'effn old people and age discrimination.

[Uisce Beatha]

If the value of your home increased because of the quality of the school district, you should be paying to maintain the quality whether or not you have children in the schools.

If everyone had the choice to pay lower property taxes, then the schools would go into the *feces*ter, you'd have no police/fire services, your streets would have no street lights, there'd be potholes everywhere, AND the value of your home would never increase.

Please note that I'm not suggesting property taxes go away and nothing fills the gap.  I've made my thoughts known in posts further up the thread.

Schools are already in the *feces*ter.  Throwing money at public schools does not help in many, many cases.  I'd say all cases but that's probably inaccurate.  Close enough though.

I don't pay for national defense or interstate highways or airports or national parks or any of a million things through my property tax.  Why is it the magic solution for schools and fire/police?

[gleek]

In defense of the "old effing people", they have low(er) comparative property tax assessments now, but they paid their dues for many, many years already. When they first bought their home, I'm sure their assessed tax rate was much higher than those who bought a home even before them. In this way, buying a home and paying property taxes is like buying into the stock market during the "old-school" investment days. "Buy and hold" was the best strategy. If you don't want your tax assessment to increase, buy a house now and actually live in it instead of *goshdarn* flipping it every two years for a profit.

[gleek]

If the value of your home increased because of the quality of the school district, you should be paying to maintain the quality whether or not you have children in the schools.

If everyone had the choice to pay lower property taxes, then the schools would go into the *feces*ter, you'd have no police/fire services, your streets would have no street lights, there'd be potholes everywhere, AND the value of your home would never increase.

Please note that I'm not suggesting property taxes go away and nothing fills the gap.  I've made my thoughts known in posts further up the thread.

Schools are already in the *feces*ter.  Throwing money at public schools does not help in many, many cases.  I'd say all cases but that's probably inaccurate.  Close enough though.

No matter how crappy the schools are in your district, it could be even worse. You may not believe in the public school system, but many do, and they're the ones that are willing bid up homes in your area when they buy in. You will stand to benefit from that if and when you decide to sell your house.

I don't pay for national defense or interstate highways or airports or national parks or any of a million things through my property tax.  Why is it the magic solution for schools and fire/police?

That's only because the federal government has no jurisdiction over schools and local public services. If not for property taxes, you'd certainly be paying for schools, libraries, and public services through state income taxes.

[Uisce Beatha]

That's only because the federal government has no jurisdiction over schools and local public services. If not for property taxes, you'd certainly be paying for schools, libraries, and public services through state income taxes.

And although income tax has its own inequities I should think this approach would be preferable to the property tax approach. 

You haven't offered an opinion on consumption/use taxes.  In one form or another they are easily the most progressive approach especially when "necessity" items are exempt.  I wonder why so many discount them out of hand?  Actually, I don't wonder. 

[Aske]

gaddamn, look what I started here.  can't we get back to bashing greedy ass old folks.
 

[gleek]

That's only because the federal government has no jurisdiction over schools and local public services. If not for property taxes, you'd certainly be paying for schools, libraries, and public services through state income taxes.

And although income tax has its own inequities I should think this approach would be preferable to the property tax approach.

You haven't offered an opinion on consumption/use taxes.  In one form or another they are easily the most progressive approach especially when "necessity" items are exempt.  I wonder why so many discount them out of hand?  Actually, I don't wonder. 

I have nothing against use taxes, but they should apply to things are truly consumed.