Way back in November I proposed that one of the funding mechanisms for coming up with the extra bucks to replace the Alaska Way Viaduct with a tunnel should be a “special taxing district,” much like the local improvement district that is funding half the costs of the South Lake Union streetcar line. And just for good measure I repeated the suggestion again in March.
Well, whatever his inspiration, it is gratifying to see Mayor Greg Nickels asking property owners who stand to benefit most from the tunnel alternative to consider exactly that — a local improvement district that could defray as much as $250 million of the project’s cost. According to Office of Policy and Management deputy director Michael Mann:
“It’s an appropriate way to help fund it,” he said “There are clearly properties that will benefit, so that’s what we’re working on.”
Sure, this is a pretty obvious piece of the funding puzzle so I’m certainly not suggesting that the Mayor is getting his budgeting cues from the pages of HA. (Though he could certainly do worse.) Still, you can’t blame me for patting myself on the back for being so far out in front on such a creative revenue proposal.
And it wouldn’t be the first the time.
After the recent ruling invalidating Initiative 747’s property tax revenue limits, Governor Christine Gregoire and other elected officials were quick to reassure voters that they would restore some sort of property tax relief should the decision survive appeal. But before Olympia jumps to re-legislate Tim Eyman’s ridiculous one percent cap — or even some higher, more reasonable figure — I hope they carefully consider a proposal I have been pushing for nearly three years: a Property Tax Homestead Exemption.
The concept is simple; every homeowner is offered a flat exemption on their primary residence — their “homestead” — while property tax rates are increased to offset any lost revenues. Because the proportion of property exempted declines the higher the relative price of the home, the amount of relief provided, both in real dollars and percent of total burden, declines accordingly. Essentially, the lowest priced homes see the greatest tax relief while the highest priced homes would see a modest tax increase.
Sound confusing? Link on over to TaxSanity.org where a handy chart shows the impact a $30,000 homestead exemption would have had on average property taxes back in 2004. Forget about the actual numbers, as that part is up for negotiation. The point is that only the top 4% of homeowners would see a rise in property taxes, while owners of low priced homes would realize substantial tax relief.
Like my proposal for a local improvement district to help pay for a tunnel, the Property Tax Homestead Exemption is not some harebrained idea I pulled out of my ass… indeed 37 other states already have a similar exemption, credit or circuit-breaker to help protect low- and middle-income homeowners from the tax impact of rapidly rising property values. Over the past few years such an exemption was twice introduced to the Legislature, and was an integral part of Ron Sims’ tax restructuring plan when he ran for governor.
I raise the issue again now because if lawmakers are going to consider tax relief, they need to start considering tax fairness as well as total tax burden. Washington state has the most regressive tax structure in the nation, and it is interesting to note that all that separates us from number two, Florida, is the fact that they happen to have a homestead exemption on the books.
Even if the state Supreme Court eventually upholds I-747, the lower court decision has given us an opportunity to have a reasoned public debate over the wisdom of tax cutting policies that inevitably give the greatest benefit to our wealthiest citizens while heaping the greatest impact on those who can afford it least. Many local taxing districts, particularly those in rural areas, are on the verge of insolvency due to unrealistic revenue growth limits that fail to accommodate for inflationary pressures on fire, police, public health and other vital public services, let alone increases in demand. And while the promise of “tax relief” surely has great political appeal, any policy that ignores adequacy and fairness is irresponsible.
It is time for our elected officials to stop reacting to anti-tax demagogues like Tim Eyman, and start proposing proactive, creative solutions. It is time for a little leadership.
big talk from someone who doesn’t pay much in taxes don’t you think?
How much creativity does it take to raise taxes and tax people out of their homes?
Ghost @1,
Um… I pay sales taxes like everybody else, and I own a house that is right around median property value for Seattle, so I obviously pay my property taxes as well. So when it comes to state and local taxes, I’m not sure what you’re implying?
