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0 pointsbabesh5y ago0 comments

This comment is wrong on a fundamental basis.

Richer areas get less state funding than poorer school districts. These districts have to scramble to just narrow the gap rather than have more funding.

The richer areas have higher scoring schools because wealth correlates with school scores probably due to a combination of natural ability and a more conducive parental and community environment (all multiplicative and compounding over time]. A change in taxes does not affect this one iota.

There are already flat rates paid per parcel in many cities.

There are age over 55 exemptions for certain parcel taxes to raise money for schools.

An income tax per parcel does not scale. How do you tax rentals? Who pays the tax for rentals? What if you want to own multiple homes? What if you are buying a house for your parents to live in?

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thaumasiotes5y ago

> The richer areas have higher scoring schools because wealth correlates with school scores probably due to a combination of natural ability and a more conducive parental and community environment

True enough.

> Richer areas get less state funding than poorer school districts.

Also true.

> These districts have to scramble to just narrow the gap rather than have more funding.

The necessity of narrowing the gap is not at all obvious; as you point out, test scores correlate with local wealth. But test scores also correlate with per-pupil spending -- and that correlation is (1) small; and (2) negative. This is easy to explain with the model "poor students attract spending", but you also need the coda "...and it doesn't accomplish much".

babeshOP5y ago

They need enough to pay for teachers, administrators, facilities, and the supplemental education that better off folks love: debate, music, sports, speech therapy, early reading help, etc... That extra money has very high return.

twblalock5y ago

> An income tax per parcel does not scale. How do you tax rentals? Who pays the tax? What if you want to own multiple homes?

I was not proposing an income tax per parcel, I was proposing a flat tax per parcel and also an income tax on everyone who lives in the city.

Parcel taxes should be paid by the owner of the parcel. Income taxes should be paid by the earner of the income. It's not hard to deal with.

babeshOP5y ago

There are already flat taxes per parcel.

So you are taxing an owner of a rental on their total income rather than the income they earn on the property?

babeshOP5y ago

What if a corporation owns the property? If you do this, I would transfer the property to a corporation and then rent it back to myself for a $1 a year. The corporation would have only $1 of income per year.

This is so badly thought out.

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twblalock5y ago

No, I'm proposing taxing city residents on their income regardless of whether they own or rent. If the owner of the parcel doesn't live in the city then he wouldn't pay a dime of income tax to the city -- he would pay the parcel tax to the city where the parcel is located, and he would pay income tax wherever he lives.

babeshOP5y ago

Time for the international buyers to buy housing en masse, rent it out, and not pay your income tax. The renters would be stuck paying the income tax and the international buyers would just pay the parcel tax. So renters would be stuck paying for rent and an additional income tax for renting. Hahahahaha.

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babeshOP5y ago

Another hack. Claim residency in another state or country. Voila your personal income tax for the property disappears and you can live in the home for one day less than six months out of the year. This proposal would be a vacation home rebate. In fact, just keep buying vacation homes. The people stuck living there year round would be screwed.

Another hack. Buy the biggest parcel you can find. Then you can build a huge home and pay the same taxes as the 800 square foot bungalow. Build a bunch of huge vacation homes. The help have to pay for the services. You don’t.

Yet another hack. Build a house and rent it out on AirBnB. That way you only pay the parcel tax and NO ONE pays the income tax. Genius. It’s a discount to run an AirBnB. Better raise the hotel tax to compensate.

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thaumasiotes5y ago

> The richer areas have higher scoring schools because wealth correlates with school scores probably due to a combination of natural ability and a more conducive parental and community environment

True enough.

> Richer areas get less state funding than poorer school districts.

Also true.

> These districts have to scramble to just narrow the gap rather than have more funding.

babeshOP5y ago

twblalock5y ago

> An income tax per parcel does not scale. How do you tax rentals? Who pays the tax? What if you want to own multiple homes?

I was not proposing an income tax per parcel, I was proposing a flat tax per parcel and also an income tax on everyone who lives in the city.

Parcel taxes should be paid by the owner of the parcel. Income taxes should be paid by the earner of the income. It's not hard to deal with.

babeshOP5y ago

There are already flat taxes per parcel.

So you are taxing an owner of a rental on their total income rather than the income they earn on the property?

babeshOP5y ago

This is so badly thought out.

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twblalock5y ago

babeshOP5y ago

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babeshOP5y ago

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