Letter to the editor: Sales tax view
I truly appreciate the gentleman expressing the thoughts of some people regarding his dislike for the sales tax. Unfortunately I don’t have room to address all the opinions and incorrect information in his article.
First: Who is negatively affected by a sales tax? No one. We already have a one-cent sales tax! Will we see any change if we don’t OK the new one? No. Will the price of a newspaper or gasoline go down a penny if the proposal doesn’t pass? No.
FACT: Lower-income folks are better protected by a sales tax than a property tax — everyone shares, and the businessman does not have to raise his prices as he does with a property tax.
No one can say it hurts him less to pay a property tax than a lower-income person. There are sales tax exemptions from a number of sources. Many lower income people rent and lose equity every month. Those folks will NEVER own their own home if hit by property taxes! Property sales are not subject to the sales tax.
Nowhere have I ever heard a “sales tax” as being regressive — I have heard that said MANY times about a property tax.
He mentions services most of which I would assume lower-income people pay a higher percentage of their income on than do the richer folks!
I disagree with the premise that the military will not pay their share of the sales tax! They are the reason why many businesses exist and why many of us ARE employed!
Let’s not run our businessmen out of the county with higher property tax. Let them hire and pay the salaries. Get the picture?
We’ll NEVER feel it (even if the sales tax goes away), and the benefits have been clearly stated by the cities and county. Read the information brochure again!
John Bennett,
Lansing.
Letter to the editor: Take care with Easter gifts
I am writing in response to a garage sale ad that claimed to be selling live bunnies for Easter. Rabbits are not gifts, and you may be getting more than you bargained for once your child loses interest a few weeks after the holiday.
Every Easter, thousands of children beg their parents for a pet bunny. Most parents think rabbits are the perfect low-maintenance “starter pet” for their child. Think again!
Rabbits can live 10 years or more. They are fragile animals that don’t necessarily enjoy being cuddled by a small child. They require special vet care, and can be as expensive and time consuming as a pet dog or cat.
Thousands of rabbits bought on impulse each Easter end up in our local shelters because they didn’t turn out to be the perfect pet our child was hoping for. If they’re not so lucky, they end up living out their entire lonely life, neglected in a small cage.
If you actually care to research the idea of bringing a rabbit into your home and you are prepared to provide it with its needs for its entire life — then check out the bunnies awaiting adoption at a local humane society. Otherwise, stick to the chocolate kind this Easter.
Kris Taylor,
Tonganoxie.
Letter to the editor: Vote yes on sales tax
I would like to address some comments included in E.W. Stalnaker’s March 16 letter to the editor regarding the countywide sales tax. As people become better informed, there is a growing sense of countywide support for replacing the 1 percent sales tax, due to expire at the end of 2006.
This tax simply will replace the 1 percent that expires in 2006 and will not mean any additional tax to consumers. Any changes in consumer prices will be based on basic economic factors, not the sales tax.
The sales tax is far more equitable for middle to lower income citizens than property taxes. Higher income citizens tend to purchase big-ticket items and more of them and therefore pay more tax.
Continuing the 1 percent sales tax is vital to economic development and to keeping property taxes down. An important focus of countywide projects to be funded by the one-cent sales tax is to help enhance economic development.
The federal government has mandated that communication systems for local emergency responders be enhanced to provide seamless communication between local, state and federal emergency agencies nationwide. The cost to Leavenworth County and its cities will exceed $400,000 annually. The cost for upgrading our secondary road system countywide is enormous. Neither property taxes nor the sales tax alone can meet the many needs of the county and its cities.
Approximately 32 percent of Leavenworth County’s property value is exempt from property tax, much higher than most Kansas counties. The effects on property taxes without the sales tax is significant. In the first year, for example, the city of Leavenworth is projected to generate $2,598,230 (equates to 15.21 mills) from a continuation of the 1 percent sales tax. A $100,000 home without sales tax revenue would require an additional property tax of $246.11 ($71.19 for the county plus $174.92 for the city). A $100,000 business without sales tax revenue would require an additional property tax of $535 ($154.75 for county plus $380.25 for the city).
When you vote, remember this is not a new tax but a replacement of a tax that has greatly helped our area. Before you vote, take a quick look at the improvements that have been made the last 10 years. Vote Yes.
Verlin Tompkins,
Lansing.
Letter to the editor: Against sales tax extension
I think it would be a waste of taxpayers’ money to vote in a sales tax extension. We will have a school bond to pay off.
I tried to get state Rep. Kenny Wilk (R-Lansing) to put a bill through for an “impact fee or tax” on new construction for building new classrooms for increased enrollment, which would provide for the school as needed.
The turnpike interchange shouldn’t be on County Road 1, but two miles east on County Road 25.
It could serve more cities and not dead-end into Tonganoxie and Eudora. U.S. Highway 40 could connect up with Kansas Highway 10 east of Eudora and be off of Sixth Street in Lawrence. People should work on the state and federal highway system and get this done and not tax us.
Low income and retired people can’t pay anymore taxes and keep up living expenses.
Marvin L. Torneden,
Linwood.
Letter to the editor: In support of sales tax
I’m addressing comments in E.W. Stalnaker’s March 16, 2005, letter to the editor regarding the countywide 1 percent sales tax. There is a growing countywide support to replace the current 1 percent sales tax.
The existing tax expires in 2006, the replacement will not be an additional tax. Changes in consumer prices will be based on economic factors of production costs, supply and demand, competition, not the sales tax.
The sales tax is far more equitable for middle to lower income citizens than property taxes. Higher income citizens tend to purchase the big ticket items and more of them and therefore pay more tax than those with lower incomes.
Continuing the 1 percent sales tax is vital to economic development and keeping property taxes down. An important focus of countywide projects to be funded by the one-cent sales tax is to help enhance economic development. Economic development in Leavenworth County is necessary to provide the tax base to pay for the many needs of the county. The federal government has mandated that communication systems for local emergency responders be enhanced to provide seamless communication between local, state and federal emergency agencies nationwide. The cost to Leavenworth County and its cities for the communication system will exceed $400,000 annually. The cost for upgrading the road system is enormous. Neither property taxes nor the sales tax alone can meet the many needs of the county and its cities
About 32 percent of the county’s property value is exempt from property tax. The effect on property taxes without the sales tax is significant. In the first year, the city of Leavenworth will generate a projected $2,598,230 (equals 15.21 mills) from a continuation of the 1 percent sales tax. A $100,000 home would require an additional property tax of $246.11 ($71.19 for county plus $174.92 for city). A $100,000 business without sales tax revenue would require an additional property tax of $535 ($154.75 for county plus $380.25 for city).
Before you vote, take a quick look at the improvements that have been made the last 10 years. Vote Yes.
Verlin Tomkins,
Lansing.