Academy of Local Politics

Politics and Sports, especially baseball, have much in common.

Not just the games they play, but the people who play the games. I have high admiration for most of the participants in both. Most of them.

Which ...  brings me to a sports column written by Paul Hagen of the Philadelphia Daily News.

NOBODY WANTS to be booed. That goes without saying.

At the same time, a big-league player is expected to perform under pressure. So you have to wonder whether some have become a bit thin-skinned because of the enormous salaries and the legions of people who are always there to take care of their every need and the fawning coverage they get from all the media outlets that have business partnerships with the teams.

Royals outfielder Jose Guillen is in the first season of a 3-year, $36 million contract. He's also batting .176. Here's what he had to say about being booed at Kauffman Stadium: "It doesn't bother me to the point of carrying it to the field. But it [ticks] me off. I'm a home guy. So why should I be getting booed? You should be supporting the team."

And here's what reliever Jason Grilli, who was routinely booed at Detroit's Comerica Park, said after being traded to the Rockies this week: "The only thing I have against some Tigers fans . . . is that they should be pulling for your team, no matter what."

Well, boo-hoo . . .

First of all, fans support a team by buying tickets. Period. They are under no obligation to blindly cheer if the performance doesn't warrant it. And if they don't think the product on the field is worth spending their hard-earned money on, that's their right, as well.

Players who think the fans owe them something have it backward.

Politicians who think taxpayers owe them something, also have it backwards.

Would anyone care to leave a comment naming a political figure(s), who you believe thinks the taxpayers owe them? And why?

My nomination would be any Wisconsin State Representative who has been in office longer than 10 years that has never taken a "sick day". Because my guess is they probably have been, but they would rather double dip it.

That issue still irks me.

I have long argued that when calculating the total cost of home expenses, that commuting costs should be included. 

I have never quite understood the philosophy of wanting to spend hundreds/thousands of dollars for auto expense to drive into the city ... to save hundreds/thousands of dollars of property value/taxes by not living there. What's the difference?

The IRS reimbursement rate just went to .505/mile. It doesn't take very long to make that add up.

According to Edward Lotterman of the St. Paul Pioneer Press, distance from the Twin Cities is now a factor in home prices.

Persistent high gasoline prices are lowering housing prices in some distant suburbs, while some central city properties - especially those located where people can walk or take convenient public transport to work - are maintaining or increasing their value.

When a small town politician says it, nobody listens.

But, when an Economist says it ... now it's news!

I'll get over it.

There comes a point for some people when they just can't afford to pay their property taxes anymore. There is a very small, but growing number of local governments who allow a portion of property taxes to be "worked off".

Greenburg, NY is the latest that I have read. Jim Fitzgerald tells us this story in USA Today.  

Greenburgh wants to take their program even farther. It is not just for the low income. They ... envision retired doctors mentoring schoolchildren, retired accountants helping with the town's finances, retired lawyers offering their services for a discount. But there are plenty of less-skilled jobs that need doing.

That goes much farther than Boulder County, CO who since 1986 have benefited by having taxpayers ... landscaping, gathering climate data, clipping newspapers and staffing the courthouse information booth.

Or, Concord, MA who have taxpayers doing ... research, data entry and groundskeeping.

There is one thing and only one thing, that bothers me about this idea. That is the notion that ... unions would have to be convinced that the program is no threat to their members' job security.

And, what if it is unions, what if it is?

Elected Officials should be more than happy to have that public debate with union representatives.

Bring it on!

I got my property tax bill last week. It's all public record.

Total Assessed Value  - $61,700 (Small Rural Northern Wisconsin City)

Total Taxes - $1398.71

My thoughts...

Why does the State of Wisconsin need $12.78 from my property taxes? $12.78?

Barron County takes $304.03. That is so I can pay for duplicate services at the county level which I don't use, because I pay for and use these services at the city level.

The City of Rice Lake needs $588.12. My city taxes have dropped in the past six years as the Council went on a cutting services spree. Now that we have a part time Police Department and stopped fixing all streets I feel much better about paying my taxes.

Tech College - $73.14. This use to be a rather insignificant amount on the tax bill, but no more. What does the Tech College have to do with property taxes?

The School District grabs $488.74. I promised myself that when my son graduated from high school I would just pay the damn bill without bitching. Just be happy that I no longer had a child in school.

Lake Improvement District - $6.50. Our "lake", which wouldn't exist except for the damn, is extremely weedy. A fleet of two weed cutters operate all summer long. I guess there is worse ways to waste $6.50.

Everyone who thinks their property taxes are too high, please raise your hand.

Everyone who wants their local service cut, please raise your hand.

Almost a couple of months ago I wrote about what is happening in Wisconsin to address these problems. It is called Wisconsin Way. This movement (?) is being led by a variety of "Special Interest Groups".

In Indiana, Governor Mitch Daniels "has assembled the Blue-Ribbon Commission on Local Government Reform. The group will focus on ways to reduce the size of local government."

This article writes about Governor Daniels Blue-Ribbon Commission notes, "It will take a bipartisan effort by the General Assembly to push through any meaningful reform. Lawmakers haven't been known for sticking their necks out in such endeavors."

My question is, "If all the results, of all the Blue-Ribbon Commissions on taxes, in all the states were stacked up, how big of a bon fire would it make?"