Dakota Beacon

Have you noticed that most of those people against Measure 2 (Property Tax Elimination) are on the receive and spend side of property taxes.  As far as I can tell, they are the ones that ride in the wagon.  The average property tax payer could be considered the horse that pulls the wagon.  People in the wagon do pay property taxes, but a large majority of them feel it's just an irritating incident  that occurs on February 15.  If someone else in the wagon is upset by their property tax, they just negotiate more salary form the property tax to pay their property taxes.

Now the horse (average property taxpayer)  is a different story.  He has no input into the assessed  value of his property.  He is also on the outside looking in when the mill levies are establish.  Paying the tax is a major financial event  that may or may not get done.  But his job is to pull the wagon, shut up and make no waves.  One could fail to observe any local control here.  But he is rewarded every now and then with a new harness to help with increasing heavy  loads.  The tax and spend people are jumping into the wagon with statements like "It only 5 mills - who can object to that" and " Increased property values  is the American way"

Well the horse is now saying "Enough already.  It time to drop the harness on the State where  money is being stacked in the hallways!"  If we don't, every cockamamie spending idea under the sun will be funded by the legislature - like the absolutely necessary North Dakota Horse Racing Commission.  Ah, but then what would the people in the wagon have to do when they are not riding in the wagon.

The status quo is so comfortable and the ruling class like the deck chairs right where they are on the Titanic.  Some of our seniors who have lived here for decades, are either moving out or being thrown out because property taxes are approaching $300.00 a month.  And don't give me the Homestead  Credit speech - all that does is pass the obligation on to the rest of us.   Farmers and ranchers are having their land values raised state wide - about 22% for pasture and 32% for crop land.  Does that equate to higher property tax - NO,  but we all know what's coming.

Read the measure.  You will marvel at how well it's thought out.