Sedgwick County Commissioner Kelly Parks has an interesting idea of raising the county sales tax for 18 months in order to pay down government debt. But this plan likely will strike many citizens as a continuation of the arena sales tax, which ended in December. “We told you the tax wouldn’t go away,” they’ll say. Also, the city has been discussing the idea of raising its sales tax so it could lower property taxes, and it may put the proposal on the November ballot. If that were approved, it’s unlikely that voters also would support raising the county sales tax.
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27 Comments
Let’s not push it, mmmkay?
Sales taxes are known among politicians as “easy come, easy go” taxes. No one really watches sales taxes rise and fall. Property owners do watch property tax mill levies like a hawk on a mouse.
Politicians like to point out that some portion of sales taxes might be paid by purchasers from other jurisdictions. Also its possible that the so-called improvement might be paid for without use of bonds thus saving interest payments. Of course, the taxpayer doesn’t fill out any forms because retail stores handle the paperwork.
No one likes to admit that sales taxes take money OUT OF THE JURISDICTION, MONEY THAT WON’T BE SPENT ON REGULAR PURCHASES.
For example, the white elephant unneeded downtown albatross arena is taking some 1/2 billion dollars OUT OF THE WICHITA ECONOMY FOR A PROJECT THAT HAS NO CHANCE OF BEING PRODUCTIVE FOR THE TAXPAYERS WHO ARE FINANCING IT.
Even worse, the perfectly good Kansas Coliseum with 5,000 parking spaces adjacent to the freeway
will most likely soon be imploded if county commissioners get their way.
In return, taxpayers had to go with less groceries, less entertainment, perhaps one less cold beer at the neighborhood bar … courtesy of three holdover county commissioners, Tim Norton, Dave Unruh and Tom Winters. The arena is a result of the “wishes and dreams” by these misguided politicians sometime back … now too late to turn back the clock avoid this monumental waste of our taxes.
Of all the different taxes the government could levy, the best (or “least bad”) is gasoline. More precisely, we should preferentially tax “unnecessarily moving people or stuff around.” Convert freeways to toll roads, raise gasoline taxes, etc.
I mean, come on — when it costs less to build stuff in China and ship it halfway around the world, something is wrong. High gas prices are already causing some companies to bring jobs back to the US, all we need to do is make sure people know gas isn’t going to get “stupid cheap” again and we can start building a nice efficient electric transportation infrastructure.
“High gas prices are already causing some companies to bring jobs back to the US, all we need to do is make sure people know gas isn’t going to get “stupid cheap” again and we can start building a nice efficient electric transportation infrastructure.”
I told you so. You people like high gas prices.
You don’t care that it hurts the folks you supposedly care so much about (poor folk).
It fits your agenda.
It’s no wonder you people don’t want us to drill here.
For most of us sales taxes are not deductable. Property taxes are.
Sales taxes hurt the poorer folks most.
Adding more taxes on groceries is a crime.
Taxing groceries at all is a sin.
Why would you use a regressive tax – a sales tax – to lower a relatively progressive tax – property tax?
Dumb. And JWink is exactly right. Every tax takes dollars out of the economy. For gov’t, the least efficient producer of goods/services.
There are only seven states in the union that fully tax food purchases. Naturally Kansas, with it’s $2.65 minimum wage, is one of them.
Maybe it’s the jet lag, but to CF2K, it distinctly looks as if fleetwood is raising a well-founded moral objection to sales taxes and their effect on low-income folks. Go, fleetwood, go!
GMC70 balances this out, however, with his slam on “government, the least efficient producer of goods/services.” Really, GMC70? As inefficient as KBR and its no-bid contracts to feed American troops in Iraq?
“GMC70 balances this out, however, with his slam on “government, the least efficient producer of goods/services.””
Of course that is true. The goverment produces nothing.
Good for you, fleettwood! It’s nice to see a conservative who actually gives a thought to the poor. (Not saying there are none, but…)
From what I’ve been hearing, not everyone’s property taxes went up. I’m still not in favor of even a temp sales tax. It’s enough that most of us are juggling to afford the higher gas prices and the results of them.
JWink, I know Tom Winters and family. ;)
“Good for you, fleettwood! It’s nice to see a conservative who actually gives a thought to the poor. (Not saying there are none, but…)”
Hogwash.
Let’s agree on one thing: No one like paying taxes. Nobody ever has, nobody ever will.
