Interesting article (Charlotte: transplants, insurance, house)

[just_sayin']

I realize that in the case of this forum....I'm preaching to the quire as well as the wrong crowd....but I just thought this was an interesting article in the N&O today that talks about some of the issues that will come with the waves of transplants coming to NC over the years. It makes a point of talking about something that at least half of the people coming here claim to be runing away from in their homestates....TAXES.

http://http://www.newsobserver.com/news/story/581842.html (broken link)

More people, more taxes
A new coalition wants the legislature to approve new taxes for infrastructure

[Linus]

Thanks for posting this but you need to fix the link.

newsobserver.com | More people, more taxes (http://www.newsobserver.com/politics/politicians/legislature/story/581842.html - broken link)

[just_sayin']

Hmm....that's weird, I don't know what I did with that link but it must be something wrong. Thanks.

[WhyMe]

The above article is should be read between the lines carefully, and taken seriously. I will explain why.

The problem with NC is that this state will spend every dime it can rob out of peoples hands, and then ask for more. There is no fiscal responsibility in this state. The whole state system is a huge foray of nepotism, friends of friends, and friends of relatives.

Money collected in taxes is porked into every bill that the "elite" bring up to a vote. The speaker of the house just resigned in disgrace, going to prison for corruption, and the tip of the iceberg is only exposed. The NC lottery was an exercise in payoffs and paybacks from the start.

Certain people have had a hold on politics in this state for years, and it shows by where the tax money has and has not been spent.

We have the highest taxed gas in the southeast, but yet the roads are a mess, and the state is calling for more taxes.

We also have the highest corporate taxes in the southeast, and it is showing by how many large companies are leaving this state, or not coming at all, after examining the cost of operation here compared to other states.

The article above is nothing but a smoke and mirrors come on by this state to scare people into allowing the same people who have taken too much of our tax money and squandered it to take even more.

The largest employer in the state of North Carolina IS the State of North Carolina, with 94,502 employees. This number does not include county and city employees. There are quite a few counties where the largest employer in that county is the county.

That should say something as to why they want more money. RAISES!!

With such a large percentage on people on the dole, a tax increase is eaten up with pay raises, and nothing meaninful is accomplished.

The largest private employer is WalMart with 47,720 at last count. The parent company of Food Lion grocery stores is second with 30,000, Wachovia bank also has 30,000 employees.

The employment numbers drop off fast after that, with most being retail or grocery store chains. You know, all those higher paying employers.

This state is beautiful, but it is poorly run. As I have written, this state's answer to all problems is a tax increase or a new user fee.


ATTENTION:
To all that plan on moving here, if you are fiscally conservative, please come soon and help us vote the leeches out of office. We native citizens can't do it alone because so many people are on the state, county, and city payrolls, that their votes out number the regular voters.

We need your help!!!


This has been an editorial.

I think it is important for people looking to move here to know about the politics in this state.

I have spoken the truth as I see it. If anyone agrees or disagrees, please feel free to say so.

[groove1]

It is one of the most illogical arguments that can be attempted to be made. The more people and business you have, the more of a tax base you have. Think about it for a minute. You are a mayor of a town with one person paying taxes (you). You pay $1 a year and that is enough for to cover taxes (for simple mathematic purposes). 9 other people have now moved in. You have more services you need to provide, but you have 10x the tax base. Should be plenty to cover the services right? Nope. Politicians are idiots and want your $ more than anything and I don't care what state you live in, that's the truth.

[cooperwx]

OR taxes were kept lower than was needed to support the steady growth, and now that people are coming in bunches, state leaders realize it and need to raise taxes to the levels they should have been at to catch up.

[SunnyKayak]

ok that article is base on 30 years hmmm that is most of my life time and I really dont remember a time goverment didnt raise taxes within a 30 year period nor would I want to live somewhere that didnt raise taxes in 30 years.

[WhyMe]

NC has lower taxes than most northern states. The question is, do you want to move here, and in a few years have the same taxes here that you were trying to move away from.

The problem is not that we don't collect enough taxes in most cases, it is that there are too many employees of the state eating up the tax money. Add that to the pork spending, and the money doesn't go too far.

I have friends who work for this state, and they are constantly amazed at the waste, and the quantity of jobs that are unnecessary, but created for friends and relatives.

When things get tight, average citizens cut back. Unfortunately governments don't. Officials will scream about having to cut necessary programs that will hurt the poor. This is bull. It is a ploy and scare tatic. The sad part is that it works too many times.

