Sales tax actually would ease taxpayers’ burden
The citizens of Guilford County have generously approved three bond issues in this decade to build and improve schools all across the county, providing seats for almost 23,000. Our county commissioners have been raising property taxes to pay for the projects completed so far. This puts the tax burden on county property owners and on people who rent, since owners pass along their property tax increases to their renters.
The commissioners have placed, on the Nov. 4 ballot, a ¼-cent sales tax to help pay for the already approved school construction and have promised that all of the revenue from this sales tax will go to pay for school construction. This amounts to 25 cents of sales tax for every $100 of purchases. Groceries, prescription drugs and gasoline are exempt from this tax.
The good thing about a sales tax (instead of property tax) is that about 40 percent of the sales tax revenues come from shoppers who live outside of Guilford County. Therefore, approving the ¼-cent sales tax will actually reduce the taxes that will have to be paid by county residents.
Please vote for the ¼-cent sales tax on Nov. 4.
Frank Kendall
Greensboro
Comments (5)
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"...and have promised that all of the revenue from this sales tax will go to pay for school construction."
Whenever govt. promises a new tax will go to specifically pay for "X" I become cynical.
"The good thing about a sales tax..."
There is no good thing about a sales tax, much less raising it during poor economic conditions. Gov. Easley "temporarily" raised the sales tax at the beginning of his term and it's still here today.
The sales tax increase was shot down in May by the voters. These lamebrains are like a drunk guy in a bar repeatedly trying to hit on a woman, they don't understand the meaning of "NO". Only difference is the drunk guy is offering to pay for the drink, not the opposite.
Posted on October 2, 2008 6:52 AM
"Gov. Easley "temporarily" raised the sales tax at the beginning of his term and it's still here today."
So did both Mayor Palin (sales tax) and Gov'nor Palin (windfall tax).
Posted on October 2, 2008 7:36 AM
Stick on subject JDR. The letter addresses sales taxes in Guilford Cty. NC, not what Palin did in AK. Looks like you are getting PDS.
If you wish to mention AK, don't forget to mention that there is no state income nor sales tax in AK.
Posted on October 2, 2008 8:32 AM
The key word here is "promised".
The county commissioners are not obligated to use sales tax revenue to pay for school construction. The fact that they have "promised" to do it carries no weight whatsoever. I have seen what politician's promises are worth. They will say one thing to get what they want, then when they get it, they will say that the situation has changed. In essence, promises require trust. And anyone that trusts a politician is doomed to be disappointed.
No new taxes. Of course, tax proponents can get it passed in the same manner that they did with the school bonds, and I do not have to repeat what that was.
Posted on October 2, 2008 9:59 AM
Dan,
I entirely agree with your sentiment on the tax increase...they keep proposing and proposing it and only have to pass it once.
Who stands to benefit and why are there billboards supporting it? Because someone somewhere is going to make a buck.
And ORR is right, too. "The key word here is "promised"."
Like the lottery revenues, they "technically" go to schools but then they reduce or choke revenue from the General Fund to offset or negate the increase.
Vote NO on the referendum. Again. and Again if need be.
"If you wish to mention AK, don't forget to mention that there is no state income nor sales tax in AK."
That's because AK properly taxes companies that use America's natural resources. Dan, I assume you would favor such a tax?
Posted on October 6, 2008 8:52 AM