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St. Louis Post-Dispatch

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Thursday, March 5, 2009 9:59 PM CST
LETTER: Now is not the time to raise real estate taxes

CHARLES STODDEN, Trilla

Presently if a rural resident wants to check out books from the Mattoon Library, that resident pays for the service by purchasing a membership card at a cost of $45. The person who uses the service pays for the service.

If the library referendum which will be on the ballot in April passes, it will require all rural property owners to pay an additional permanent annual real estate tax for the Mattoon Library whether they ever use the library.

When a taxing body is successful in adding such a layer of tax to each real estate tax bill, you can customarily anticipate that the related tax levy will increase every year thereafter.

Tax money is real money. It comes out of people’s pockets. A fair number of those people are now unemployed. Some are forced to work less hours, and many have to live with the realities of today’s economy. Some of them are fortunate enough to have the Internet. Rich people and poor people alike (including children) can do needed research, read a newspaper or read a book on the Internet.

In our present economy, we do not need another layer of real estate taxes. Some people seem to have very little understanding of how difficult it can be for people to come up with additional money every year in order to pay an ever increasing real estate tax bill. There are people in this county who have to do without necessities in order to pay their real estate tax bill.

In today’s economy consumers are being forced to get by with less. We are not asking the Mattoon Library to get by with less, we are asking them to make do with the approximate half-million dollars which I understand the library is currently receiving annually.

Many of us would like to have a huge raise like the Mattoon library board is requesting; however, in today’s economy many of our rural residents would be happy if they could just continue to have a job so that they can pay the substantial real estate tax bills which they presently receive.

If the Mattoon Library tax referendum passes in April it will add another layer of tax to each real estate tax bill including those of senior citizens. And it will raise the real estate tax bill of all other rural real estate owners.

CHARLES STODDEN

Trilla

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Becky wrote on Mar 6, 2009 9:02 AM:

" I take it Mr. Stodden that you didn't fall for that "it's for the kids' sake" bologna? The only people who are for this ridiculous tax is the library. Hopefully your letter doesn't fall on "deaf ears"(so to speak). "

vakyin wrote on Mar 9, 2009 8:32 AM:

" That sure makes more sense than your rant the other night at the meeting. "

cd wrote on Mar 9, 2009 7:46 PM:

" Those that live inside the city limits should have the Airport Tax removed from their tax bill. Hey, it's in the rural area, let rural residents pay the taxes for it. If those of us in the city can pay a yearly fee if we feel we need to use the airport.
Continuing with this principle...How about those of us that don't, nor ever, have children get the school tax removed from our real estate bill.

My parents paid the tax when I went to school, so go there.

So if you feel the urge to segmentize the library tax issue, then make it equal across the board for all the others. "

cd wrote on Mar 9, 2009 7:56 PM:

" Now is not the time to raise real estate taxes
--------
Actually the library tax is not being raised; it is an effort to put rural residents on the same level as those in the city.

A greater concern should be that with housing values depreciating, so should our Real Estate taxes. And since this is not limited to Coles County in the state, the multiplier would not be changed.
If everyone else has to feel the pinch, maybe it is time for the County Fathers to find ways to 'Historically' lower the costs in Coles County. I believe they could do so without grossly impairing services.
The taxpayers shouldn't be the only ones having to tighten their belts directly or indirectly. "

Locke wrote on Mar 9, 2009 8:17 PM:

" If there wasn't a library, there would be no need for the tax. If this tax is forced upon the community, maybe the community should do away with the library? "

Mike P wrote on Mar 10, 2009 5:15 PM:

" Right now the library is funded by the city from its tax collections. Last year, even though the city again raised its rates the max allowed, the library got a zero increase. I am not sure when the last budget increase they had out of the gate was. There has been no mention of the city cutting its collections, by the ammount they spent on the library. If they shift that 400 some K a year, to other funds, this is an increase. If the library gets to be an independant tax body, they get to set their own levy. Annually up to the limit, to their hearts content, just like many of the other tax bodies.

