LI's Dirty Little secret- We Want High Taxes (Rose: apartments, rental)

[Burb]

Recently every other thread revolved around civil servant comp and other contributors to our high tax rate. Would I be off the mark by suggesting that the majority of Long Islanders approve of the high tax burden? High property taxes are most punitive to those of lesser means. 10K a year in taxes is far more of a burden for a family earning 75K than a 20K tax is to a 150K earner.

Perhaps the ground swell of grass roots movements demanding tax reforms are not coming to be because LIers live with high taxes feeling it will keep the "riff'raff" out. A "If you can't afford to pay your tax bill then you don't belong here anyway" type of attitude. Are the majority of LIers concerned about the southern migration of priced-out residents or privately happy that they left to make room for people with money?

Discuss.

[scottzilla]

Originally Posted by Burb

Recently every other thread revolved around civil servant comp and other contributors to our high tax rate. Would I be off the mark by suggesting that the majority of Long Islanders approve of the high tax burden? High property taxes are most punitive to those of lesser means. 10K a year in taxes is far more of a burden for a family earning 75K than a 20K tax is to a 150K earner.

Perhaps the ground swell of grass roots movements demanding tax reforms are not coming to be because LIers live with high taxes feeling it will keep the "riff'raff" out. A "If you can't afford to pay your tax bill then you don't belong here anyway" type of attitude. Are the majority of LIers concerned about the southern migration of priced-out residents or privately happy that they left to make room for people with money?

Discuss.

I think property values keep the riff-raff out, not property taxes but that's just my opinion.
I think you will find for the most part, "Riff-raff" doesn't pay taxes so it really doesn't matter to them!

[Crookhaven]

Originally Posted by Burb

Recently every other thread revolved around civil servant comp and other contributors to our high tax rate. Would I be off the mark by suggesting that the majority of Long Islanders approve of the high tax burden? High property taxes are most punitive to those of lesser means. 10K a year in taxes is far more of a burden for a family earning 75K than a 20K tax is to a 150K earner.

Perhaps the ground swell of grass roots movements demanding tax reforms are not coming to be because LIers live with high taxes feeling it will keep the "riff'raff" out. A "If you can't afford to pay your tax bill then you don't belong here anyway" type of attitude. Are the majority of LIers concerned about the southern migration of priced-out residenst or privately happy that they left to make room for people with money?

Discuss.

Thanks Captain Obvious, are you just figuring this out now?


Its always been a playground for the Rich.
Its just recently that its come at the expense of the Middle Class.

The Rich here have never been richer and the Middle Class have never been poorer.

When I think of LI I think of the Snake eating its own tail.

Cant pay your cops 150k forever.
Cant have a school disrtrct(or two) for every zipcode, or Supts earning 500k
Cant rely on a service based economy in a meltdown.

etc etc etc.





Crooks

[twingles]

I actually think people are just lazy. There was a letter in Newsday today that people deserve their high school taxes because people never vote down the budgets, or bother voting at all. And I have to agree with that sentiment. My ILs, for example, did not vote against the budget this year because "the increase is so small, what does it matter"....we are being killed by degrees here on Long Island. It's been creeping up on us for so long, that I actually think people are still in too much shock to mobilize against it. I've only been in my house 12 years but my taxes have almost tripled, and most of that has happened in the last - say - five years. All I know is I can't afford for them to triple, or even double, over the next 12 years. And it wouldn't matter how much money I made, at a certain point it becomes simply a matter of principle.

[hotkarl]

Nothing can keep out riff-raff.
Riff-raff always finds a way...

[llama8]

High taxes keeps LI nice. From great schools, to garbage pickup, parks and recreation, etc. Quality of life is pretty good. I'm by no means rich, but I do realize that a lot of my taxes provides for services that make life better. I don't like some the beaurocracy that eats tax money.

As for riff raff...I don't know if taxes keep them out...there are so many illegal apartments on LI that they can utilize without paying taxes.

[LongIslandCitizen]

High taxes pay for the best school teachers and the safest neighborhoods. Top notch firefighters, cops ,and ambulance crews. Beautiful parks and beaches....and yeah hopefully less riff-raff.

[anotherNYer]

Exactly what riff-raff are you speaking of? Long Island is extremely diverse, a true melting pot. WHO exactly are you keeping out?? Many districts have over 20% free and reduced lunch and ESL (english as second language learners) is one of the fastest growing areas of the school curriculum and tax dollars. Please tell me anyone who does not have at least one illegal apartment on their street or know of one. Those apartments contain families whose children go to LI schools and they are not paying taxes. The question is how high are you willing to let taxes rise, at what point will you say STOP--I can't pay $20,000 a year. Will that be the breaking point (and many people pay that already) or will it be $25,000 or $30,000? If you currently are paying $10,000 how long do you really think it will be before your taxes are actually that high. I think your quest to keep the riff-raff out has already passed, I don't care what state, city or town you live in, there is riff-raff--whatever constitutes that (maybe you're the riff-raff or I'm it and we don't even know it).

[I_Love_LI_but]

Riff raff can also be rich enough to afford all the high taxes in the world.

Remember what Roseanne said about herself and her then-husband Tom Arnold: "We are America's worst nightmare ... white trash with money!"

[Burb]

Originally Posted by anotherNYer

Exactly what riff-raff are you speaking of? Long Island is extremely diverse, a true melting pot. WHO exactly are you keeping out?? Many districts have over 20% free and reduced lunch and ESL (english as second language learners) is one of the fastest growing areas of the school curriculum and tax dollars. Please tell me anyone who does not have at least one illegal apartment on their street or know of one. Those apartments contain families whose children go to LI schools and they are not paying taxes. The question is how high are you willing to let taxes rise, at what point will you say STOP--I can't pay $20,000 a year. Will that be the breaking point (and many people pay that already) or will it be $25,000 or $30,000? If you currently are paying $10,000 how long do you really think it will be before your taxes are actually that high. I think your quest to keep the riff-raff out has already passed, I don't care what state, city or town you live in, there is riff-raff--whatever constitutes that (maybe you're the riff-raff or I'm it and we don't even know it).

I intentionally did not define the riff-raff term. 25K in taxes is high and would force out the plumber with the company van out front and the rental apartment in the basement. But would the guy pulling in 250K a year and in need of tax shelters be too upset to see the plumber's house selling to someone who could afford a 25K property tax? This circles back to my initial question, perhaps you and I are the riff-raff?