HOT TAKE - Should non-parents pay less property taxes than parents?

[eoMMan 5,663]

As I'm sure is the case in many counties all over the country, a large portion of our property taxes goes to schools/education.

Should property owning parents with children who are attending the schools pay more/less/the same as property owners with no children?

Discuss.

☢️☣️🚼

[Murph 1,323]

No kids. No plans to ever have them. Dumb idea. All of society benefits from a strong educational system. Not just those receiving the education.

[General Malaise 26,442]

You bet.  I'd also like to stop funding the retirement of other people while we're at it.  Thanks.

[General Malaise 26,442]

And, since I no longer drive, I'd like to stop paying for roads with my tax dollars.  

[TheWalkmen 306]

I’m a parent and my kids go to private school. So I’m just totally ####ed?

[CletiusMaximus 8,908]

No.  All of society benefits from public education, whether or not we have kids.  If we go down this path, it opens up a hornet's nest of analyzing who benefits most from different public services.

Also, although I will pay a ridiculous amount in property taxes this year, I still have to send my kids to a catholic school (despite being a non-believer myself) because our city schools suck so badly.

 

[General Malaise 26,442]

Tell you what, I'm about damn tired of my tax dollars going to feed the less fortunate too. 

[General Malaise 26,442]

And, since I'm a peacenik and support pacifism fully, I don't want any of my tax dollars going to the military.  

Can we do a la cart taxes like we do with cable TV?

[Peak 1,290]

What about those who had kids in the school system who graduated and moved on, but the parents still live at the same address?  Do they need to pay for someone else's kids?  They already paid for their own and never received the same benefits as some do today with the advanced technologies.  What's to gain for these fine elderly folks?

[General Malaise 26,442]

1 minute ago, Peak said:

What about those who had kids in the school system who graduated and moved on, but the parents still live at the same address?  Do they need to pay for someone else's kids?  They already paid for their own and never received the same benefits as some do today with the advanced technologies.  What's to gain for these fine elderly folks?

Did the kids attend schools that were built by the taxes their parents paid and ONLY their parents?

[xulf 2,416]

The school system and taxes are both reflected in the cost of the home.  If you don't want to pay for certain things, then you are free to find another place to live where the costs are lower.

[eoMMan 5,663]

Can we agree though that if there are less children, less schools are needed which results in less tax money needed?

Maybe a cap on the number of children is the right approach?

Did China have it right all along?

[The Commish 13,441]

Sure...go for it...and also adjust their property value accordingly.  If people don't want to fund the schools they shouldn't get the property value boosts from being in "good school zones" right?

[Da Guru 6,308]

24 minutes ago, eoMMan said:

As I'm sure is the case in many counties all over the country, a large portion of our property taxes goes to schools/education.

Should property owning parents with children who are attending the schools pay more/less/the same as property owners with no children?

Discuss.

☢️☣️🚼

Should law abiding people have to pay taxes for police?

[cosjobs 14,812]

23 minutes ago, General Malaise said:

You bet.  I'd also like to stop funding the retirement of other people while we're at it.  Thanks.

You mean the retirement that I have contributed to my entire life?

[eoMMan 5,663]

2 minutes ago, Da Guru said:

Should law abiding people have to pay taxes for police?

Ooohhh, that's a good one but police are needed for everyone.  Besides, a law abiding citizen could break the law at any moment.

The same could be same for a fire.  I've never needed the fire department to come put out a fire but it's a tax that's needed and benefits everyone.

[Capella 29,620]

How does anybody ever even come across this thought? 

[eoMMan 5,663]

7 minutes ago, Bucky86 said:

I like this idea. You could penalize the property by making it ineligible for the next owners to use that school zone for the same amount of time the previous non-taxpaying owners lived there.

Sounds great!  That would mean non-parents can buy cheaper property!

[Sideshow Bob 647]

53 minutes ago, General Malaise said:

Tell you what, I'm about damn tired of my tax dollars going to feed the less fortunate too. 

Oh, bull####. Who's less fortunate than you?

[Sideshow Bob 647]

46 minutes ago, eoMMan said:

Can we agree though that if there are less children, less schools are needed which results in less tax money needed?

Maybe a cap on the number of children is the right approach?

Did China have it right all along?

I hope you're pretty.

[bigmarc27 4,162]

58 minutes ago, Murph said:

No kids. No plans to ever have them. Dumb idea. All of society benefits from a strong educational system. Not just those receiving the education.

I was going to just say that I prefer to be around less dumb people but this sums it up nicely. 

