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DEL.ICIO.USThere are back-door increases that must be stopped, and then there are back-door increases that just make sense
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The gods of irony are working overtime at your state Capitol.
On one hand, we’ve got a proposed constitutional amendment to put a cap on property taxes levied by local governments. Last week, a Senate committee moved the measure closer to a floor vote by the chamber, minus a provision eliminating the car tag tax approved by the House.
Why cap property taxes? Lawmakers say they want to do away with the back-door tax hikes that come with ever-rising appraisals — never mind the current housing slump. “If local officials want to raise taxes, they should have to do it openly and honestly,” Speaker Pro Tem Mark Burkhalter said.
On the other hand, back-door increases in the amount people with large wallets can give to candidates for state office are perfectly fine. Republicans have discovered a neglected cost-of-living trigger in a state campaign finance law written by Democrats.
Adjusted for inflation, the amount a single donor can contribute to a candidate for statewide office has increased from $13,000 in 2006 to $15,300 in 2008. The amount candidates for the state Legislature can accept has increased from $5,000 to $5,800.
Go figure.
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Comments
By BobG
March 24, 2008 10:26 AM | Link to this
Both issues prove that our state legislators are less concerned about doing the right thing and more concerned about serving themselves.
The assessment cap is a politically-popular, yet flawed approach to a problem that could have easily been solved years ago, simply by requiring taxing authorities to follow the procedure for setting the millage rate that has been taught by the Dept. of Revenue for decades.
“Back door tax increases” do not result from rising assessments. They are caused by the flaw in the law that allows cities, counties and school boards to adopt any tax rate they choose, regardless of the actual cost of government.
Here is the sad truth— if an assessment cap passes, the Legislature will have KILLED THE TAX CUT. Never again will a taxing authority voluntarily lower its tax rate. With restrictions on growth in the Net Tax Digest increasing each year, no taxing authority will be able to afford to decrease its tax rate.
For the ONLY SOLUTION to “back door tax increases,” see MillageRate.com.
By dunwoody dame
March 24, 2008 12:58 PM | Link to this
where else can you see someone advocate for another layer of government (city of Dunwoody) and then turn around and pass legislation making it harder for a new city to pay for Weber/Miller’s promised glorious city services.
Republicans are idiots - the state GOP is just as bad as the ones in Washington. Neither really knows what they stand for anymore.