Sales tax VS. Advalorem tax

Oldcountryboy · #1 03/29/12, 09:31 PM

Depending on who you are, it's darn if you do or darned if you don't.

The county I live in has been sued by some women who were raped by a few sheriff deputies while in jail. This has caused a big rucus in my county cause we the residents of the county has to pay for it. At first they were going to increase everyones property taxes something like 18 percent for the next 3 years cover the 13.5M lawsuit. Well this didn't go to well for all the big cattle ranchers here in my county, and this place is nothing but cattle country.

So the big land owners are making a big deal out of it and the result is in a few days we will be voting on a big sales tax increase all across the county that will take 11 years to pay off.

Either way you go with it, it's going to hurt someone. If we go with the Ad Valorem tax, the big ranchers are going to be dishing out huge sums of money. If we go with the sales tax increase it's going to hurt the people who are just barely getting by on small salaries and are already finding it hard to make ends meet already.

With the high price of food and other goods, that sales tax is going to hurt also. I've already heard people say "Well, I'll just go over to the next county to buy all my goods". Which a lot of people do anyway because in this whole county we only have one sizable town with a Walmart center, and it's way up on the northern part of the county. I'm just wondering if the sales tax increase will be more harm to businesses all across the county. Lumber yards, resturants, auto stores, car lots, etc, etc,. they all could lose customers because of the sales increase.

halfpint · #2 03/29/12, 09:59 PM

The increased sales tax may be enough for people to shop in other counties, so might not help as much as they think. I tend to avoid going to the higher taxed areas, for example, I live almost equally distant between two Sam's Clubs, and I usually go to the one that is 2% lower on sales taxes.
Dawn

sunny225 · #3 03/29/12, 11:50 PM

Did y'all get rid of the deputies?
Maybe this will cause the folks there to elect a sheriff who will hire good people to be in his department. Cuz it's pretty obvious that these deputies were POS's.
I think I'd tell them to jump in a lake & pay the settlement out of their own ---- pockets.

SteveD(TX) · #4 03/30/12, 10:27 AM

If we go with the Ad Valorem tax, the big ranchers are going to be dishing out huge sums of money.

I thought Oklahoma had agricultural exemptions that keep ad valorem taxes extremely low for farmers and ranchers. Texas sure does, and most farmers and ranchers could not stay in business without it.

Ohiogal · #5 03/30/12, 10:57 AM

Did y'all get rid of the SHERIFF?

Hollowdweller · #6 03/30/12, 10:58 AM

Could they just give the lady free steaks for life?

Yvonne's hubby · #7 03/30/12, 02:40 PM

Hmmmm. monetary exchanges for sex is illegal in most states. I think they even have a name for ladies that practice said occupation. I guess its alright though if you go for multimillion dollar rates? Rape is rape... the deputies should do their time if found guilty. This should not be a burden on any of the tax payers other than the upkeep for those deputies while they serve their sentences.... just like any other criminal.

unregistered168043 · #8 03/30/12, 02:46 PM

I'd prefer a bigger sales tax because I could always choose to buy less or shop in another county. Can't escape a property tax increase, and once they go up they almost never go back down.

texican · #9 03/30/12, 07:58 PM

I take it the trial was held far far away... be a bunch of d'd fools, if they awarded some innocent "Mother Teresa's" 13.5M and the ----------s actually lived in the county.

I'd fire the whole bunch, from dishwasher on up to the highest political honcho in the county, for not having an insurance policy to cover this.

.....thinking about it though, you get some dead weight entitlementististas on a jury, that DON'T PAY TAXES in the 1st place, and I could see em awarding a fortune (knowing that the 'saints' would throw one heckuva party afterward.

One of my top pet peeves is allowing people without any skin in the game (owning property, and paying property taxes) to make spending decisions (voting), knowing there lives won't be affected one whit. Our Founding Fathers were wise men, allowing only property owners the vote.