I live in Lacey and despite the 1% cap, Lacey realized a 31% growth in property taxes…… development, development, development and much higher tax assessments………
and our City Manager is frothing at the mouth to get his hands on more money…..
Smegmac: %age-wise: How much more are you paying for gasoline and the money goes to help no one except corporate bigwigs. As usual, your caviling about paying taxes is resentment directed in the wrong direction.
The righties will attack any tax that does’t go directly to Halliburton to fund the war.
Smegmac: If you love Halliburton so much, why don’t you marry Dick Cheney’s daughter!!!
I know… It’s despicable to make fun of the daughter of a man whose responsible for the death and maiming of 50,000 young Americans just to enrich himself and his cronies and further smash the hammered fist of his corporatist agenda on American Democracy.
…just my opinion. It’s still a free country.
Isn’t it?
I doubt your comment on LID financing had anything to do with Nickels’ decision (though your ego seems to be growing by leaps and bounds these days). Nickels is interested in one thing: paying back his developer buddies for having funded his election campaigns. Walling off the waterfront with high-rise condos is part of that quid pro quo.
And by the way, I’ve yet to see the third-party scientific study that says building a tunnel over a fault line is a safe idea. Oh well, who cares about safety when there’s a monopoly of real estate just waiting to be controlled?
I think sgmmac is just pointing out that no amount of money will ever satisfy government.
Let other, lesser people debate about taxes. I’m a rich Republican, so I don’t have to pay any!
Another Billionaire for Bush – you’re sounding like Leona Helmsly.
Lucy, stop insulting me by deliberately misspelling my nickname. I worked damn hard it. You know that it (SGM) was/is my military rank. Mac is from my last name.
As for me marrying Dick Cheney’s daughter, because I am a female and I was in the Army doesn’t mean I am gay, I’m not.
I am just fine happily divorced, thank you very much!
Property taxes go to schools, cities, libraries, fire districts, Ports, Medic One, counties, and the State.
I voted for an increase in my property taxes in the last election to build new schools…..
Don’t get me started on the fucking gas tax either!
Goldy is right about this state’s regressive tax structure. The poor, the working poor and the middle class pay the majority of taxes in this state. It’s way past time for a State Income Tax………..
re 10: And we’re just pointing out that no amount of money will satisfy the defense industry or big oil.
“You are right from your side,
and I am right from mine.
You’re just one too many mornings
and a thousand
miles
behind.”
Bob Dylan
re 13: I agree, SMEGMAC!! ( he he )
sgmmac,
In my line of work, I see quite a few multi-millionaires who pay no income taxes, year after year. The methods they use are quite creative, too, but it’s largely due to the complcated tax code we have. In regard to national income taxes, what we need is a flat rate, simple system with harsh punishment for cheating. I’d prefer us to eventually move away from income taxes entirely and enact a national sales tax instead. (OK, that was an OPINION about a national sales tax. It is NOT a lie, but an OPINION. Some of the people on this blog call opinions lies when the opinions are not to their likings.)
I don’t believe a state income tax is in our future. Do you really wish to have the state government knowing more about your personal finances?
12
Yes, she was great in The Jeffersons, wasn’t she?
Another Billionaire for Bush – No, Leona Helmsly was the rich-bitch who supposedly said, “Only little people pay taxes.” She did time for tax evasion. I can’t remember the lady who played Louise Jefferson on The Jeffersons, but her name was similar to Leona’s.
Let’s have a flat income tax with a standard deduction/exemption of $200,000. Set the rate on anything above $200K so that it’s revenue neutral to what we have now. I think that would be pretty popular!
Ah yes, I was just making a little joke at Isabel Sanford’s expense. I hope she doesn’t mind. I’ve actually never met the Queen of Mean. There are some people in our tax bracket who one shouldn’t be seen with, if you know what I mean. (Mike McGavick knows what I mean, as he was recently not seen with one of them who appeared at a fundraiser in his honor.)
The time is ripe to bring up a progressive state income tax.