If the library is in dire straights, it is largely the cities doing. They appoint the board. Create a crisis and get it off their books is how some have operated previously at huge expense to taxpayers and the community. "

Mike P wrote on Mar 10, 2009 6:48 PM:

" Look at the article about the county board voting on a hiring freeze. Some of the information there should be translating to other tax bodies. I also think they were the only taxing body not seeking a max levy increase.

Why can't reporters gather accumulated details and use them to tell the bigger picture stories. Still have no idea where Lakeland fits into PTELL, when they opted for a near 20 percent levy increase, but many of the max seekers might be getting .1 percent, from the details of the county board article.

Also note the new development plan with dues of 50k. Might be an opportunity to cut some non profit subsidising of the ineffective coles together. Will need to see who and what its leaders and goals are proposed to be. Head of coles together is already double dipping in douglas county economic development I think. "

Tom Andres wrote on Mar 10, 2009 8:28 PM:

" How the economic stimulus works
Young Barry in Illinois bought a horse from a farmer for $100.
The farmer agreed to deliver the horse the next day.
The next day the farmer drove up and said, "Sorry son, but I have some bad news... the horse died."
Barry replied, "Well, then just give me my money back."
The farmer said, "Can't do that. I went and spent it already."
Barry said, "Ok, then, just bring me the dead horse."
The farmer asked, "What ya gonna do with him?"
Barry said, "I'm going to raffle him off."
The farmer said, "You can't raffle off a dead horse!"
Barry said, "Yes, I can. Watch me. I just won't tell anybody he's dead."
A month later, the farmer met up with Barry and asked, "What happened with that dead horse?"
Barry said, "I raffled him off. I sold 500 tickets at two dollars apiece and made a profit of $898."
The farmer said, "Didn't anyone complain?"
Barry said, "Just the guy who won. So I gave him his two dollars back."

Barry now works for the government. "

Tom Andres wrote on Mar 10, 2009 8:43 PM:

" Dear IRS:

I'm sorry to inform you that I'm not going to be able to pay the taxes owed on April 15th, but all is not lost.

I paid these taxes:
building permit tax,
corporate income tax,
dog license tax,
federal income tax,
unemployment tax,
gas tax,
hunting license tax,
fishing license tax,
waterfowl stamp tax,
inventory tax,
liquor tax,
luxury tax,
Medicare tax,
city tax,
school and county property tax,
real estate tax,
Social Security tax,
road use tax,
toll road tax,
state and city sales tax,
recreational vehicle tax,
sales franchise tax,
state unemployment tax,
federal excise tax,
unknown amounts of import tariffs,
federal state and local telephone tax,
cable federal, state and local tax, telephone minimum usage surcharge tax, telephone state and local tax,
utility tax,
vehicle tax,
registration tax,
firearm owners and ammunition tax, capital gains tax,
lease severance tax,
oil and gas assessment tax,
Kentucky, Iowa, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Indiana, Missouri, Illinois, Hawaii, Texas, Colorado, Wyoming, Oklahoma, and Mexico sales tax,
and many more I can't recall.
I've run out of space ... and money.

When you do not receive my check April 15th, just know that it was an honest mistake.

Please treat me the same as the way you've treated Congressman Charlie Rangel, Chris Dodd, Barney Frank, ex-congressman Tom Daschle and, of course, your boss, Timothy Geithner. No penalties, no interest.

Tom Andres

PS, I'll make a partial payment as soon as I get my $13 stimulus check. "

cedric66 wrote on Mar 10, 2009 10:14 PM:

" THIS IS SO INCREDIBLY WELL PUT AND I CAN HARDLY BELIEVE IT'S BY A YOUNG PERSON, A STUDENT!!! WHATEVER HE RUNS FOR, I'LL VOTE FOR HIM.

OUTSTANDING.

Dear American liberals, leftists, social progressives, socialists, Marxists and Obama supporters, et al:

We have stuck together since the late 1950's, but the whole of this latest election process has made me realize that I want a divorce. I know we tolerated each other for many years for the sake of future generations, but sadly, this relationship has run its course. Our two ideological sides of America cannot and will not ever agree on what is right so let's just end it on friendly terms. We can smile and chalk it up to irreconcilable differences and go our own way.

