Texans...anyone else seeing a large property tax increase?

[Pew]

I meant to include this in my previous post...

Having grown up in Silicon Valley before it was even called that, I've seen an erosion of effort by, let me call them, "native" Americans. For example, my BIL and SIL lived in a Saratoga neighborhood that was probably 50 percent Asian. The boy in the family who lived next door to them, as well as my nieces, went to some of the finest public schools in the entire state.

Back in the '80s when report cards were sent home USPS, my nieces and the Asian boy next door received their reports cards on the same day. When the father of the boy next door got home from work you'd hear his son screaming in terror, probably because he got a single A minus instead of straight As.

In contrast my nieces, whom I love dearly, were unmotivated and were B minus students at best. But, my BIL and SIL were satisfied with that. As a consequence, both my nieces live bare bones lifestyles to the point they still need periodic financial support from their aging parents. In contrast, I'd venture to bet that Asian boy next door is earning a fortune.

I agree that education is key, but many in the boomer generation were content with letting their children achieve mediocrity. Temporary happiness was more important than long term achievement. I may be a boomer but I ran a very tight ship. There was no slacking off in our house. The career success of both our boys proves that was the right strategy.

We wouldn't need H1B visas if more had been expected from our "native" children.

Scott

My siblings and I were those kids. I've shut out that part of my life because of how bad it was. We'll still talk about it once a blue moon though.

No childhood, no memories, no friends, just study. I was put in ESL classes because I never talked and socialized, even though English was my only language. I didn't ask for help at school because I was too scared of adults so my grades suffered. I'd hide homework and test results from my dad because I was too scared of the consequences - so that put me in even more trouble at school. My fifth grade teacher, a real hard old school lady sent me to the nurses after she saw bruises on my back, who then called the cops, who then called my dad, which I lied to the cops because I was more scared of my dad.

All it did was made me resent my dad and leave some pretty bad mental scars (talked to him maybe 2-3 times in 15 years). In 2018 I sent him to the hospital for some sort of surgery. I almost told him I hope he dies on that table.

This type of parenting may produce some very book smart people but they tend to lack street smarts or social skills needed as an adult. May also cause lots of resentment or the inability to properly express themselves in times of stress or despair.

 

[Cheetah-kins]

When I read something like this, I ask the writer how many idiots have they run into over the last week. And wouldn't it be nice if some force somewhere made those people just a little bit smarter?

Educating a town means you wind up with a smarter town which improves quality of life. Maybe your cashier makes change properly. Your mechanic guesses better and throws fewer parts at your car.

That's a cop out and typical response by someone who (very likely) has kids, grandkids, etc. Instead of charging childless couples taxes to help subsidize other people's kids, maybe they should just raise the taxes for those who choose to have kids.

Btw, tell me, how has that 'town educating' worked out so far?

 

[Cheetah-kins]

Educating children is for the good of society. Most of us have had children that were educated by taxes. If you can make a compelling argument why society shouldn't educate our children please do so. I'm more mature on here and society has paid for my children. Now I have to pay for others. If you did not save enough to pay taxes, Healthcare, housing in retirement that's on you- respectfully.

'Society', huh?

 

[JeffKeryk]

That's a cop out and typical response by someone who (very likely) has kids, grandkids, etc. Instead of charging childless couples taxes to help subsidize other people's kids, maybe they should just raise the taxes for those who choose to have kids.

Btw, tell me, how has that 'town educating' worked out so far?

Curious... Where did you go to school?
By the way, education has worked out well for me and is one of my most prized posessions.

 

[SC Maintenance]

A "wealth tax," perhaps. An exit tax, never. Butterbean Pritzker was suggesting such a thing in Illinois a few years ago to combat that great sucking sound out of the state. He came to his senses when everyone - on both sides of the aisle - reminded him it's blatantly unconstituional.

That is exactly how they intend to do it - call changing your residence as a capital gains event as if everything you owned was liquidated the day you left and hit you with cap gains.

I am unaware of anything in the constitution from stopping a state from taxing unrealized gains.

 

[SC Maintenance]

That's a cop out and typical response by someone who (very likely) has kids, grandkids, etc. Instead of charging childless couples taxes to help subsidize other people's kids, maybe they should just raise the taxes for those who choose to have kids.

Btw, tell me, how has that 'town educating' worked out so far?

See my post #70. Or go visit South Sudan or Afghanistan to see what a country without public schools looks like.

However, I am pretty sure every parent would be happy to make this deal. You can stop paying into school taxes if all our kids no longer will have to pay into medicare or SS given they will never see a penny of it. Deal?

 

[Pew]

That's a cop out and typical response by someone who (very likely) has kids, grandkids, etc. Instead of charging childless couples taxes to help subsidize other people's kids, maybe they should just raise the taxes for those who choose to have kids.

Btw, tell me, how has that 'town educating' worked out so far?

