Quote:
Originally Posted by fatlazyless
This illustrates how the property tax is not really an indicator of one's ability to pay.
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Has anybody ever really said that it is SUPPOSED to be an indicator of one's ability to pay?
I for one like the property tax vs. income tax approach. My property taxes on 2 NH properties are fairly static (taking into account moderate yearly increases). I can budget to this effectively, and took this into account when I moved to NH from another state.
When I was laid off from a previous job, yes I still had to pay my property taxes. But, when my income was 3x higher than normal another year I still only had to pay my property taxes, I wasn't penalized for earning more money that year as I would've been if I lived in MA for example. Knowing that this is how the NH tax system works, I made a conscious decision to move to NH.
Everything is a give and take. NH offers a tax system that is beneficial for some, and maybe not as beneficial to others. We're all aware of the paper mill that closed, and I think that most sane people realized that working at a paper mill in the middle of nowhere wasn't exactly a strategy for long-term gainful employment.
I believe that the current tax structure was created through a popular vote some many years ago. I also believe that any adult working-class rational NH resident is aware that this is how the system works. There are other states with other taxation concepts in case this states plan does not work for you. Despite what you might like to believe, the world is a constantly evolving place and nobody is owed the right to live or work in any particular place, sometimes you actually have to pack up and move to some place that better suits your abilities and talents. Or, you can choose to stay put and deal with the infrastructure around you.
There is no way to make everyone happy all the time.