Here is a model separation agreement:

Our two groups can equitably divide up the country by landmass each taking a portion. That will be the difficult part, but I am sure our two sides can come to a friendly agreement. After that, it should be relatively easy! Our respective representatives can effortlessly divide other assets since both sides have such distinct and disparate tastes.

We don't like redistributive taxes so you can keep them. You are welcome to the liberal judges and the ACLU. Since you hate guns and war, we'll take our firearms, the cops, the NRA and the military. You can keep Oprah, Michael Moore and Rosie O'Donnell (You are, however, responsible for finding a bio-diesel vehicle big enough to move all three of them).

We'll keep the capitalism, greedy corporations, pharmaceutical companies, Wal-Mart and Wall Street. You can have your beloved homeless, homeboys, hippies and illegal aliens. We'll keep the hot Alaskan hockey moms, you can have the greedy CEO's and rednecks. We'll keep the Bibles and give you NBC and Hollywood .

You can make nice with Iran and Palestine and we'll retain the right to invade and hammer places that threaten us. You can have the peaceniks and war protesters. When our allies or our way of life are under assault, we'll help provide them security.

We'll keep our Judeo-Christian values.. You are welcome to Islam, Scientology, Humanism and Shirley McClain. You can also have the U.N.. but we will no longer be paying the bill.

We'll keep the SUVs, pickup trucks and oversized luxury cars. You can take every Subaru station wagon you can find.

You can give everyone healthcare if you can find any practicing doctors. We'll continue to believe healthcare is a luxury and not a right. We'll keep The Battle Hymn of the Republic and the National Anthem. I'm sure you'll be happy to substitute Imagine, I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing, Kum Ba Ya or We Are the World..

We'll practice trickle down economics and you can give trickle up poverty your best shot. Since it often so offends you, we'll keep our history, our name and our flag.

Would you agree to this? If so, please pass it along to other like minded liberal and conservative patriots and if you do not agree, just hit delete.. In the spirit of friendly parting, I'll bet you ANWAR which one of us will need whose help in 15 years..

Sincerely,

True Independent Voter "

Mike P wrote on Mar 11, 2009 1:05 AM:

" You might be able to kick a redneck out of the gop, but you really can't erase the gop from being predominantly redneck. No wonder the party seems to have lost sight of its base. Now they are seperating themselves from the core group that built the party. "

theproletariat87 wrote on Mar 11, 2009 1:36 AM:

" Well one awnser would be for the state to tax the incomes (including corperate taxes) higher than $900,000 a year or more by at least 6% and a reduction of taxies by 1% for those making less than $50,000. Then disperse the money to help the budget defict while pumping money into infrastructure and revive state parks (including local projects). This would increase state jobs and reduce the unemployment rate in Illinois. "

oldschool wrote on Mar 11, 2009 11:39 AM:

" "Cedric66"....I had no idea you felt this way..(tears).. Thanks for posting this wonderful document. It really spells out the pros and cons of the idealism at play here. This should be posted in the paper as well!!

Conservatism works every time it's tried. I just wish we could get a conservative leader in Washington to step up and not worry about getting invited to the swank cocktail parties. "

Hammbone wrote on Mar 11, 2009 11:55 AM:

" Get the Hell out of my wallet! "

Bps wrote on Mar 12, 2009 10:08 PM:

" cd wrote on Mar 9, 2009 7:56 PM:

" Now is not the time to raise real estate taxes
--------
If everyone else has to feel the pinch, maybe it is time for the County Fathers to find ways to 'Historically' lower the costs in Coles County. I believe they could do so without grossly impairing services.

The taxpayers shouldn't be the only ones having to tighten their belts directly or indirectly. "
-------------------------------------
+100 Amen.

While were at it isnt it time for the other government bodies (at all levels) to exam every line of every budget and prioritize their spending by their legally mandated services. When the money runs out, their programs run out.

The taxpayers have to prioritize their spending based upon required priorities and cut back to their income level or go broke. Why do elected officials think they can just raise taxes or introduce new fees to try to stay solvent?

Its only fair that those elected should live by the same solid financial tenants that the electors have to face. "