006

"I just opened a property tax bill for a 5 year old pick-up, $515.00 !!! "

:confused:

There is property tax on vehicles :confused:

Bob-O · Aug 9, 2006

I pay my property taxes as part of the mortgage, the bank requires it. My monthly property tax payment is twice the principal and interest on the mortage, $300 P&I, $600 property taxes. By the time I'm finished with the mortgage in 6 years, I'll probably still need the total amount just for taxes! "Where does the money come from?" OUR POCKETS!!!!!!

Chevy427z · Aug 9, 2006

I just opened a property tax bill for a 5 year old pick-up, $515.00 !!! "

There is property tax on vehicles

Welcome to the Carolinas. Same here in NC.

Still nothing compared to NY. I had an 1800 sq ft house on 1 acre, school and land taxes = $14K/yr (and forever rising). Bought a place here, 2800 sq ft, 9 acres, taxes = $900/yr (they just went up

)

I don't like the property tax on my vehicles, but they are so old they are basically under $10 each. (7 cars, 2 bikes, 1 boat) My bike is 83 cents, yep, 83 cents. I usually pay online and it won't take less than a dollar. I send a dollar anyhow because an envelope and stamp would bring it over that

Mark

Rick Rowlands · Aug 9, 2006

Any of you have a chance to vote on property taxes? I vote against everything, schools, mental retardation, transit authority, everything! Its the only chance I get to vote on a tax and I will try to vote it down every time.

Our idiot congressman (who is the same age as me!) was trying to get the government to pay to build a $300,000 INDOOR NASCAR TRACK! Yes INDOOR!!! We managed to get out of that one by spending only $30,000 for a feasibility study. Brant Motorsports backed out before the real money started to get thrown at it.

This same congressman managed to get $3 million for the National Packard Museum. Now don't get me wrong, I like the idea of a packard auto museum, but people who usually restore and own Packards could pay for such a museum privately.

The property tax for our house and one acre of property in the country is $1,000 a year, the tax for the new museum property with 2 acres and two buildings is $800/ yr. Still too high in my opinion.

See my thread on property taxes from a few months ago to read my opinion on those taxes.

bob308 · Aug 9, 2006

you guys should live in a state where the school boards set the taxes. no one to vote out of office at all. but they do get nice things any way like the local grade school getting a 1,000,000 helcopter landing pad and access road.

the only thing i can say about taxes is.

B.O.H.I.C.A.

surplusjohn · Aug 9, 2006

my property taxes are almost $ 8K / year, there are houses withing a half mile that pay 30K!

JimK · Aug 9, 2006

I thought you all knew about the property tax thing.

The rate doesn't have to go up at all. When the house next door sells at a rediculuous price then it is BOHICA time regardless of how long you have lived there or what you paid for the place.

You didn't vote for the rise in real estate prices, you don't get to vote on the rise in real estate taxes.

And oh, yes -

Where does the money come from?

Uncle Sam makes it and spreads it around.

DC is the magical town. There are places there than gin up money from thin air. They do most of it electronically now, but they also have a nice print shop where paper goes in the press and money comes out.

Nobody seems to mind at all.

Maybe it isn't such a bad thing. The USA is THE super power nation. It is easier to project power using money than it is to project power using the military.

scojen · Aug 9, 2006

Where does money come from "SWEAT" mine, yours, and the rest of use working folk, ever seen a politican sweat "NOT" Talking about money is a bummer, getting the books to balance even harder.

Scott

OT Where does the money come from?

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