CityBusiness Poll on Tax Surplus

CityBusiness runs a poll each week. This week's poll asks what the State should do with the $1 billion budget surplus. It gives suggestions such as roads and education. Apparently, it did not occur to the folks at CityBusiness to include the option of returning the money to the taxpayers who paid all those taxes in the first place.

Woman With Large Screen TV and Hardwood Floors Whines About "Pitiful" Free Money From Taxpayers

A New Orleans resident, Sharon Jasper, had the gall to sit in her taxpayer subsidized home with a large screen tv and hardwood floors and whine that it's "pitiful" what the rest of us taxpayers are giving her for free. If anyone knows Ms. Jasper, I hope they tell her how sorry us people who work for a living are that she doesn't enjoy as many luxuries as she might otherwise like courtesy of those of us who choose to work for a living and pay taxes and that we hope she can upgrade to a better free government handout that she finds less pitiful real soon.

Thanks for the Christmas Eve Property Tax Bill

The morons at City Hall think it's a good idea to mail property tax bills right before Christmas. I received my bill on Christmas Eve, as I assume others did. Do the idiots who run the government ever stop to think that perhaps people don't enjoy receiving a big property tax bill that must be largely a waste of money given the crappy condition of our roads, public schools, etc. on the night before Christmas? Would it kill them to send the bill some time other than right before Christmas? Do politicians ever think like normal human beings? Imagine if you had a business with thousands of customers whom you only billed once a year -- don't you think you'd have the common sense to issue that once-a-year bill some time other than Christmas Eve?

DDD Wants Tax Increase

I am shocked -- SHOCKED -- to report that at least one city government agency, the Downtown Development District, does not want to reduce the millage at the same rate that our property tax assessments have increased. In other words, the DDD wants to increase your taxes. Politicians and agency heads somehow must think the taxpayers are not smart enough to figure out that higher assessments coupled with less than a full reduction in the millage equals higher taxes.

Wall Street Journal Editorial on New Orleans Property Taxes

It's entitled Property Tax Flood: The Real Battle of New Orleans.

To stop local governments from collecting tax windfalls when property values spike, the state requires local governments to roll back property tax rates in hot housing markets. But this being New Orleans, the city has followed the law in the past by cutting property tax rates only to immediately raise them again. Mayor Ray Nagin refuses to rule out playing the same game this year. His office wouldn't answer our questions on the issue, referring us instead to the city's tax assessors.

Notwithstanding Mr. Nagin, there is an opportunity for leadership here. The biggest threat facing New Orleans beyond another hurricane is that too few people will return to the city. The city's population is about 60% of what it was pre-Katrina, and many former residents still seem to prefer living in FEMA trailers to returning home. High property taxes don't help. Or as former Governor Huey Long once quipped, "one day the people of Louisiana are going to get good government--and they aren't going to like it."

The City Council will likely cut property taxes and Council President Arnie Fielkow is taking the lead in meeting with homeowners to discuss the issue. What the Council must now decide is whether to give homeowners a strong reason not to flee the city before their property tax bills come due later this year.

My Trip to City Hall

I had the unfortunate experience of going to City Hall yesterday to turn in a homestead exemption. Before I reached the building, I passed through the green space next to City Hall. It is called Duncan Plaza and has a large gazebo in the middle of it. As soon as I reached the plaza, I was hit with the smell of human waste, which no doubt comes from the bums who choose to live in the gazebo. In other cities, the City Hall is a place of pride for the community to admire and enjoy. Not here, where it is a disgrace. I hope our elected officials are proud to bring visiting Congressmen and other dignitaries to our City Hall through a gauntlet of vagrants and urine.

After making my way past the bums, I entered City Hall where hundreds of people were waiting to see their assessor. The metal detectors went off as I passed through them with my cell phone, keys, etc., but the policewoman did not care. I could have had guns and hand grenades in my pockets for all she cared. She rudely asked what I was doing there, and I told her I only wanted to drop off a piece of paper at the assessor's office and that I did not need to speak to anyone or otherwise cut in line. She said that I had to wait in line behind hundreds of people to drop off the piece of paper. I asked if there was an interoffice mail box where I could leave it, and she looked clueless. I asked another of New Orleans' finest if I could go to the fourth floor. He told me to come back tomorrow, but eventually I convinced him to allow me the privilege of taking the elevator up to turn in my form, which I did without taking one second of the assessor's time (they have a drop box for the forms).