There are places like that if you don't want to pay for public schooling. My parents grew up in a place like that, where only those who can pay for school send their kids to school. They all have one thing in common; they're third world countries.

 

[Cheetah-kins]

Curious... Where did you go to school?
By the way, education has worked out well for me and is one of my most prized posessions.

These will be my last comments in this thread:

I wasn't speaking of your education. Was asking how educated the country has turned out using your 'everyone pays for my kids' policy?

Also the taxes we all pay are used for MANY more services regarding kids than just 'education'.

It's okay though, I understand how most people think: they simply can't accept that maybe something they're forcing upon others might not be fair to all, so instead of determining their beliefs by the facts, they make the facts fit their beliefs. Then everything is rosy. The many responses to my original comment by other parents shows you how deeply people convince themselves that what they're doing is best for everyone, haha.

 

[JeffKeryk]

There are places like that if you don't want to pay for public schooling. My parents grew up in a place like that, where only those who can pay for school send their kids to school. They all have one thing in common; they're third world countries.

I take it one lever further. Our very survival depends on improving our education. We are giving away the future.

 

[JeffKeryk]

These will be my last comments in this thread:

I wasn't speaking of your education. Was asking how educated the country has turned out using your 'everyone pays for my kids' policy?

Also the taxes we all pay are used for MANY more services regarding kids than just 'education'.

It's okay though, I understand how most people think: they simply can't accept that maybe something they're forcing upon others might not be fair to all, so instead of determining their beliefs by the facts, they make the facts fit their beliefs. Then everything is rosy. The many responses to my original comment by other parents shows you how deeply people convince themselves that what they're doing is best for everyone, haha.

it's not about me. And there is no "fair". I stopped looking for fair a long time ago.
I am sure no one agrees with all the government expenditures of one kind of another. Ditto the tax schedule.
Personally, I believe education is key. We need better and we need financial planning taught. I understand it is taught to some level, but it needs to improve.

 

[CKN]

'Society', huh?

Explain...the humor. I'm waiting.

 

[slo town]

Also the taxes we all pay are used for MANY more services regarding kids than just 'education'.

You comment has me thinking.

What I'd like on both a state and federal level is an itemized list of where my tax money has been spent. Distill it down to an 8 or 10 line item summary and list the dollar amount and percentage with respect to my individual tax contribution. Categories would be something like this; military spending, education spending, government payroll spending, infrastructure spending, welfare spending, etc. You get the idea.

IMO, this would force some accountability from our overseers.

Scott

 

[alarmguy]

What you comment on is frankly dismissive and not helpful, but thanks anyway.

Your welcome anyway

 

[The_Jeff]

What makes you think the money you have stashed away in your Schwab or Fidelity accounts will even be there when you need it?

Owning 1/100,000,000th of a basket of US-based companies is in some ways more secure than owning paper money printed by a government.

No answer is perfect, but diversifying works well.

 

[The_Jeff]

You comment has me thinking.

What I'd like on both a state and federal level is an itemized list of where my tax money has been spent. Distill it down to an 8 or 10 line item summary and list the dollar amount and percentage with respect to my individual tax contribution. Categories would be something like this; military spending, education spending, government payroll spending, infrastructure spending, welfare spending, etc. You get the idea.

IMO, this would force some accountability from our overseers.

Scott

https://fiscaldata.treasury.gov/americas-finance-guide/federal-spending/

 

[JHZR2]

I find it funny. All these places that were cheap and had low taxes had those things for a reason.

Then a million (millions actually) people move there. Drive up prices, folks chest thump about hot markets and making money on real estate.

Guess what comes with all those newcomers? The need for infrastructure, schools, roads, water, sewer, police, hospitals. Guess who pays for these common good things?

Guess what happens to taxes?

Then the complaints about having to actually pay start. Lol

Commodity costs don’t change because you move to the boonies or the mountains. Nor do most goods and services. And increased costs for homes and whatnot drive up salaries. None of this is economic rocket science.

Folks that ruined one place move to another and ruin that as well.

No different than locusts.

 

[JeffKeryk]

I find it funny. All these places that were cheap and had low taxes had those things for a reason.

Then a million (millions actually) people move there. Drive up prices, folks chest thump about hot markets and making money on real estate.

Guess what comes with all those newcomers? The need for infrastructure, schools, roads, water, sewer, police, hospitals. Guess who pays for these common good things?

Guess what happens to taxes?

Then the complaints about having to actually pay start. Lol

Commodity costs don’t change because you move to the boonies or the mountains. Nor do most goods and services. And increased costs for homes and whatnot drive up salaries. None of this is economic rocket science.

Folks that ruined one place move to another and ruin that as well.

No different than locusts.

Good points about economic development, with the possible exception of the ruined part.
Each to his/her own, but I love it here. Why? Because of the opportunity. Silicon Valley is the undisputed world leader in opportunity.