North Dakota to vote on abolishing property tax

[MisterCreosote]

The vote is scheduled for today:

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/story/2012-06-11/north-dakota-property-tax/55533784/1

The story says property taxes account for about $800 million/year in revenue. Of course, the measure would require the state to make up for that gap, but doesn't specify how.

Also, what happens when the oil boom ends?

 

[Football_Bat]

Any step that ultimately results in the recombining of the Dakotas is OK by me. That's what will happen once the teabaggers bankrupt both states.

 

[bigpern23]

Wait, so the bill doesn't specify spending cuts or some other way to account for the $800 million shortfall and people will consider voting for it? Yeesh.

Hey, I'm all for lower taxes, but people really need to think before they jump.

 

[zagoshe]

It says most of the property tax revenue is spent at the local level. So I'd guess the schools will take big cuts, and local governments will lay off lots of people.

If local government lays off lots of unnecessary people as a result, then job well done to whoever passed this measure.

 

[RickStain]

Wait, so the bill doesn't specify spending cuts or some other way to account for the $800 million shortfall and people will consider voting for it? Yeesh.

Hey, I'm all for lower taxes, but people really need to think before they jump.

The state government runs a billion dollar surplus. The idea is to force the state to give that up and disperse it to the local governments.

 

[Starman]

Schools, cops, firemen, who needs 'em. Cut my taxes.

 

[bigpern23]

Wait, so the bill doesn't specify spending cuts or some other way to account for the $800 million shortfall and people will consider voting for it? Yeesh.

Hey, I'm all for lower taxes, but people really need to think before they jump.

The state government runs a billion dollar surplus. The idea is to force the state to give that up and disperse it to the local governments.

That makes more sense, if it's true. I don't think they mentioned that in the article linked above.

 

[Stitch]

There is also a referendum to bring back the Fighting Sioux nickname. If the referendum doesn't pass, there is an initiative effort to get the Fighting Sioux nickname in the state constitution.

As for eliminating the property tax, don't hold your breath on state legislators giving money back to municipalities.

 

[RickStain]

The tangible benefits so far has mostly been tax relief, especially for the east side of the state, which gets all the benefits of oil money but none of the downsides of the rush.

/bitter former westsider

 

[zagoshe]

Schools, cops, firemen, who needs 'em. Cut my taxes.

Yes, yes because cutting even one dollar from a budget will result in cops, firemen being laid off and us not having roads...... ::)

 

[RickStain]

Schools, cops, firemen, who needs 'em. Cut my taxes.

Yes, yes because cutting even one dollar from a budget will result in cops, firemen being laid off and us not having roads...... ::)

Ever been to western North Dakota? The roads are in awful shape, some in danger of becoming unusable, and there are a lot that need to be built that can't be.

Still waiting for the drilling companies that ruined the road to rebuild them on their own, without taxes...

 

[poindexter]

I just looked it up, North Dakota has about 700,000 people. Holy ****.

 

[Mizzougrad96]

"What can possibly go wrong as a result of ****ed-up property tax laws?"

Signed,

California

 

[Stitch]

U.S Highway 85 desperately needs to be turned into a four-lane expressway from the South Dakota state line to the Canadian border, new schools need to be built to deal with the surge of population out West, and it would be smart to invest in infrastructure to capture all of the natural gas that is being flared off from oil wells, which could make the state completely energy indepedent.

But those needs are not important enough to the old men sipping coffee at the Dickinson McDonald's waiting for their farm subsidy checks to come in.

 

[Stitch]

"What can possibly go wrong as a result of ****ed-up property tax laws?"

Signed,

California

Exactly. You take out local control with raising revenue and then you get a situation where local authorities ramp up spending because elected officials are no longer accountable in how that revenue gets collected.

 

[Bob Cook]

Given an oil boom is part of the impetus for this, I get the feeling someday we'll read post-crash stories like, "In the headiest days of the oil boom, North Dakotans voted to abolish property taxes..."

 

[zagoshe]

Schools, cops, firemen, who needs 'em. Cut my taxes.

Yes, yes because cutting even one dollar from a budget will result in cops, firemen being laid off and us not having roads...... ::)

Ever been to western North Dakota? The roads are in awful shape, some in danger of becoming unusable, and there are a lot that need to be built that can't be.

But there is a billion dollar surplus in the state government annually?

Yep, sounds about right - which is why the "cutting taxes will make us lose police men" argument is idiotic in almost every case.

There is money available to fund the services - or in this case fix the roads - but the government wants to keep it and spend it on way too many other "goodies" and the "we need more tax" crowd allows it to happen.

Governments are broke not because of lack of income but because of awful spending habits.

 

[RickStain]

Given an oil boom is part of the impetus for this, I get the feeling someday we'll read post-crash stories like, "In the headiest days of the oil boom, North Dakotans voted to abolish property taxes..."

How long does it have to last before it's not a boom and is just an industry?

 

[nmmetsfan]

I'm not sure this oil boom is going anywhere. With developing economies like India and China, demand is going to remain strong.

And this story would argue that the reserves in N.D. are the real deal.

http://online.wSportsJournalists.com/article/SB10001424052970204226204576602524023932438.html

 

[poindexter]

Its much smarter to have message board posters from Michigan decide the tax situation in North Dakota than the North Dakotans who actually write out the property tax checks.