[Omaha Rocks]

A week or so ago, I posted a thread about our Omaha Property Taxes going up in order to (among other things) pay for the QWest Center - something we were promised would not be financed with taxpaper money.

Most of you made if perfectly clear that you were more than happy to pay more property tax (including those of you who rent, and wrongly think you're not going to pay higher rent).

"It's only $34 more per year. Get a life!"
"It's only $42 more per year. Not significant!"

I said it was the tip of the iceberg, and more tax hikes were to follow. Well... Here's another property tax hike that's coming down the pike! Metro Community College is planning a 26% Tax Hike.
Omaha.com - The Omaha World-Herald: Metro/Region - Enrollment up, taxes to follow


So what's the next on our list of "to be paid for by taxpayers even though we were told that wouldn't happen" entities to raise taxes?
- OPS will inevitably need more money, and raise property taxes.
- Douglas County will inevitably need more money, and raise property taxes.
- We'll have to raise taxes to pay for the new baseball stadium.


Before this current round of "tax hike craziness" is done, our property taxes will have been raised over $100 per year - and that is based on a house that's only appraised at $100,000. They'll then go through and re-assess all property, raising the average property value by 20%-25%, even though we're in a time of sinking real estate values. And what nobody seems to realize is that, in addition to residential property taxes rising markedly, COMMERCIAL PROPERTY TAXES are being raised exponentially.

And what the Democrats NEVER seem to figure out is that, after taxes reach a certain level, businesses just pull up and go elsewhere - somewhere they can continue to turn a profit. Then you have nothing.


I wonder if our community leaders will figure that out before it's too late. And I have to wonder if the residents of Omaha will ever wake up and realize we're being lied to each and every time we hear our elected officials promise that the latest fad will not be funded by taxpayer money.

[DTO Luv]

First of all, can't you keep your tax rants to one thread? There's really no need to write about the same thing every few days and start a new thread for it. It's confusing.

Second I told you to get a job, not a life.

I'm all for paying my share of taxes, on my home I currently own and the own I rent, to keep things in the city going. I would rather they find ways to save money but sometimes that's just not possible and you need a new source of income.

Also, if you're dumb enough to believe any politician about the cost of something, you really have no right to complain about it being untrue later.

[Omaha Rocks]

Originally Posted by DTO Luv

First of all, can't you keep your tax rants to one thread? There's really no need to write about the same thing every few days and start a new thread for it. It's confusing.

Second I told you to get a job, not a life.

I'm all for paying my share of taxes, on my home I currently own and the own I rent, to keep things in the city going. I would rather they find ways to save money but sometimes that's just not possible and you need a new source of income.

Also, if you're dumb enough to believe any politician about the cost of something, you really have no right to complain about it being untrue later.

You just don't get it, do you?


By the way, I already have a job. And I'd venture a guess that I make at least 3x the annual income you do.


You really need to listen to people who know money.

[dsrich98]

Wow, you've been right all along. The sky *IS* falling...

[todd00]

name calling and these i know more than you do type threads dont do much for the board. nebraska has high property taxes, thats a fact. chances are they will go up, everything else has. states seem to find that the easist way to make a buck. people should be concerned about increasing taxes, as well as promises politicians give and remember that come election time. rants to politicians, or chatting to ones city council representative, might be time better spent.

[dsrich98]

Originally Posted by Omaha Rocks

A week or so ago, I posted a thread about our Omaha Property Taxes going up in order to (among other things) pay for the QWest Center - something we were promised would not be financed with taxpaper money.

Most of you made if perfectly clear that you were more than happy to pay more property tax (including those of you who rent, and wrongly think you're not going to pay higher rent).

"It's only $34 more per year. Get a life!"
"It's only $42 more per year. Not significant!"

I said it was the tip of the iceberg, and more tax hikes were to follow. Well... Here's another property tax hike that's coming down the pike! Metro Community College is planning a 26% Tax Hike.
Omaha.com - The Omaha World-Herald: Metro/Region - Enrollment up, taxes to follow


So what's the next on our list of "to be paid for by taxpayers even though we were told that wouldn't happen" entities to raise taxes?
- OPS will inevitably need more money, and raise property taxes.
- Douglas County will inevitably need more money, and raise property taxes.
- We'll have to raise taxes to pay for the new baseball stadium.


Before this current round of "tax hike craziness" is done, our property taxes will have been raised over $100 per year - and that is based on a house that's only appraised at $100,000. They'll then go through and re-assess all property, raising the average property value by 20%-25%, even though we're in a time of sinking real estate values. And what nobody seems to realize is that, in addition to residential property taxes rising markedly, COMMERCIAL PROPERTY TAXES are being raised exponentially.

