Prop 2 1/2 in CT
In 1980, Massachusetts introduced legislation that prohibited towns from increasing spending more than 3% per year.
In October 2006, I sent out the following mailer "Tim White wants to limit taxes by law, similar to Massachusetts' Proposition 2 1/2" and have been mentioning this proposal on this blog since. (click on the picture to enlarge.).jpg)
In January 2007, State Rep Art O'Neill introduced his own version of Prop 2 1/2.
On March 22, 2007, Rep. O'Neill had a conference promoting Prop 2 1/2.
And tonight, Gov. Rell issued a press release that read "Under the plan outlined by the Governor today, municipal property tax increases will be limited to no more than 3 percent a year."
Most voters don't read blogs. Most elected officials don't read blogs. However... policymakers do read them.
Tim White
Town Council, 4th District
6 comments:
and Jodi will eliminate the limit on state spending and taxes.
It's like avoiding the gallows only to be shot
Congratulations, Tim. I think you were the only candidate in the state to push for a Proposition 2 ½ -type law for local property tax relief. It’s good to see other legislators, and now the Governor, pick up on it.
She and you are right that property tax increases are out of control. In Massachusetts, this law has brought stability for taxpayers and accountability in town spending for 25 years. “No more talk, no more studies;” Connecticut needs Prop 2 ½ now!
But I disagree with the Governor’s linking property tax relief to massive state tax/ spending increases for (mostly urban) schools. She’s bought into the false notion that more spending = better schools.
Studies show that the top factors in children’s success in school are:
* an involved father,
* parental involvement in the child’s learning,
* motivation of the child to learn, and
* behavioral order in the classroom.
These are the *personal responsibilities* of families and students themselves. The declines in student performance cited by the Governor are caused by lack of these personal responsibilities -- not by lack of funding, good teachers, curriculum, or anything else.
No amount of spending can substitute for these personal responsibilities. As Bill Clinton once acknowledged, "Government can't raise children, only parents can."
So Gov. Rell is right on property tax relief and wrong on state tax/ spending increases .
My guess is she’s being politically realistic with this Democratic legislature -- they’re hell-bent on massive state tax/ spending increases anyway; she’s just trying to get some measure of local property tax relief in the process.
I agree with capping property tax increases. The average yearly increase in CT is 6%. We are only second to NJ in property tax rates and that is 85% above the national average. Can anyone seriously ask why the young people of CT are moving to other states? I also feel that 6% tax increases should not be entirely up to Town Councils, Selectman, etc. It should be put to a town wide vote so all residents have a chance to voice their opinion.
no it is like getting told you are not going to the gallows and then being shot
notice the term "emergency"?
Given the legal precedent the Governor has set proposing to break the state spending cap when:
a)there's a surplus
b)there's economic growth
c)there's been no natural disaster
d)there's no military/terrorist/riot sort of event?
How in Gaia"s name is anyone going to stop a town from declaring ANY chronic unsolved problem an "emergency" to bypass the cap? The Governor has already given them a road map to go to court to justify their actions
7:14 It appears this will happen with the text changes proposed in town and throughout the state.Even some of our elections were decided by the courts and not the citizens of this country.Everything might come before a judge like the one in Florida who presided over the Anna-Nicole ????? Hope not....
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