I assume the bulk of the people sitting there in line for hours live in Nancy Marshall's district. To those who voted for her, you only have yourselves to blame because she's doing exactly what she promised to do, i.e., raising your assessments.

One of the Many Arguments for a Flat Tax

State bureaucrats pass a tax code that is so enormous and complicated even they don't understand it, and then they seem surprised that people aren't taking advantage of a deduction buried in the thousands of pages of tax code.

Blanco Caves in to Teachers Unions

Governor Kathleen Blanco caved in to teachers unions, vetoing a tax deduction for families paying private school tuition (Senate Bill 45). The amount of the deduction in comparison to the bloated state budget is so minimal that she couldn't even try to blame it on budget constraints.

Blanco Hurts Businesses

Governor Kathleen Blanco vetoed tax relief for businesses, saying she's concerned they may be unaffordable in the long run. She just rammed the biggest increase in the size of state government in history through the Legislature -- where was this concern with affordability then?

Proposed State Budget Loaded with Pork

Forgotston provides a massive list of pork handouts proposed for the State budget. My personal favorite is the $150,000 for the "State Programs Program for restoration of key programs." Aside from that, there are handouts to a massive number of churches, gun clubs, civic groups and whoever else has a friend in the Legislature.

Steve Scalise Calls For Repeal Of Stelly Plan

Rep. Steve Scalise calls for the repeal of the Stelly Plan tax increases on Louisiana families and businesses.

City Considering Tax Increase for Quarter

New Orleans is considering creating a special taxing district in the Quarter. Raising taxes will hurt the Quarter, not help it. Here is the story:

The city of New Orleans is reviving the idea of creating a special taxing district to generate funds to clean up and promote the French Quarter. Mayor Ray Nagin has appointed lawyer Virginia Boulet, one of his opponents in last year's election, to spearhead the effort. She said Nagin wants to find ways to enhance cleanliness, public safety, capital projects and enforcement of quality-of-life regulations in the district and to market it as a shopping and weekend-vacation destination.

Local Election Results

Local election results were as expected. Congressman Jefferson made the runoff against Karen Carter. Voters are left to decide between a liberal who is the target of a federal criminal investigation and an even more liberal challenger. Congressman Jindal easily won reelection. Voters statewide and in New Orleans approved the consolidation of the property tax assessors into one office, ending the geographical checks and balances on the incompetence and corruption of the assessors under the current system. The amendment to end the New Orleans motor vehicle property tax passed.

Against One Assessor

Amendment 7 on the ballot would reduce the number of assessors in Orleans Parish from seven to one. BGR is for it; Citizens for 1 Greater New Orleans is for it; I Quit is for it. Nearly everyone I know is for it. I have heard all of the arguments for consolidation, and they all make sense. Then why am I against it? The consolidated assessor will hold the most powerful position in the City, and the person ultimately elected to that position may not be the scrupulously fair person that proponents of the amendment envision. Supporters of the amendment picture someone like an IQ ticket candidate as the future assessor. I picture someone from the Morial or Jefferson camps. I also understand there is supposed to be transparency; I understand that properly valuing all properties should lead to a reduction in the overall tax rate. When is the last time a state or local tax has been reduced? I think that the voters who favor consolidation will be sorely disappointed if it passes and a Morial or Jefferson clone is elected.

Vote Against the Car Tax

The Louisiana Constitution exempts motor vehicles from state, parish and special property taxes but allows municipalities to tax them. New Orleans is the only municipality to impose the car tax. Amendment 4 on the Nov. 7 ballot would extend the motor vehicle property tax exemption to municipal taxes, thereby eliminating the annoying and arbitrary car tax in New Orleans.