Many jobs can be eliminated in any form of government that would never be missed, but that won't happen.

In my earlier post I mentioned the business unfriendly tax climate in NC. This is not just my opinion, it is a fact. With so many moving here to retire, but no businesses to keep familys employed and taxes paid from those jobs, NC will soon find itself in the same condition as Florida.

That condition is extremely high property taxes and a high cost of living. If Florida had manufacturing jobs the property taxes and other taxes could be lowered. Retirees, who make up a large portion of the population, don't spend as much money as a family would, thus creating the need for more and more taxes.

I know Florida does not have a state income tax, and NC does, but retirees probably won't be paying much, if any, state taxes anyway. This is why this state needs to get it's head out of the sand and try to lure more business here instead of taxing what is here away.

When a state gets too expensive in the way of land prices and taxes for the average person too live in, then who will work at the jobs that keep the citizens in goods and services.

The fact is, right now this state has become a destination for retirees. My plea to the government is to learn from the mistakes of other destination states, and properly prepare for the future with a balanced economy and a strong tax base. Not a base that is taxed strongly.

[cooperwx]

What kind of manufacturing businesses are in the United States that aren't construction related? NC relied on furniture and textiles for many many years, but those jobs are gone. So many people moving to the Triangle area are doing so because their jobs are transferring them there. And there are several companies getting into the alternative energy field, many of those are being encouraged by the NC Solar Center. The state gave away the farm to get Google to come to Caldwell county. Many have called that a waste of money, but that seems to be what it takes to get the very elite companies to establish operations in a new state.

The fastest growing areas of the state are the Triangle and Charlotte Metro, and very few people who are moving there are retiring...

[WhyMe]

The triangle area is at the state capitol, which is my point. State money was spent there to get high tech business, and Charlotte had big names in banking that merged into the giants they are today. The rest of the state has been left on its own.

A lot of local leaders were asleep at the wheel when textile and furniture went down the drain. Now these depressed counties are trying to catch up.

In the foothills and western sections of the state many retirees are moving in, plus a lot of the population already there is nearing retirement age. Something needs to happen to attract decent companies that can support families so more people will move into these areas to make up for the shortfall in the tax base. A shortfall that is caused by workers moving from being employed into retirement.

The property tax will always be there, but that don't make up for employed families who spend a lot more money in the community than most retired people do.

As far as Google goes, the only real advantage to Google coming is that hopefully it will put NC on the map, therefore attracting more companies here.

That had better be the case, for we did give away the farm to get them here. The 2-300 jobs at Google will be mostly taken up by transferees, not locals.

Medium sized companies are what is needed, not giants who only come when paid to. Our tax structure is set up to where the medium to smaller companies carry the load, while the big boys who are wooed here get a largely free ride.

If the business enviorment was where it should be, then all of these incentives would not be needed.

I sold a business 7 years ago that I could not even get into today because of the expense involved in meeting new regulations. The business I am working on opening now is one I was in over 15 years ago. There are many more regulations, paperwork, and cost involved now than at that time. I wonder if it is even worth the trouble.

How many mom and pop places are there anymore. Times change, this is a constant, but many mom and pop stores simply could not afford the insurance and taxes.

The big companies hire lobbiest, who in turn pay off the officials, who in turn pass laws that hurt small business and help large corporations. In the end the average citizen loses because mom and pop are no longer paying all those taxes, and the big boys don't pay what it takes to make up the difference.

What always happens when two companies merge? People lose their jobs, and the remaining workers salaries usually decline. How is that good for the tax base and economy in general. The over used saying is that we will see lower prices. Maybe, but we will see higher taxes too.

The same people keep getting elected, people who look out only for themselves, and we all lose.

Right now NC is looking to cut 40% off what it pays to private foster care agencies. Most will have to shut down with this large of a cut.

Being the type of person who wonders who or what this will benefit, I can come to at least one conclusion:

The foster parents will that don't drop out of the system will have to work under the state agency. More foster parents in the state system means more state employees will need to be hired, (remember the state is the largest employer in NC) meaning higher taxes to Joe Average, and more state employees who will vote for the people who gave them their new jobs.

Everyone wins but poor Joe Average, who is now paying even more in taxes. Why a tax increase when the state was paying the private foster care agencies to begin with? We all know how efficent the government runs things, that's why.

That's also why I say for all fiscally conservative people to come on down, and lets get rid of these jokers who are in charge before it's too late.