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California raised its top state income tax bracket to 10.55%
NY to 8.97% plus 12.32% NY City Tax
Just incredible.
My friend has a sweet 1 BR condo in Soho. But the maintenance is $1000/month. This plus effectively a 21% state income tax on top of federal? Are you kidding me?
Idahoans, this is make or break time. We are at a Crossroads. Do we become New Hampshire of the West (lean and mean) or do we become Rhode Island (over taxed and run down)?
Let's keep our taxes low. Every $ spent should be scrutinized as an investment, where we can get definite bang for the $.
Cut out the pork.
When I saw the CA and NY taxes I nearly upchucked. These on top of all fees and taxes being jacked up.
Its rediculous.. They also have raised the sales tax to almost 10%, doubled the DMV taxes, gas taxes are going up, electricity, water all going up.... Its unreal.... There is no hope for it changing either. I just heard Calif. wants to tax ALL internet purchaces now too!! I wont be here much longer but I DO hope that Idahoans learn the lessons of states like this..I know one of the first things I will do is register to vote..
I feel angry, even though it has been years since I lived in California. Why? The directions they are heading are (a) un American and (b) contrary to those in the process of building their American dream. Many of these folks, most good Americans, are being robbed. This is well beyond the Tea Party rationale.
And my fear is that we in Idaho will be caught up. One must actively work to save freedoms. The mistake would be to assume our freedoms will remain without vigilance and activism.
Be forewarned Idaho!! California had no sales tax until 1935. Universities were cheap and good, they are expensive and crumbling. Let's stay lean and mean!!
If you think taxes are ever going to go down, well, I don't know what to tell you. They may stagnate for a while, but I don't see them ever going down.
All of the signs are there for Idaho to start raising taxes dramatically. Our education system is severely underfunded, and our government seems to think our roads and other transportation issues need more and more money. Our reps are already scratching for ways to come up with money and cut the budget, and it really isn't working.
The only satisfaction we can take is that we'll likely always have lower taxes than our neighbors to the west.
If you think taxes are ever going to go down, well, I don't know what to tell you. They may stagnate for a while, but I don't see them ever going down.
All of the signs are there for Idaho to start raising taxes dramatically. Our education system is severely underfunded, and our government seems to think our roads and other transportation issues need more and more money. Our reps are already scratching for ways to come up with money and cut the budget, and it really isn't working.
The only satisfaction we can take is that we'll likely always have lower taxes than our neighbors to the west.
Yer right.. We should just give up... I guess I wont bother to register now..
Who says it's underfunded? That's the question that needs to be seriously looked at. You could increase taxes and pay teachers $250,000 a year and they would tell you that they are still underpaid.
It never stops. Give them a dime and they'll always say they need a dollar.
Who says it's underfunded? That's the question that needs to be seriously looked at. You could increase taxes and pay teachers $250,000 a year and they would tell you that they are still underpaid.
It never stops. Give them a dime and they'll always say they need a dollar.
Well, just this past year alone we've had layoffs, salary freezes (or reductions), a lack of supplies or else the teachers themselves having to buy supplies, school programs and activities (including sports) being cut, and continually increasing tuition at the college level.
Not to mention that we've tapped into our "rainy day" fund because of a 6% budget shortfall, and we've still made cuts in education for this year and next. Even despite all of the gov't stimulus money that we've dedicated to education (and have all but spent already).
Thems the facts. You have better ideas on how to operate our public school system while spending less, run for office. You'll be a hero.
There is no reason why a similar program (or say 80%) of it cannot be set up for $8K or less is housed in a state like Idaho or the Dakotas. Note that this curriculum is stellar.
There are numerous public functions that can be turned over to private firms to reduce costs to Idaho taxpayers. By the same token, if those public contracts are awarded to Idahoan businesses, then those tax dollars will circulate back within our communities....in a very un-Walmart sort of way.
Government needs to be lean and mean. Spending $13B on light rail in the US (as is being planned in Washington DC) is sheer madness, among the dumbest proposals I have ever seen. But laying fiber optic cable to get Idaho communities wired into the 21st century is a good investment. Investing in a bridge to nowhere or a $1 million toilet is idiocy, but upgrading sewage, freeways, and smart energy technologies cab be a good use of taxpayer dollars. Increasing educational budgets without care for neither expenditures nor quality is insane, but increasing educational services per dollar spent through cost saving technologies and improved productivity through the internet is an excellent use of tax dollars. Building more prisons can lead to financial suicide (in California, it costs $43,000/year to house and feed the average inmate). Improving outlets and facilities for youth to burn energy and feel connected to this world and using scale to house prisoners in encampments can save us a bundle as we grow.
As long as we commit to the PURPOSE of state government and not burden it with our personal pet interests and inabilities to take care our ourselves as individuals, families and communties, there is no reason why we cannot stay small. Again, the model is New Hampshire for doing it right and California, NY, and NJ for doing it backa$$wards.
Suggestions: Voucher system ,Home schooling, etc. The standard public school system here in CA just does not work. Hopefully you resourceful dynamic folks in Idaho will be able to keep the costs down until I get there to give you more money.
Small government plus resourceful people equal quality of life. Big government and lazy people equal disaster in the making. Like the previous enlightened posters stated. Keep it lean.
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