And what the Democrats NEVER seem to figure out is that, after taxes reach a certain level, businesses just pull up and go elsewhere - somewhere they can continue to turn a profit. Then you have nothing.


I wonder if our community leaders will figure that out before it's too late. And I have to wonder if the residents of Omaha will ever wake up and realize we're being lied to each and every time we hear our elected officials promise that the latest fad will not be funded by taxpayer money.

I guess more importantly, what would you propose to avoid Tax hikes?

[Omaha Rocks]

Originally Posted by dsrich98

I guess more importantly, what would you propose to avoid Tax hikes?

Better planning.

More honesty.

Less bait & hook politics.



The QWest Center was supposed to pay for itself. That's what Omaha taxpayers were told, in order to get them to okay it. Yet while the QWest Center reports record profits, they're failing to pay the mortgage. Why is that? Why is the public paying for an entity that is turning a profit?

Now... Despite the political rhetoric, who do you think is going to be paying for the new downtown baseball stadium? Be honest. You KNOW who is going to be paying for it. Why do you think Fahey did an "end around" in order to circumvent citizen input on that stadium? It's because he KNEW that if people knew what was coming, they'd refuse to spend the money.

Get ready to see the average homeowner doling out an extra $100 per year just to pay for that stadium that's only going to be used 10 days per year. And that $100 will be in addition to everything else we're having our property taxes increased for.


We need to reduce spending. The fact that an entity is publicly funded does not make it exempt from wise fiscal management. Every privately owned business, and every homeowner, has to take measures to reduce spending during tight economic times. But publicly funded entities - such as the City of Omaha, OPS, Metro Community College, etc., always seem to increase spending. And how to do manage to do that? They just sap more tax money.




The bottom line is that, long term, if increased taxes are not reigned in, we will see an exodus of businesses out of Omaha. *What happens to Omaha's tax base if Con Agra decides they've had enough of the never-ending tax hikes, and they go elsewhere? If people are not smart enough to learn from what is happening in California, it's likely to happen hear. Despite your little smart alec comment about "the sky IS falling," wise financial management is the key - not just blindly and relentlessly raising taxes. And Omaha does NOT have wise financial management right now.

We are destroying our own future.

[DTO Luv]

$10 a month in extra taxes is going bankrupt you and you're criticizing people's spending habits?

Do you care to expound upon your ways to save money/not raise taxes? Better planning in what regards? What about bait and hook? I really don't know what you mean by more honesty. In where? To who?

[DTO Luv]

Also what new taxes are being proposed on businesses? Real estate is the only one I see but what about others? Big companies get more tax breaks than anyone but they should pay their fair share as well. I work for a huge out of state company that was lured here with tax incentives. I see how it works but they shouldn't get a free ride either.

Are there any new taxes being proposed specifically for businesses or is it just more sky is falling rhetoric?

[Omaha Rocks]

Originally Posted by DTO Luv

Also what new taxes are being proposed on businesses? Real estate is the only one I see but what about others? Big companies get more tax breaks than anyone but they should pay their fair share as well. I work for a huge out of state company that was lured here with tax incentives. I see how it works but they shouldn't get a free ride either.

Are there any new taxes being proposed specifically for businesses or is it just more sky is falling rhetoric?

Why not save the inane, smart a** comments? They're only proving that you just don't get it.


If the taxes go up $100 per year on a $100,000 home (a lower-end home), how much are they going up on a more expensive home? Then you add to that the fact that the city has already been going around raising assessed values on homes - sometimes up to 50% in one year. Then add to that the fact that these are increases in property taxes people are already paying.


So... since you don't seem to be able to understand this, I'll explain it in simple terms: My 80-year old neighbor Thelma lives in a house that, in 1 year, they recently reassessed from $80,000 to $135,700. They increased the assessed value of her home by almost $56,000 in 1 year. This caused her property taxes to go up over $1,100 in one year.

Do you understand this? Do you have any idea how this works? She did not start from zero. The $1100 increase was in addition to what this 80-year old widow on a fixed income was already paying.

And that's just the beginning...

Now they want to raise not only her property taxes again, but they'll inevitably raise the assessed value of her home.


Now...
Why should Thelma have to bleed like this in order to pay for the QWest Center, so that you can go to concerts?



And that's not even taking into consideration what businesses are already paying in COMMERCIAL real estate taxes - and the kind of increases they will be seeing. What kind of property taxes do you suppose the midtown business owner - whose commercial property has been assessed at $3/4 million is paying? And what kind of an INCREASE in taxes is he facing?


Do you understand that when businesses close or move out of state, they pay NO TAXES IN OMAHA? Wouldn't it be far better to have property taxes levied at a reasonable rate, and have businesses stay and flourish? Or is that some sort of financial common sense that eludes ultra-liberal non-property owners?