Thumbs Down: Prop K

I am glad I delayed posting on whether I favored or disfavored Prop K. This Prop K deserves a big thumbs down. For several reasons. But by reading it, you might understand why I give the thumbs down because this is not merely capping a homeowner's residential property. See for yourself at http://www.kslegislature.org/bills/2010/2150.pdf.

Whenever an organization like Flint Hills Center argues for something, I remain skeptical for good reason. Most of us understand Flint Hills is a nonprofit organized, sponsored and funded by Koch Industries out of Wichita. What I do have in common with Koch and Flint Hills is strong advocacy for smaller more efficient and effective limited forms of government including my best to come up with possible solutions that benefit all of us individuals. This includes having an abundant zeal or dislike for ever expanding tax increases in the past. Not to mention an extreme dislike for even worse more recent Barry-led socialism; or what I refer to as the Abomination.

Had Prop K been limited to only a primary residence and not to commercial and corporate interests, that would be a good thing for those on fixed incomes. Like Grandma and Grandpa so they do have to move out of their family homestead due to ever higher absurb and irrational real estate tax increases. I concur the assessment that real estate evaluations are merely another unfair and absurd scheme by the counties, instruments of the state. But I cannot support a Prop K in its current form due to portions involving non-residential property taxes. I still support capping residential primary household property taxes modeled after California Prop 13. But that cap should not include income producing or investment grade properties that are not a primary residence.

I did get an email from Dave Talbert on where this arbitrary 2% annual cap came from. Quoting, Dave emailed me this March 24:

Tom,

The fixed 2% rate is designed to government a slight hedge against inflation. It could just as easily be 0%. The problem with it being tied to inflation is that the annual change would be far less predictable, especially given the unknown consequences of injecting so much government spending into the system. Also, wages tend not to keep up in periods of high inflation and taxpayers wouldn’t have the ability to pay the increased tax under those circumstances.

Taxpayers can always appeal their valuations under Proposition K but we are very deliberately moving away from a ‘market-based’ system to one that is based on everyone having a fixed and proportional share of maintaining government. Most properties appreciate over time and their appraised values have increased significantly in the last 10 years (65% on existing housing statewide). Also, changes in the paper value of a home have no bearing on the owner’s ability to pay the property tax, short of selling the property.

Please give me a call if you have other questions.

Dave Trabert
President
Flint Hills Center for Public Policy"

So sorry Dave. Thumbs down on Prop K until such time as this arbitrary cap only applies to primary homes of Kansans. My goal as a congressional candidate cannot and will not be for the purposes of seeing Koch Industries or any other commerial investment properties pay less or cap their real estate taxes. My campaign is for the individual. Get Dennis Moore on Koch's board. He supports corporates since his campaigns are well funded by them. And Moore has certainly not done anything related to keeping our real estate property taxes reasonable. Moore likes big government. And even more, he likes special interest big business campaign contributions. Hence, why he just received that award from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce for being pro-business, pro-government and anti-individual.

So when looking at Prop K, be skeptical. Don't presume this is a good deal only targeted to residential property owners. It is not. Its all buried in the bill. Its merely another tax scheme that only looks good on the surface.

So its back to drawing board regarding keeping grandpa and grandma in their family homes while the counties are doing everything they can to take that family home away with outrageous rising real estate taxes to further expand county governments.

So Dave, get back with me when this only applies to individual homeowners. So for now, thumbs down on yet again, another tax scheme by, and for the rich-Prop K. And hopefully someday in Kansas, we will get an organization and any politican that supports the individual instead of some profit-making enterprise/big government.