L.A. · #10 04/01/12, 11:24 AM

A side from the fact, they should be insured for just such lawsuits,

the inequality of the choices is the ad valorem tax only affects property owners, where sales tax affects everyone, even people traveling through.

Maybe you should consider a Lodging tax, so only travelers have to pay this dept......... or better yet, tax only lawsuit winners!!!!!!

Nevada · #11 04/01/12, 12:15 PM

Both increases in ad valorem property tax and the sales tax will hurt everyone, but in varying degrees.

Higher property taxes effect everyone, even people who don't own property. That's because everyone has to live someplace, even if the have to rent. Renters also pay property tax as part of their rent. But regardless of whether a person rents or owns, the more modest the property he owns or rents the less he will in pay in property taxes. Therefore, higher property taxes will disproportionately impact people with more property, which is the wealthy.

Sales tax is a consumption tax, but personal consumption is not a direct function of income. As a percentage of income, poorer people will spend a larger portion of their money on consumables, and therefore spend a larger portion of their income on sales tax. Therefore, higher sales taxes will disproportionately impact the poor.

kasilofhome · #12 04/01/12, 12:19 PM

While I care for the woman and I believe that she is a victim of a crime I do not believe that money alone is going to solve her problems. If the amount of money is for medical then I would feel that it is potencial reasonable. There are so many lawsuits that the victim and or legal advisor who see dollar signs only. This makes (in many cases) a whole lot of new victems. In this case it is the taxpayers. What's next the taxpayers sue as a class action against say the HR Dept, the parents of the perts, the doctors of the perp's who did a psyhic exam and fail to pick this up? I am sorry but life is hard and while I can see where medical and restution for any damage to property is valid and even time loss on the job but pretty much a bank roll is not the answer.

Old Vet · #13 04/01/12, 02:57 PM

Most all counties have a insurance policy to cover this or a bond to cover most of it. IF the Deputies were charged and found guilty They should pay most of it even if thy don't make any money until they die. The Sheriff and the county are responsible for some of it and should pay some not the whole thing. This is a wake up call for the county and the Sheriff to do a better job of hiring the right people. Around here the deputies will have a hard time living and breathing. Once the women were locked up and had no choice the county is responsible for everything that happen to them.

Yvonne's hubby · #14 04/01/12, 03:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Old Vet

Most all counties have a insurance policy to cover this or a bond to cover most of it. IF the Deputies were charged and found guilty They should pay most of it even if thy don't make any money until they die. The Sheriff and the county are responsible for some of it and should pay some not the whole thing. This is a wake up call for the county and the Sheriff to do a better job of hiring the right people. Around here the deputies will have a hard time living and breathing. Once the women were locked up and had no choice the county is responsible for everything that happen to them.

Unfortunately the main culprit in this case died before the case was even ruled on by the court. Hes not going to be able to pay much.

tinknal · #15 04/01/12, 03:11 PM

My favorite tax is the poll tax.

Oldcountryboy · #16 04/04/12, 10:08 PM

Update

Well we had the election yesterday and the sales tax passed by 93 %. So now we all have to pay an additional 1/2 percent tax on any goods we purchase here in this county for the next 17 years.

What gets me is I haven't heard much about the one remaining deputy that is still alive nor the former sheriff who resigned. So I don't know if they're living peacefully somewhere with no worries or what. But I think they should forfeit over everything they own to bring down the cost of the lawsuit before we're taxed.

Oh, and get this, most everyone I've talked to who said they voted for the sales tax increase have stated that they're going to buy all thier goods in the next county over. Now what good is the sales tax if no one's going to buy anything here?

tinknal · #17 04/05/12, 04:47 AM

I can see major purchases leaving the county, but remember gas is $4 a gallon. If you need $100 worth of stuff are you going to drive another 30 miles to save 50 cents? I'm betting that sellers of big ticket items will eat that half a percent to stay competitive.