October 24, 2007
Token tax cut passes

Harris County Commissioners Court has approved the token tax cut that was proposed last week. Here's all you need to know:


The cut will save the average homeowner whose home is worth about $161,000 about $12 annually.

Corporations with large holdings will save more -- Exxon Mobil will pay about $460,000 a year less in property taxes, said Dick Raycraft, director of management services and county budget officer.


So that's twelve bucks to you, half a million to Exxon Mobil. Any questions?

Raycraft opposed the 1-cent cut. The $180 million in new revenue is needed because the county's population is increasing and inflation means salaries and the cost of delivering services are rising, he said.

The county must have money on hand in case a hurricane or another catastrophic event were to happen, Raycraft said.

While the budget officials fought against the rate cut, [Charles] Bacarisse and [Paul] Bettencourt said a penny cut was not enough.

Bettencourt sought a cut of 3.41 cents, which would have saved the average homeowner about $40 annually. Bacarisse's 5-cent cut would have saved the average homeowner about $58.


Come now, Dick. You know that such trivia is not of interest to men like Bacarisse and Bettencourt. Besides, tax cuts always pay for themselves. Someone wrote that on a cocktail napkin once, so it must be true. Go and have a plate of fajitas at your favorite restaurant on the county. You'll feel better.

Posted by Charles Kuffner on October 24, 2007 to Local politics
Comments

Well if you take a look at my coctail napkin, you see that my $12 will buy almost 5 gallons of Exxon Mobile gasoline.

Posted by: Charles Hixon on October 24, 2007 6:21 PM

Besides, tax cuts always pay for themselves. Someone wrote that on a cocktail napkin once, so it must be true.

Maybe somebody did, but it wasn't Art Laffer or any reputable supply sider.

But hey, why let that get in the way of your narrative when you can just misrepresent the position? Not that it is as relevant to marginal property tax rates as it is to marginal income/investment tax rates anyway. But hey, like I said, why let the actual supply-side position get in the way of your narrative?

Posted by: Kevin Whited on October 24, 2007 8:05 PM

It's called a "joke", Kevin. For a guy who claims to make them all the time, you have some difficulties recognizing them when others make them.

Posted by: Charles Kuffner on October 24, 2007 10:19 PM

Actually, the even funnier joke was that it WAS Arthur Laffer who wrote on a napkin to demonstrate how tax cuts pay for themselves.

Well, maybe that's not as funny as reading "reputable" and "supply sider" in the same sentence, but it's still funny.

But hey, why let that get in the way of your narrative when you can just misrepresent the position?

Posted by: Greg Wythe on October 25, 2007 5:33 PM