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Why aren't Americans as outraged as I am?

When home prices skyrocketed, my property taxes shot up as well. When I called the State, they said that the taxes were based on the value of my home, so as the value went up, so do my taxes. Now, the value of my house has sank like a stone, logic would tell you that the taxes would also fall, or at least, stay the same. Bur guess what, THEY WENT HIGHER! I called the state to ask about this and this time, after hours of waiting, I got a response that said that taxes are based on a complex algorithm of land value, location, square footage, and "other things" (surely "other things" is a technical term used by the state). So, to sum it up, my state taxes go up when my home value goes up, and goes up when my home values go down. Why is the state, with my Republican Governor and Republican state legislature, taxing me to death? From what I have read, this is going on in states everywhere with both Democratic and Republican Governors. Why is this not front page news?

Public Comments

1. My property taxes have gone down. I'd move to a better state.
2. In my state property taxes are based on a computerized algorithm also. However if I feel it is wrong I can call and ask for a human to come asses the property for it's true value.
3. The destruction of the economy by the Bush administration and those he enabled has left states desperate for sources of revenue. More people should have been outraged much sooner.
4. yeah...I had to petition 2 years in a row, but mine went down last year & will go down again this year...and I live in California (highest state sales & income tax in nation)
5. In California, property taxes are based on the sales price. They will re-evaluate the assessed value if property values go down, as they have - and many have enjoyed reduced property taxes. When property values go back up, so will the assessed value, but never over the original sales price.
6. Not everyone is experiencing the same problems you are and that's why not everyone is outraged. Many people have lost their homes (we can debate whether they qualified for the house in the first place later) and jobs but everyone has different problems. Your problems aren't mine. My problems and priorities are different.
7. That's a little crazy. But you're expecting government bureaucracy to respond quickly to something, and the states are now badly in need of money so I'm guessing they will be very reluctant to lower any more taxes than they need to. Better save a bit to pay those taxes.
8. Odd huh? It just goes to show you that the way our taxes work is that they are going to keep going up no matter what the excuse has to be. If they don't have a good excuse they will make something up and if they can't make something up they will just say "to bad, we won the election so just to bad"
9. Move to a better state.
10. States rights.
11. I AM MORE OURAGED THAN YOU. THIS IS WHY I USE CAPITAL LETTERS ON ALL MY RANTS
12. oh please perhaps it is front page news where it is a valid concern/problem. So you are having difficulty in receiving an acceptable answer. so what so are other people roll with the wind things will improve sooner or later. you are no better than anyone else who has to get through tough times. At least you have a home ~ many others ~~ in fact many many others ~~ are living in tent cities, vans, trucks, etc. Yeah silly. Others like you or who were at one time, like you. At least they had a home. If you think what you are experiencing is unfair~~if you are at your wits end ~~ give it up and go live in a truck or a van or a tent city. No worries there about "complex algorithm of land value, location, square footage and otter things: Grow up Count your blessings.
13. I have a neighbor who disputes this every year. I have never asked how much he saves or what he says but I think he has found out what is being charged & why. Then he compares it with others. Now he has a background in contruction so he knows how things are estimated that way. If you community is tight knit you can get a group together & work on this as a team. I live in MD & Micheal Steele lives in here in a very wealthy county. They have had many people stop paying property taxes so they have had problems getting the money they need. Now I heard this over a year ago so I don't know what is happening now but there is a lot of news about this subject that is not widely reported.