@16: Balderdash, but we’ve had this discussion before. A national sales tax is regressive. It would be a disasterous national policy, but nice demolition of a straw man of your own making. When you going to move up to real arguments?
The flaw I see in this plan is the perceived growing disconnect between the value of one’s home and one’s income. I don’t know if this applies only to retired folks who bought their houses a long time ago. But, I know that I live in a neighborhood where modest single family homes from the 40’s & 50’s are selling for 1M because of views. Your homestead exemption would help those folks, but doesn’t deal with the inherent discrepancy between one’s income (used to pay taxes) and one’s asset (i.e. house).
bj
“More taxes. Always more. For the children.” Karl Marx and Hillary Clinton
Libertarian,
I agree with you on the National taxes, but a flat tax Nationally would be the same thing as here in Washington. The rich are dying for us to get a flat tax based on consumption. What do they consume? As a percentage of income, you, me, and every body else on this blog pay a much greater share of taxes to the State of Washington than Gates, Allen and the rest of the Seattle rich and elite.
Very few of the rich and elite here in Washington pay their “fair” share for the state taxes, the only way to change that is to either pass a yacht load of “luxury” taxes or get a State income tax.
It is disgusting beyond belief that 1 in 6 people living in this state qualify for Federal/State subsidies. If you are making minimum wage in this state, you are screwed.
And the really nice idea about the LID for the Tunnel idea is it will demonstrate how lacking in subtsance the whole Tunnel idea actually is: even the people who supposedly will benefit economically don’t want to put up five cents on the dollar to pay for a tunnel. And if they don’t, it’s hilarious to think that voters in the suburbs will do so.
It’s a great exit strategy for the Mayor as he can turn around and blame the downtown property-owners.
“Creative Taxes”… I love it.
I would encourage everyone in The McDermott Zone to show the rest of us rubes out here how it really is possible to tax yourself into prosperity.
We’ll be watching… and laughing our asses off…
I always marvel at how people who have no money and never will pontificate about how those of us who do have money should spend it.
Loocy – I’m glad you’re back… I really missed your insight and perspective. Here’s some oldies but goodies:
…the oil industry is a zero sum game ( like checkers )
Commentby headless lucy— 4/9/06@ 2:56 pm
“Most wealthy people inherited their wealth and haven’t worked a day in their lives…”
Commentby headless lucy— 4/13/06@ 5:14 pm
I’d love to get some new material from you. Do you have any more brilliant gems of economic commentary?
re 28: Fine. You think my comments were senseless.
Explain why. Why is the oil industry NOT azero sum game.
Mur – I’m asking the questions here. You’re the one who posted the stoopid fucking comment, so you explain it.
Let’s start at the beginning. Do you even know what a “zero sum game” is? If you get by that, then compare the oil industry (or any industry for that matter) to a zero sum game.
Oh, by the way, explain how a company can be worth billions of dollars if it’s a “zero sum game”.
This is gonna be great… should be some real good quotes coming out of this…
LMAO already…
“Well, whatever his inspiration, it is gratifying to see Mayor Greg Nickels asking property owners who stand to benefit most from the tunnel alternative to consider exactly that – a local improvement district that could defray as much as $250 million of the project’s cost.”
Gee, this sounds a lot like something I proposed, way back when.
“We must “redistribute” all the wealth”.” Hillary Clinton and Karl Marx
“Corporate profits are evil and must be “redistributed” to those who will vote Democrat.” Hillary Clinton and Karl Marx
Looks like Mur aka Loocy folded like a house of cards when confronted by the intellectual prowess of MTR @ 30.
Anybody else care to take me on?
Hey Mark the asshole, since you don’t want to live in Somalia, how do you think government should be funded? How do we pay the cops and firefighters? What about roads? THose folks you want to keep in Iraq, how do we pay now and for theit disabilities. I’ll ytake a bye on schools, because I know you dot want to pay for them.
