Plunging Property Taxes Bleed Government Coffers

In California, it was Prop 13.....Government by referendum is a stupid way to run a State... Reply

This pretty well describes the area in which I am trapped/ live at present as well as a very large part of America. When the housing market crashed property values plummeted which caused the homes to loose value on any equity which you might have wiping out many people entirely in regards to home equity. The property value or loss there of also caused taxes to be cut as the property was worth much less but still the revenue loss had to be made up elsewhere so property taxes were an issue which voters turned the state down. The state as well as city decided to cut essential services, Fire Departments were closed and the size of the department greatly reduced, now they are cutting many of the Police Force in a city already plagued with crime and with General Motors FINALLY going away for the most part the major driving force in the areas economy is fading fast. Just this week GM announced it was attempting to sell Buick City which as the name implies was once where all Buick's were built. Many of the buildings are gone but there yet remains some nice buildings but in times like this there are no companies looking for expansion property so it will sit and rot for a while to come I fear. The trouble is this area is what much of the country will become if drastic changes are not made immediately. The problems did not begun 6 moths ago as Republicans would have us think, the problems here have been glassed over for many years, 20 or more to be exact. This entire scenario is going to play out in an area near you if it indeed has not already. People can’t simply walk away from it all the time, that is the easiest way to go but it will not work for all, some indeed are trapped by life itself and running away solves nothing indeed. The worst part of it all, the Politicians who vote to cut essential services are not taking pay cuts, the people we need worst are being tossed away but the politicians live on like huge fat ticks and here in a recent survey 1 out of every 4 on our city council owe back taxes some for multiple years yet because they are a wheel at city hall they are not bothered with taxes and bills as we mere mortals. In point of fact many of those same politicians have had their streets paved while the rest have fallen apart, the police are still patrolling their areas while the rest of the city is in trouble. The same ones cutting service are the ones still milking the system for all it is worth. Reply