TexasCHLforum.com

Jim Beaux wrote:Taxpayers are hoodwinked by paying taxes through payroll deduction and property taxes via mortgage payments. It's a case of "out of sight, out of mind"

One doesnt appreciate the high tax rate or the inordinate bureaucratic waste until having to write a check like any other household expense; a practice in itself that would regulate term limits.

Not true, every time I go to buy a digital TV or other expensive toy I would be reminded of it. The fact is though that the current property tax system is not equal in every city nor is it based any standard that can be said to be fair as the appraisal is done by a person who may or may not have your interest in mind. In fact it is too easy to skew the valuation of your property in favor of raising more money for the city and state.

rm9792 wrote:It is not double taxed. Yes the money your parents earned was taxed as income to them when they earned it.

Yeah, technically speaking you may have a point but in the sense that everything my parents make during their life and during my life growing up with them its a shared experience and their estate is in essence owned by the family as a whole and therefore it is in spirit a double tax as the taxes that were paid the first time around also had an impact upon the family as a whole regardless of who paid them, and I think most people would agree with me.

I would love a property tax free State for several reasons, first the property taxes are so arbitrary where if you want to live in the city and not spend hours driving to work and back you have to pay more, not only that I hate having a large percentage of my taxes go to pay for schools free education in America my ass, we pay for the rest of our lives even if you dont have kids which ends up being quite an expensive education in my book, secondly you have to fight the freakin city every couple of years by going down and protesting your tax rate at the local tax office otherwise they will raise your taxes ridiculous amounts and their valuations are very skewed for the homes in your area and very arbitrary. Secondly, the government should never have the right to take away your home, the bank is the only one you should have to be a slave to until you pay off your house and even that I hate. At least with a sales tax you know exactly how much you are paying and everyone pays the same amount accross the board. The death/estate tax is completely unconstitutional and illegal and should have been overruled by the supreme court years ago as this is a double tax, the taxes have already been paid on the house that your parents owned and shouldnt be taxed again period. I would love to see this happen in Texas although i am considering a move to Alabama partially because the property taxes there are much lower. The problem is that I doubt they can do it honestly. Back when they voted in the Lottery, they said it was going to go to pay school taxes. I dont believe it ever went to pay school taxes as we are still paying school taxes at high levels today. So basically the government lies in everything and about everything so I would be surpised if they ever did anything properly and honestly.