[bigmarc27 4,162]

56 minutes ago, General Malaise said:

And, since I'm a peacenik and support pacifism fully, I don't want any of my tax dollars going to the military.  

Can we do a la cart taxes like we do with cable TV?

I used to work for the Ways and Means committee of a State Legislature. Inevitably the newspaper would do an a la cart taxes shopping list / zero base budgeting app on their website every year. We would get inundated with all of these “tax plans” that were hilarious. 

[EYLive 5,197]

I think we should cut taxes across the board and privatize education. No need for the government to tell us how to spend our money.

[EYLive 5,197]

42 minutes ago, cosjobs said:

You mean the retirement that I have contributed to my entire life?

Gotta start phasing out social security immediately. Saving for retirement should be voluntary.

[TheIronSheik 8,167]

1 hour ago, General Malaise said:

And, since I'm a peacenik and support pacifism fully, I don't want any of my tax dollars going to the military.  

Can we do a la cart taxes like we do with cable TV?

Not even cable will let you do that.

[Tom Servo 6,985]

1 hour ago, eoMMan said:

As I'm sure is the case in many counties all over the country, a large portion of our property taxes goes to schools/education.

Should property owning parents with children who are attending the schools pay more/less/the same as property owners with no children?

Discuss.

☢️☣️🚼

Better question - how come renters with kids get all the benefit of the schools without having to kick in tax dollars for upkeep of said schools?

[TheIronSheik 8,167]

1 hour ago, eoMMan said:

Can we agree though that if there are less children, less schools are needed which results in less tax money needed?

Maybe a cap on the number of children is the right approach?

Did China have it right all along?

What if we just killed 3/4 of the population?  Jesus, do you know how much money we'd save?  Everyone gets their own city and their family runs it.  Without having to waste all that money on schools, we'll be able to advance our space program 10x faster than now.

[eoMMan 5,663]

2 minutes ago, Tom Servo said:

Better question - how come renters with kids get all the benefit of the schools without having to kick in tax dollars for upkeep of said schools?

Good point.  Maybe they should be paying higher rent because the landlord is paying more for RE taxes.  That would be up to the landlord, though.

[eoMMan 5,663]

Good discussion, guys.  

I'm glad many of you can withstand the heat.

[Tom Servo 6,985]

1 minute ago, eoMMan said:

Good point.  Maybe they should be paying higher rent because the landlord is paying more for RE taxes.  That would be up to the landlord, though.

My local state representative has suggested doing away with property taxes in favor of a sales tax.  That way, renters have to pay for the schools they use.

[jhib 1,980]

51 minutes ago, Capella said:

How does anybody ever even come across this thought? 

This one of those threads where I feel better just assuming everyone is joking, even if I'm not quite sure.

 

[Capella 29,620]

8 minutes ago, jhib said:

This one of those threads where I feel better just assuming everyone is joking, even if I'm not quite sure.

 

Based off this thread I feel like maybe we need to be spending more on public education. 

[TheIronSheik 8,167]

Just now, Capella said:

Based off this thread I feel like maybe we need to be spending more on public education. 

Or, less kids.  I'm not sure we've totally dismissed this idea yet.

[The Commish 13,441]

45 minutes ago, Bucky86 said:

57 minutes ago, eoMMan said:

Sounds great!  That would mean non-parents can buy cheaper property!

In theory, but I doubt your value would appreciate much. Imagine trying to sell a house with 50 years of school tax delinquency. 

Well, that then also knowing you aren't getting full market value for your house (if you decide to try and sell) because you don't have kids.

Edited November 6, 2019 by The Commish

[General Malaise 26,442]

1 hour ago, Sideshow Bob said:

Oh, bull####. Who's less fortunate than you?

My wife.

[-fish- 13,791]

1 hour ago, Capella said:

How does anybody ever even come across this thought? 

My town had a school bond issue on the ballot last year.   Our local schools are overcrowded and deteriorated--things like plumbing not working, roofs leaking, mold, etc.   It takes a 60% vote to pass a bond here.    These arguments about people that have already put their kids through school and people with no kids not having responsibility for the condition of local schools were rampant, and the bond was defeated by 1.5%.

[Juxtatarot 11,207]

Depends.  Are these kids going to cut my social security?

[TheIronSheik 8,167]

South Korea about to be rich, yo!

[culdeus 7,274]

2 hours ago, eoMMan said:

Can we agree though that if there are less children, less schools are needed which results in less tax money needed?

Maybe a cap on the number of children is the right approach?

Did China have it right all along?

