Thursday, January 5, 2012

The Tax Man Cometh


December 23, 2011

I just loved what economist Ed Lotterman wrote in his column about real estate taxes:

“The $70 that my wife and I pay in monthly tax for city government is less than we pay for phone and Internet service. We pay more for car insurance. Yet we have great parks, pretty good streets, and excellent police and fire departments.

“We pay a bit more for public schools, $90 a month. All three of my kids got most of their K-12 education in these schools, and the cumulative total I have paid in school taxes over 25 years would not have put one of them though one of the excellent private high schools in our city. (Mr. Lotterman lives in or near Minneapolis.) Moreover, it is important to me that a good education be available to all citizens.”

As tax time (and my inevitable teeth-gnashing) approaches, it’s good to be reminded of this.

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