Don’t Tax on Me – Flathead Beacon

I guess most of you are feeling like taxes (and costs) are only a large Kabuki sport of baiting right here and switching there. You’re proper! So, right here comes some extra poll bait, this CI-121, which guarantees “tax reduction” from what are, by any commonplace, stupid-high property taxes.

Why silly excessive? Nicely, in Montana, property taxes was “straightforward.” Earlier than Montana was re-mottoed “Massive Sky Nation,” Montana was the Treasure State – nonetheless is. Our state seal reads Oro y Plata and visually represents an agricultural bounty.

This actual, first greatest Montana was a completely place-based financial system. All these evil firms needed to be bodily current, with motionless, purpose-built bodily crops ineffective for anything, wherever else.

Getting wealthy on Butte copper meant digging in Butte, Montana, America. Interval. Rising Montana Golden Triangle wheat to mill into pasta and bread in Minneapolis and Seattle required railroads, to be laid, um, the place? 

For a century, Montana’s property tax base was completely, completely captive. Montana’s Legislature and state authorities took full benefit of this captivity, gleefully taxing the bejeezus out of Massive No matter – by means of excessive business-equipment taxes, not simply taxes on actual property.

These taxes made it potential for me to get a top quality training at Flathead, then go to Montana State College, whereas working at “outdated financial system” summer season jobs. However beginning with Anaconda Copper’s withdrawal, the sport modified. 

Sarcastically, the change was accelerated by excessive property taxes. Property exhibiting even the primary hints of getting outlived, a minimum of quickly, their usefulness, had been torn down and wiped flat, with no probability of being repurposed into stylish, cool artist lofts or, extra sadly, very important new industries. With trade property gone, not taxable, what taxable property remained to fill the hole? Agricultural and residential, in fact.

I don’t must get into how Montana property taxes by no means appear to cease disproportionately bloating, and the way native and state authorities retains costing extra (and yep, doing extra). I’m horrified by the loopy will increase in my property taxes, on stuff that I assumed was paid for, that I needed to maintain the remainder of my life – however am not so positive I can. How a couple of break?

Sorry, now there’s a wave of COVID refugees jacking issues up much more, particularly in “amenity” communities just like the Flathead, Gallatin, Bitterroot? Gosh, find out how to finish this?

Alternatively, the ag sector (not simply in Montana however nationwide) isn’t wanting fats nowadays. On high of final 12 months’s drought, ag-chemicals are completely off the charts in comparison with final, there’s Putin’s sizzling conflict in Europe’s breadbasket, elements provide chains are a large number … oh proper, let’s simply dump the tax load on our neighbors who’re nonetheless working arduous for a dwelling – feeding us? Why not? They’re outnumbered!

Nicely, I’ve had sufficient of this countless and hypocritical scramble to shovel off the constantly-growing value of constantly-growing authorities in any respect ranges onto others. None of those scrambles ever handle the core query about taxation: How a lot do WE actually need, need and are prepared to pay for, ourselves? 

It’s embarrassing when, for the zillionth time, the narrative is framed as “actual Montanans” going towards “wealthy newcomers” or heaping blame on “refugees.” Disgrace? Lame? Each!

Montana residents, new and outdated, all of us, want complete safety towards out-of-control tax development of all types.

However taking only one a part of the puzzle and pounding it to “match” by means of a poll initiative gained’t lead to a taxation image that is smart. Due to this fact, I gained’t signal the petition to place CI-121 on the poll, and completely gained’t vote for it.

I recommend it’s time to suppose actually arduous, actually rationally, and truthfully a couple of, gulp, gross sales tax. Maybe on the identical time, we must always suppose rationally about maybe, koff koff, bumping gasoline taxes? I’d argue one doesn’t pay a lot gross sales tax until one spends cash one needs to spend, on issues one needs. Nor does anybody pay gasoline taxes until one is, yep, utilizing the roads!

As for me, I’d choose to vote for anyone who truly understands the interlocking nature of what’s Montana’s dysfunctional system of taxation. In November.