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EDITORIAL
Tax time looming
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The list of potential tax increases looming for Nevadans got a bit longer last week.
Already, various interests are pursuing petitions to raise the state's gaming and mining tax rates, while another potential referendum seeks to create a new tax on Nevada businesses. Meanwhile, supporters of a local arena will ask Clark County voters in November to approve a special sales tax district to fund their project.
And now comes the Clark County School Board.
On Thursday, board members announced they hope to place on November's ballot a measure to raise $5.3 billion through higher property taxes to maintain, renovate and in some cases replace schools.
"While this is a lot of money, there is a lot of need," said Jeff Weiler, the district's chief financial officer.
Voters can be forgiven if they're somewhat skeptical. Over the past 25 years as district enrollment exploded, Clark County residents time and again approved billions for school construction -- a good portion of which went to renovate older campuses. But now that the recession has quashed growth, the district says its facilities are so time-worn and dilapidated that it needs more than $5 billion -- yes, with a "b" -- to keep scores of schools operable?
The average Clark County school is only 22 years old, for goodness sake. If they're already falling apart, who built them in the first place?
Nevada is in the midst of one of the worst economic downturns in its history. As such, those who seek to raise taxes -- whether on gaming, miners, businesses or property owners -- will have a steep hill to scale in order to gain the support of weary taxpayers.
And that includes the school district.
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The constitutional minimum is:
one public school (modular) per district.
*optional* attendance
bona fide residents only
"basic skills" (done by 8th grade)
In Clark County, the number who qualify is ~2,500 kids. We really could fit them all into a single school.
Even at a very generous appropriation of $10,000 per kid (we homeschoolers achieve perfectly satisfactory results for a LOT less than that), our cost would still only be ~$25M/y. A very manageable burden. Trust dividens, donations, and CCSD's share of revenues from things like speeding tickets would be more than enough to cover it.
All the "DREGS" that pay "ZERO TAXES" will be out in force voting "YES" for a raise in property taxes, so all their "WELFARE CHILEN'S" can get more "FREE EVERYTHING !!!" --------- Simple soulution would be "THROW OUT ALL ILLEGALS + THIER ANCHOR BABIES" ----- you could then "CLOSE 1 OUT OF 4 SCHOOLS".
gbigs....my house is still worth more than I paid for it and my taxes have gone down a thousand dollars a year.....since I never sold my property when it was high....thats alright ..its like any investment if you hold on to it the only real value is what you paid for it...additional value can only be realized if you sell at that price......and a loss can only be realized if you sell at a loss......I choose to keep my house and don't mind paying a little more in taxes if I could just not have to hear the word CUT again
nancy you lunatic. your PROPERTY has lost value. taxes didnt go down. you are typical of the idiots on the left. you LOSE value in a major asset and think you are saving money.
we will NOT raise taxes. if you screwballs want more handouts, move to Greece.
Since my property taxes have gone down by almost a thousand dollars since 2007...I can pay some of it back....I will vote for most increases...maybe not the arena....because I am really tired about hearing cut..cut..cut....my only problem with some of them is that they limit the increase to 9% on mining..it should be more like 35%
Remember, it's all about the children. Yeah right. Fire most of the Admin first.
I remember, back in the early 80's,the CCSD received a bond for millions of dollars to build approximately 15 schools. Then the whiz bangs had to come back and ask for millions upon millions more because the whiz bangs forgot to calculate the costs of the buses, the janitors, the parking areas, etc. They only calculated the buildings. Every since then, any bond issues have received a "NO" vote from me. Government produces nothing and if my property taxes go up, it'll be the tipping point for producing another foreclosure. There is no way I'm paying more taxes on my upside down house. It is more prudent to walk away. Don't do it.
Tax and spend!
Is there any other way?
Whatever they do I hope they don't start making foreign gold miners start paying taxes...