Increasing property taxes

Rep. Verdell Jackson makes it sound as if people are losing homes due to high property taxes in droves and bunches (see Dec. 29 Pilot). Let's forget for a moment who has been in charge of the state's checkbook for all these years, when cuts to the state percentage of school funding made increases in local property taxes a must. Instead, let's focus on those people losing homes.

Jackson wants you to believe the tax man is coming into homes and chasing the residents out over late taxes. Not so. What I am sure Jackson is referring to are the many, many people who see taxes getting higher than they are comfortable with and choose to sell or develop the property rather than continue to pay them, hardly losing the home to higher taxes.

Do people lose homes to taxes? You bet. For every one person Jackson dragged out who has lost a home due to tax forfeiture, 10 or more have lost homes due to lack of heath insurance, economic downturn and other equally-as-fun conditions. Where is Jackson with his trusty sword and shield to fend off these threats?

Rep. Jackson — do we really have a budget surplus or, as you prefer, excess taxes when we are faced with another ghost of Republican-governance past in the form of a huge unfunded liability? You yourself mention this liability in the same opinion piece — as usual without grasping that unfunded mandates do not a balanced budget make.

Should we wait and see if this excess pile of money comes about, and then use it to help cover the bad checks written in the past, before we toss largess to the crowd?

Before we try to buy votes by handing out $250 checks, should we do a little something to really help Montana citizens? I would rather see the state keep my $250 and apply it towards CHIPS or LIEAP or a system like the system found in Vermont where citizens are not forced to choose between health care and rent.

Heck, you can even put it towards a program to help Jackson's friends, who have trouble finding the cash to pay property taxes.

Rep Jackson, with all due respect, I think you will find that you will need to step down from your soap box to best shake hands with the little person.

Shannon Hanson

Whitefish