But taxes are necessary. Taxes are the entrance fee for civilization. I don’t like having to stop at the check-out counter at Dillon’s, but that’s the price ya gotta pay to eat. I don’t like paying taxes for streets and sewers and cops and fire departments and ambulances on the turnpike and a well-trained well-equipped Navy and Army and those people who test corn flakes to keep roach eggs and rat feces out of my cereal bowl, but I kinda like it that there’s somebody out there making sure the hot dog I buy at the ballpark is relatively free of rat meat (otherwise, I’d have to buy a box seat for my kitty).
Government — which is to say civilization — is the process where the common wealth combines for the common good. Yup, wingnuts, “SOCIALISM!!!!! Deal with it.
The constant question of civilization is figuring out a taxing program that benefits the most while, well, “taxing” the least.
I suspect — for those of you of the evangelical bent — there are Biblical lessons to be gleaned from the Parable of the Widow’s Mite and Luke’s account of the Acts of the Apostles. Ol’ St. Matthew was himself a tax-collector. And the Robin Hood legend — steal from the rich and give to the poor — is a centuries-old archetype that resonates with the concept that Robin Hood was a *hero*. Go figure.
Income tax, property tax, sales tax, gasoline tax, earnings tax, wealth tax, cigarette tax, luxury tax, the sewer tax, the water tax… nobody’s gonna like any of ‘em. That’s not what taxes are for. Taxes are for people not liking them; but needing them. To be civilized.
Government — which means “civilization” — exists to balance the pain of taxes with the benefits we all should receive from our contributions.
If we can agree on that, as a base line of discussion, the whole argument of extending a sales tax or letting Shrub’s income tax-break for billionaires lapse (as the law was written), or establishing a dick-length tax (what CON would under-report?!) becomes the matter for discussion.
Anyone ready to start from here?
Well said MH, I couldn’t agree more!
Thanks, “Apophis” –
But the CONs don’t seem to want to respond.
They’ve made too much political hay by their “No new taxes!” slogan.
I’m suggesting we perhaps approach the issue with a “No OLD taxes!” And start out all over again.
The CONs don’t want to enter into that debate, however, because that would involve them having to come face-to-face with reality.
I suspect — for those of you of the evangelical bent — there are Biblical lessons to be gleaned from the Parable of the Widow’s Mite and Luke’s account of the Acts of the Apostles. Ol’ St. Matthew was himself a tax-collector. .
If I recall correctly as long as he was collecting taxes Matthew was considered unclean or one of “Satan’s boys.
“Also, the city has been discussing the idea of raising its sales tax so it could lower property taxes”
Don’t be stupid enough to fall for this trick.
Ask the hard questions:
1. How MUCH exactly will they lower property taxes?
2. How LONG will they guarantee to NOT increase property taxes? Willing to put say, TEN YEARS right on the ballot question city leaders?
Put up or shut up. If it ain’t in writing, voters need to vote NO to this bait and switch tactic.
And all future sales tax questions on the ballot MUST include a sunset provision. This allows voters to reevaluate the city leaders proper use of the revenue derived from sales tax. It also keeps it in the back of every politicans mind “if I don’t use the sales tax dollars wisely, the voters may not approve the next one”.
Such an important clause, yet so easy to include, but one politicans abhore. They want it all forever.
abhor
“That’s not what taxes are for. Taxes are for people not liking them; but needing them. To be civilized.
Government — which means “civilization” — exists to balance the pain of taxes with the benefits we all should receive from our contributions.”
This is the differences between the you people and the right thinkers.
You people want the goverment to do what the Constitution never had in mind.
You people have taken the “pursuit of happiness” to the “guarantee of happiness”.
The “promote the general welfare” to “guarantee the general welfare”.
The 10th amendment has been trashed.
That Fleetwood and “Steal from thy neighbor what you cannot work hard to earn yourself.”
Conservatives: We work, so you don’t have to.
fleettwood
Posted July 24, 2008 at 7:00 pm | Permalink
Conservatives: We work, so you don’t have to.
Well, I guess I better quit doing my 50-60 hours per week then.
;)
Who you calling an abhor?
:D
bth, please don’t quit your job. Your country needs your dollar$. In fact, could you please send MORE in to Uncle Sam on my behalf? You believe in giving to the gov.. please, please give more.
No Amway – not for the CONs war.
Lowering property taxes while raising sales taxes sounds pretty good for property owners, but what about for people who rent? They also pay property taxes included in their rent, but if they are lowered, you can bet the farm that the savings will be pocketed by landlords and not passed on to them in lowered rents. Meanwhile, they get stuck with the higher sales taxes. This is a landlord’s relief tax!