Property Taxes
I assume EVERYONE received their 2021 property tax statement from our appraisal board friends. A few observances:
IS there no limit as to how far the appraisal bill will go up in the following years? I am getting pretty tired of having my county ‘RENT’ go up every year by the maximum amount allowed by law. Thank God I homesteaded my property or the sky would have been the limit I’m sure! I ‘ONLY’ got hit with 10% increase this year! I wish MY income would go up by that same amount every year and get 10% interest at the bank!
2020 was a bad year…whether the problems were made up or not, the economy shut down due to Covid. Undeniably, the private sector got hit the worst. Businesses closed down, or were severely curtailed. Employees had hours cut substantially, if they were lucky, or were laid off. Jobs were hard to come by as the FEAR of Covid was unleashed upon our country by Our Government, the Mainstream Media and those who stood to make a profit. Again, the population followed like sheep and never questioned their fate…but that’s another story. What happened to the annual flu season? Didn’t hear anything about that. The point is, the private sector paid the price and is continuing to. The public sector didn’t miss a paycheck! Didn’t matter if there was no school open, no public offices open, no libraries or other city and county services available. Those people STILL drew a paycheck! AND AT FULL PAY! I thought EVERYONE was supposed to have skin in this game! NOPE! Most worked from home if they worked at all! So….’WE’, the people who were hit the hardest economically with Covid, are being hit the hardest economically with property tax bills to pay for those who didn’t lose their jobs or had their businesses shut down. HMMMMMM…..fair???????
Maybe salaries should have been reduced along with unnecessary services and spending programs! In times of crisis: REDUCE COSTS! CUT TAXES!!!!
What about persons on fixed income? Seniors and disabled people? Think it’s going to be easy for them to come up with the extra funds to pay for this folly? Don’t worry folks….if you can’t pay it, they will just do a tax foreclosure and get you out of your home and put someone else in who can pay them. They Just Don’t Care! Don’t worry…You can always go live with relatives! Who knows….there might even be a nice illegal alien moving into your home for whom the government pays all the expenses and health insurance for!
I suggest the Dolphin or some other publication publish the entire payroll of our local bureaucracies and salaries of EVERY employee on public payroll. See for yourselves what exorbitant wages are being paid at your expense. They are public employees so this information should be available to the public. Then, after reviewing these Covid exempt expenditures, you may find some solace in knowing that the hardships bestowed upon you by the appraisal board actually benefited someone else’s life….but not yours! Something to think about when you lose your home.
In fairness to the Appraisal Board, I believe they are only doing what they are being told to do. This problem goes MUCH higher than that one county office. It’s always the lowest paid public employees who have to deal with the complaints of irate taxpayers. Rarely, if at all, do the highest paid public employees get their pay cut. This is observable when the State or Federal governments run out of funding. Then you see services shut down and employees sent home and the public, who pays for these services and needs something, gets a phone recording telling us the office is closed. Yet…the highest paid public servants still collect full pay. Vote out the county commissioners and state officials who allow this to go on. Property Tax reform’s time has come! I would MUCH rather have a sales tax increase or a State income tax in exchange for the ability of some taxing entity’s power to raise taxes indiscriminately and foreclose on my property.
Sometime, long ago, the Texas lottery was sold to us as being a way to fund education in this state. What ever happened to that??????
Jim Farris
Seadrift
4/12/2021
Internal division has once again become a serious and consequential concern. America, and indeed the world, are ever changing entities. This is normal in a fast-paced world. What our attention and attitude become defines each of us. Therefore, it is important for each of us to not only understand, but to also realize, ideas that counter ours might have some merit.
If we want to survive as a nation, common ground must be had. A dictating authority by Democrats or Republicans must not snuff out one another. Snuffing out the voice of opposition is dangerous to a democracy.
The term “Big Brother” was a term used in the 1980’s that meant a central government will control and take care of its people’s needs. It also would spread the wealth to all, eliminating different social statuses.
Another term used 50 years ago was the word “mudslinging”. This terminology was used to discredit, demonize, or belittle opposing political views, either political parties or individuals.
History will tell our tale and fate of these times. Unity and inclusion would certainly be a more positive approach for a more desirable outcome.
Donald Cook
Port Lavaca
Thank You, Donors
The Port O’ Connor Community Service Club would like to thank the following Donors for their generous contributions to our Building Project!! The Club greatly appreciates your donations and your support!!!
A Cut Above Lawn And Pool Service
American Inn And Suites
Barbara Robbins
Barnes Appraisal- Mark and Sarah Barnes
Bourg Electric
Bobbie Sue Karm
Chuck and Kathy Hoskins
Design Works- Jill Bryant
Earl C. Sams Foundation Inc.
Emma Jean Dumas
Green and McElreath, CPAs
Jitan Patel
Ken and Theresa Shirk
Krenek Fence Company
Leo Miller
Louise E. and W.H. Bauer Charitable Endowment Trust
Marge Braudaway
Nan Burnett
POC Shrimpers Association
POC Washateria LLC
Rusty’s Charters
Ruth Plumb
Tigrett Real Estate
Urban Surveying Inc
Cliff Blank
The Service Club would also like to thank all who donated items and all who shopped and donated money to our Garage Sales!!! Your generous support is always appreciated!!
POC Service Club
The Dolphin welcomes letters from our readers on any subject that is of general interest to our audience. Letters should be 300 words or less (exception at the Dolphin’s discretion). Letters reflect the opinion of the writer, and not that of Dolphin Talk staff, and we retain the right to determine suitability for publication. It is the policy of this newspaper to promote area interests; therefore, complaints against local businesses should be directed elsewhere. Letters must be signed and include day and evening phone numbers, which will not be published. Your name will be withheld upon request, but anonymous material will not be considered for publication.