You know K, you’re right: fund roads, cops, emergency personnel, libraries and parks… T-damn-rrific… now explain why King Sims always manages to claim 3 out of 5 of those as “emergencies”; explain the necessity of stupid “art” outside a jail or a water treatment plant; explain the necessity for wild animal crossing paths…
Art is 1% of qualifying costs, and quite frankly I do not agree with all of it. I can tell you that there are studies which indicte that public art. properly done (and no, it’s not all properly done) increases support for projects and reduces vandelism related maintenance.
I can also tell you that per cent for art was ther long before Ron Sims was in office. And none of the Council Republicans have proposed deletion. So your point is
And dumb ass, the emergencies were delcared in the state budget, not the county budget. Do you have a clue how the government around here works?
One of the problems we have in this state are that there are so many government entities, that making things work is difficult. To get to work I pass through the streets of several cities, King and Snohomish County, roads with State and federal funding. When I flush, a local sewer district has the pipes from my property line to the interceptor and then METRO/King County takes it. In Seattle the Monorail and Sound Transit are/were SEPARATE entities, authorized by the voters for very similar missions.
Another problem we have is dumb shits like ASS do not have a clue about who is responsible for what.
Excuse me… how many countless time has that prick sims said we ‘HAD to vote this or that levy because emergency services would be cut’.
I call bulshit on prick sims… the very FIRST responsibility of any government is the safety of its citizen and SHOULD be the very FIRST line in the damned budget… not the whining line to win more tax dollars to play with.
And quite frankly prick sims jr., I don’t give a horses ass where your bullshit goes when your flush your damned toilet.
Well, ASS sir, you can eat yours, since without the infrastructure to move it down the pipe you’d have to.
Congrats on your come back. Proving what???
I notice you cut and run from the traditional prick sims election season “we may have to cut emergency services” whine…
Emergency services levys are separate from proerty taxes, which fund general government. There is absolutely no per cent for arts component in services. Per cent for arts are from above ground capital projects. Give me some actual facts ASS.
Give me facts on the cut emergency services. My recollection is that he got all kinds of grief for cutting parks.
FACT: emergency service should be the very first item in ANY government budget…do you understand that means pay for it before ANYTHING else???… why does prick sims always seem to have spent his trove BEFORE funding them?
If you at me to argue the current structure makes sense, I will not. But know the rules of the game as they are right now before arguing they are not being followed.
Do you understand that the Sheriff and the Prosecuting Attorney are SEPARATELY ELECTED?
what the hell are you babbling about – are you drunk??
Gee, I don’t know, I thought Cops and prosecutors were linked to emergency services. And as is, they are separate from the Executive. So are the courts. Remember judicial elections?
What role do you think county government has in emergency services? No role in fire protection.
Why don’t you help me, and provide some specific examples?
lmao… last time I checked LAWYERS were not considered emergency services!
Paramedics
Firefighters
Police
Although, a few laywers I know DO consider themselves indispensable…
49.
May as well go to bed, K. howcanyoubePROUDtobeanASS comes in at the 10th percentile in factual situations.
Any time we want to discuss the county government structure, I’ll be glad to chime in. Not to defend, as there are clearly many faults. But dumb shits who have no clue how this very flawed structure works must be put in their places.
And so, Good night and Good Luck.
Last comment before bed, none of your examples @ 50 are in the executive branch. And how do those policework without prosecutors to put the offenders in jail? That’s right you don’t believe in that silly stuff.
Ignorant fool.
well, g’night K… who suspiciously sounds an awful lot like harry the turtle… keep that H’ass traffic flowing girls!
I beat you to it by a long ways, Goldy.
