7     January 8, 2009 - 9:10am | alwazercom

thanks

  6     April 5, 2006 - 11:30pm | cenaq

Liberals and Conservatives

I'm pleased this went down big.

LIBERALS should have voted NO! because they believe it unfairly hurts lower income people. Face it, if you buy a two year old economy car from a dealer, you pay $200. If you purchase a luxury car or hummer or even an RV, you pay $200. You can control your own spending? Here is an example of "Why Bother?"

Conservatives should have voted NO! because government is too big already. This would set up more bureaucracy. People to collect, monitor, and enforce the collection. Would it need more court personnel for enforcement? Bottom line is that in order to lower property taxes an “equal� amount, you first have to collect MORE money in taxes (sales taxes here) to PAY for the administration of this new bureaucracy. Also, you shouldn't trust government that much. You really think that this will “replace� some property tax? It seems that some of our officials already have found “creative� ways to calculate how much our “tax cap� allows each year. Fortunately we at least have the cap to make them somewhat controlled.

I voted NO! for three reasons:

First of all, I don't want to be nickel and dimed to death. When you buy something for one dollar in other places you end up digging in your pockets for some pennies I don't want that here. People that have vacationed here and visited me have all remarked how great it is to have no sales tax. We are already expensive for tourists and tourism is good for our economy.

Second, I hate inefficiency. I don't want more government. I also don't what to collect $110 in order to have $100. Who is going to enforce the sales tax to make sure businesses turn in all they collect? How much will all that cost us until we “break even� and begin to lower our property tax.

Third, I don't trust government to not spend every penny they can get their hands on. New bonds? (We already have the money from sales tax so it “won't cost us�). As much as I hate how much property tax I pay each year, we can't seem to lower our appetite for spending up to and above the tax cap. My taxes sure have gone up more than the cost of living. I don't want another “income stream� to tempt our officials toward further spending.

  5     April 4, 2006 - 3:04pm | swarty

5-cents

Why not make it a nickel and cut down on the number of pennies we have to deal with?

  4     March 29, 2006 - 9:34am | ak_biker_diva

Equal Distribution of Tax Burden

I for one am thrilled at the thought of my property taxes being reduced. Having the tax burden more evenly distributed among everyone just makes sense since everyone uses the goods and services being paid for. Having all the tourist that use our roads and facilities help pay for them is also a brilliant idea!

  3     March 24, 2006 - 12:06pm | Anchorage_Activist

Personal Impact of a Sales Tax

Now here is my original response to ADN's question about impact. As a single mobile home owner in Penland Park, I welcome any measure that will offer property tax relief. I look forward to the day when no one will ever lose their home simply because they cannot pay property taxes through no fault of their own.

As a consumer, I can exercise some control over how much sales tax I pay through my purchasing decisions. However, what really makes this measure worthwhile is that it will strengthen our financial base by diversifying our revenue stream. Most financial counselors urge people to diversify their investment portfolios; the same principle can be applied to revenue-streaming. If we remain disproportionately dependent upon property taxes, and the housing bubble bursts, so does our tax base. Those who were here during the '80s remember this. A sales tax also affords visitors the opportunity to "show more financial gratitude" for our hospitality :-D. Hey, we get charged sales taxes when we visit other locales; why shouldn't we do it in return?

If it doesn't work, the measure is equipped with a sunset clause so the Assembly can let it die at its expiration.

  2     March 22, 2006 - 4:21pm | anchslayer

Sales tax

How much will the cost of collection be? What is a sunset clause?

  1     March 22, 2006 - 1:11am | bogeary

Sales tax

How will the proceeds of the sales tax be allocated? Under the current system, the community has a some control over spending, by voting yea or nay on bond propositions. Would a sales tax give us less of a say in how our municipal funds are spent?
What are the exemptions? Are all prescriptions, medical supplies and equipment exempt? What about non-prescription items like glucose meters and test strips for people with diabetes?
Has anyone researched the tax burden imposed on other states' residents? Are our property taxes really all that high? Why do we whine about taxes, and then whine when our roads are not plowed right away? Are we expecting to get something for nothing?