Voice For Liberty

Tag: Taxation

  • Happy Cost of Government Day

    According to Americans for Tax Reform today, July 16, 2008, marks national Cost of Government Day: On July 16, Americans mark the national Cost of Government Day (COGD), the date on the calendar year when the average American finishes paying off his or her share of federal, state and local spending, and the regulatory burden.…

  • Reverend Kevass Harding and His Wichita TIF District

    Remarks to be delivered to the Wichita City Council, July 8, 2008. Mr. Mayor and members of the council, today I will not discuss the desirability of tax increment financing (TIF) districts in general, or the merits of this one in particular. I’ll leave that for the August 12 public hearing. Instead, I wish to…

  • Kansas Giveaways to Wealthy Homeowners

    A Wichita Eagle news story (Help with historic houses, July 4, 2008) describes two apparently wealthy College Hill homeowners who plan to benefit from Kansas tax credits. These credits are given to people who own homes that have a historic designation. If you own such a historic house and plan to, for example, replace the…

  • Wichita Tax Swap Has Dangers

    The City of Wichita is thinking about raising its sales tax and using the proceeds to lower property taxes (“City starts talks on 1-cent hike in sales tax”, May 14, 2008 Wichita Eagle). While some debate the relative merits of sales taxes vs. property taxes, there is one thing I am certain of: if Wichita…

  • Tax Abatements in Wichita

    A few months ago I spoke before this council asking that you not grant a tax abatement. At that time I was told that granting a property tax abatement doesn’t have any impact on City of Wichita spending. I found this quite remarkable, that new homes and buildings can be built but not consume any…

  • How to pay for special tax treatment in Wichita

    Mr. Mayor, members of the city council, I ask that you not vote to approve this request for a tax abatement, and that you cease this practice altogether. Alternatively, I ask that you adopt a practice that will help realize the costs of these actions. It is no doubt difficult to compete with other states…

  • Tax Day is Here. Take No Cheer.

    As the annual tax deadline is here, we should take a moment to examine our level of awareness of the taxes we pay.

  • Distaste for tax increases faded quickly on Wichita school board

    The election took place in April 2007. In August 2007, just four months later, all Wichita school board members, including those mentioned above, voted to increase taxes. It didn’t take long for Kevass Harding to reverse his position. It didn’t take long for Barb Fuller to overcome her dislike for raising taxes. Power has a…

  • Wichita School Bond Issue: It’s not the $40, it’s the $1,749

    The proposed USD 259 (Wichita public school district) school bond issue in 2008 is estimated to cost the owner of a $100,000 home about $40 per year in additional taxes. Proponents divide that into a monthly cost of about $3.33 per month, or sometimes a daily cost of $.11, to dramatize how little this bond…

  • Homeowners not only people affected by Wichita school bond issue

    A letter in the February 27, 2008 Wichita Eagle makes the case that using property tax increases to fund improvements to Wichita public schools gives renters a “free ride.” This is because renters, as they don’t own the homes they live in, escape paying property taxes. This is distinguished from homeowners, who “pay for everything,”…

  • Wasteful tax cuts

    In the February 21, 2008 debate between Sen. Clinton and Sen. Obama, Clinton mentioned the “wasteful tax cuts of the Bush administration.”

  • Wichita school district tax revenues rise rapidly

    The combination of a rising mill levy (the rate at which property is taxed) and rising appraised values mean that property taxes paid to USD 259, the Wichita public school district, rise rapidly.