See my post of May 11, 2005:
http://citycomfortsblog.typepa.....opert.html
well, goldy………”So when it comes to state and local taxes, I’m not sure what you’re implying?”
nice little hidey-hole you think you have there. liberal parsing always makes me laugh. state and local….heh heh heh. yeah…cause we all know that you aren’t exactly a cash cow for the feds don’t we goldy?
the only four letter word you don’t like is W-O-R-K.
it’s just amazing to me how many people like you [very little earnings to tax because YOU DON’T WORK] want to tax the living hell out of those of us who do work….and work hard. do you know how people get rich goldy? they work really really hard…that’s how.
and the ron sims/goldy’s of the world should not be able to have their hands in our pockets every five seconds….just because they are too damn lazy and entitled to work hard themselves.
it’s just as simple as that.
I like both of Goldie’s ideas but would add one more.
A tunnel will create extremely valuable NEW property in Seattle. Why not start by condemning the exiting property around the new tunnel and then auction off the newly created building plots and esp. the incredible waterfront this would create!
Also, why not combine a tunnel with creation of a new commercial waterfront … designed to serve tourships, tourists, and appropriate water front businesses. I am into sure anything of the sort I am imagining yet exists .. the closest might be the Baltimore Harbor or the New Orleans River walk, but this could be a lot grander if one worked at bringing businesses and parks closer to the waterfront,
One esp wonderful opportunity would be to extend Pike Place Market downhill all the way to the waterfront where one could combine a park, a marina, and some VERY high priced business locals!
Hard work is for fools and suckers. How did I get my wealth? I inherited it! Then I invested it in companies that make other, lesser people work in the deluded belief that they’ll get rich working for me. It’s the American way!
The property tax will definitely run us off our “homestead” where we’ve lived for nearly 20 years. In little more than 18 months, my husband is required to retire. His income at that point will automatically drop 35%. That’s if and ONLY if the pension he’s been promised for 40 years is still there.
Now the property tax evaulation continues to rise by 13-15% every year. Do the math. We won’t be able to stay here. Plain and simple. And not right.
And it’s not just people who have modest incomes who are affected in this way. We are a comfortable, middle class couple. But in order to stay comfortable, we have sadly decided we have to say goodbye to our dream home.
Rae – You don’t understand do you? Other people are ENTITLED to help themselves to the fruits of your labor because their lives are a screwed up mess because of a lifetime of bad choices. They think if you have any wealth at all, it’s because you stole it from them and they have the RIGHT to take it back. They are selfish pigs who don’t give a fuck about anybody but themselves.
Mark at 60:
I do “get” it, but you’re are right. I don’t understand it. I am sick and tired of bailing out those who make one bad choice after another and blame it all on a rotten childhood. I think we could all claim that in some way or other. I was an abused spouse in my first marriage, but have CHOSEN to be a survivor rather than a victim. That is not to lessen the impact such experiences have on those of us who have had them. They can and do change your life. But you can choose how you manage that.
I work in health care, so I see on a daily basis how the entitlement thing works. Well, it works for them, but it sure isn’t working for me.
So while the morons in seattle close the viaduct for 5 or 6 years to build whatever the hell they dreamed up lately, where do you suppose the N-S traffic will go? You know, that N-S traffic that comes to a screeching halt because of the convention center bonndoggle… where to you suppose the industrial traffic will go? You whiners already complain about those big bad SUV’s that make you afraid and cause your to wet the seat of your little Prius… how are you going to remove stench from shitting your pants in your Prius as you putt alongside a wall of semis and tandum semis?
Well, thanks Goldy! With houses in Seattle going up like geysers in Yellowstone and a little teeny house over by (not in) Blue Ridge going for $475,000, I will only see a 13% increase in my prop taxes. And me, a single school teacher who bought almost twenty years ago. Oh well, I don’t matter.
In 1992 my taxes were $692. in 2005 almost $4000. Tell me where the effin’ $3300 is going please? Inflation hasn’t been anything like that. So where’s the money! Multiply that by hundreds – where’s the money?! Answer that and I might consider another prop tax increase thanks to you and your’s.
Guess I get a big penalty for living in the northend, right? Oh, and let’s make sure while we’re at it that Graham Hill doesn’t close to save money. After all, want to keep all our personal little ducks in a row!