Parents hit the roof of the student teacher ratio is in the 20s.  Yet most parts of the world 50 is the minimum.   Maybe focus on how to be more efficient in teaching larger class sizes.  

[Walking Boot 8,295]

Sure, have everyone pay for education. 

But... let's cut the stupid budgets. Teachers unions should be abolished, entirely. No public sector employees should have unions. Their pensions and contracts need to be slashed. At one point LAUSD teachers were guaranteed like 10% stock market returns on their pensions. A joke. Taxpayers end up having to pay them more than a comparable wage and then get on the hook for retirement better than anyone else on the planet. Gut it.

Then let's cut the spending on junk. I learned fine without an iPad. All you need is a chalkboard, a map, and a stick. Every classroom can get outfitted for $20. We're spending way too much on these spoiled brats that then graduate without knowing how to read or add fractions, but can swipe and kahoot like experts. F 'em. 

[TheIronSheik 8,167]

1 minute ago, Walking Boot said:

Sure, have everyone pay for education. 

But... let's cut the stupid budgets. Teachers unions should be abolished, entirely. No public sector employees should have unions. Their pensions and contracts need to be slashed. At one point LAUSD teachers were guaranteed like 10% stock market returns on their pensions. A joke. Taxpayers end up having to pay them more than a comparable wage and then get on the hook for retirement better than anyone else on the planet. Gut it.

Then let's cut the spending on junk. I learned fine without an iPad. All you need is a chalkboard, a map, and a stick. Every classroom can get outfitted for $20. We're spending way too much on these spoiled brats that then graduate without knowing how to read or add fractions, but can swipe and kahoot like experts. F 'em. 

I remember I used to be one of those people that would say, "We need to pay teachers more money."  Then I learned how much my teacher friends were making for working 6 hour days for 8 months of the year.  

[Juxtatarot 11,207]

1 minute ago, Walking Boot said:

Then let's cut the spending on junk. I learned fine without an iPad. All you need is a chalkboard, a map, and a stick. Every classroom can get outfitted for $20. We're spending way too much on these spoiled brats that then graduate without knowing how to read or add fractions, but can swipe and kahoot like experts. F 'em. 

You're against textbooks?

[TheIronSheik 8,167]

3 minutes ago, Juxtatarot said:

You're against textbooks?

#### textbooks. 

[Walking Boot 8,295]

2 minutes ago, Juxtatarot said:

You're against textbooks?

 

Meh plenty around for low cost. Growing up in the 80s my textbooks didn't even know how the Vietnam War turned out. I'm sure we can still find those lying around cheap or free.

[Zow 8,530]

My thoughts on the hot take: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQCU36pkH7c

[matttyl 2,689]

3 hours ago, CletiusMaximus said:

No.  All of society benefits from public education, whether or not we have kids.  If we go down this path, it opens up a hornet's nest of analyzing who benefits most from different public services.

Also, although I will pay a ridiculous amount in property taxes this year, I still have to send my kids to a catholic school (despite being a non-believer myself) because our city schools suck so badly.

 

So, public healthcare (Medicare) for all?  Same idea.

[tommyboy 4,621]

3 hours ago, eoMMan said:

As I'm sure is the case in many counties all over the country, a large portion of our property taxes goes to schools/education.

Should property owning parents with children who are attending the schools pay more/less/the same as property owners with no children?

Discuss.

☢️☣️🚼

fine with me, but only if they exempt private school parents as well.

[-OZ- 7,865]

3 hours ago, eoMMan said:

Can we agree though that if there are less children, less schools are needed which results in less tax money needed?

Maybe a cap on the number of children is the right approach?

Did China have it right all along?

Sure, a lower portion of people working while the current generation turns elderly is a great plan.

[Bull Dozier 3,573]

39 minutes ago, Walking Boot said:

 

Meh plenty around for low cost. Growing up in the 80s my textbooks didn't even know how the Vietnam War turned out. I'm sure we can still find those lying around cheap or free.

Yeah, get those back in circulation.  There's not enough Christopher Columbus worship going on the schools these days either.

[Anarchy99 6,141]

Well, we do have kids that utilized our town's schools. But they didn't take the bus. Or play soccer. Or take French class. Or play an instrument. Or eat school lunches. So we shouldn't have to contribute to transportation services, the soccer coach's salary, paying the music or language teachers, the lunch ladies, or the overpriced food vendors. And while we are at it, our kids didn't need paraprofessionals or reading specialists, didn't receive any special education, pretty much stayed away from the guidance department, and didn't take driver's ed. Heck, they just installed water fountains and our kids would never drink water. So yeah, we should get a tax credit!