36 . . . “explain the necessity for wild animal crossing paths…”
to keep them from dying. Those paths are a very small part of the overall roads budget. I’ve never understood anybody who thought it humane to keep animals from water. They cross the roads for other reasons as well but but often to get to water.
Also, why corporations don’t provide those crossings as part of their charitable giving is a mystery to me. They would get kudos from environmentalists and animals rights groups, and they would get good pr from the signs posted on those crossings – excellent permanent advertising.
Mark the redneck – which I doubt you are because you sound like someone whe gets money much more easily that those poor folk who really do get red necks earning a dollar – I wish upon you a mega-medical emergency that taps all your wealth including your assets. It would be karma. You might have to go out and really earn that money and possibly get a respectable red-neck in the process.
Time for corporations to starting paying their share of taxes instead of giving it as gifts to people like McGavick when they retire.
Let’s not forget this handy little bit of speculation. Once the spectacular waterfront view is realized, think of all the crack smokers, homeless and gang members that Seattle already can’t control, being able to expand their homestead!
Apparently a ‘Blue State’ is one that allows the most unproductive members dictate the quality of life downtown.
yeah, Blicka, let’s just shoot ’em . . . afterall, they shoot horses, don’t they?
Perhaps, I’m missing something . . . what’s your SOLUTION to the problem of indigents?
SKagit, can’t happen. One of the things that The Producers get is employer paid medical insurance. It’s part of the whole “success” thing.
Hey, even insurance companies are looking to sucker they victims . . . look at Katrina! Good luck, oblivious-to-your-possible-future dude.
Hey skagit… why is it dems are always so full of despair and gloom? Is that just a normal part of the disease of librulism?
Skag 64, ya know… that’s really fucking offensive. Do you really wish for bad things to happen to your fellow men? Do you really want people who disagree with you to get sick and die? Are you really that fucking insecure? Or are you that fucking evil?
Or do you just wish to see me destitute? Is that what you meant? If so, what fucking business do you have in my wealth? You had NOTHING to do with my ability to generate income or accumulate wealth. NOTHING. Why do you hate wealthy people so much?
I don’t wish for you to get sick and die… I think I have a social responsibility to make sure guys like you and your ilk never have meaningful political power (because your ideas are based on a foundation that is wrong)… but you have a right to exist and be left alone and choose your own path.
I thought librulism was all about being open minded and tolerant? You are neither. You are a hate filled extremist and a close minded intolerant loser.
But I think you really typify the current “progressive” mindset. You can’t win the intellectual, moral, or economic arguments, so instead you just wish we’d die so you can wander the planet stepping on rakes with every step and wondering why the fuck life is so confusing.
Fuck you asshole…
Comments by Mark The Redneck Kennedy—
“Hey skagit… why is it dems are always so full of despair and gloom? Is that just a normal part of the disease of librulism?”
Yeah, we are realists. We don’t live and work in the mansions, penthouses and 24th- floor boardrooms that you guys inhabit. Get real man! Look down every once in a while. It actually feels good to care about your fellow human and all living things. Try it sometime.
“that’s really fucking offensive. Do you really wish for bad things to happen to your fellow men?”
NO. JUST YOU. It is because I care for life and living things that I want all the evil to be eradicated from the planet. You are evil. You have evil thoughts and evil motives. That republicans are newly in power is like having new money . . . you think you’re smarter than everyone else. And I TRULY DO HOPE YOU HAVE A MEGA-MEDICAL EMERGENCY TAKING ALL YOUR WEALTH AND ASSETS. If that is the same to you as DYING – well, you said it, I didn’t.
But, I would think that with all your superior effort and intellect, you could easily rebuild your fortune. Why be so worried? Anybody can do it – right?
There ya have it. “Progressives” on parade.
Thanks for making my point assfuckinghole…
You’re welcome. Interesting you couldn’t refute a word of it. Now, go look in the mirror – do you like what you see?