With home values rising, where did tax revenue go?
Published February 21, 2004
Re: Soaring home prices in the bay area, Feb. 15.
I read with great interest your series of articles about the skyrocketing cost of buying a home in the St. Petersburg area. In one article you indicated how the city of St. Petersburg has benefitted as a result of that. The city's revenue from property taxes has gone from $50.2-million in 1998 to a projected $73.6-million this year. That is an increase of $23.4-million or 46.6 percent in just six years.
It would be interesting to know where that money has gone. Just because the price of a house goes up, it does not mean that the taxes have to go up as well. This would be a good time to lower the millage rate and keep tax increases in line with the rest of the economy. Perhaps a followup article on how this increased revenue has benefitted the city could shed some light on this. Is there hope for lowering the tax rate?
-- Gary Kilborn, St. Petersburg
Time to reduce property tax millage
Since the Pinellas County School Board is considering asking for an increase in property taxes, why doesn't the Times do a study about where the additional tax money went, after the sale of all of those homes. I know that when we sold our home recently, the new owner will pay 21/2 times as much as we paid each year. As your article mentioned, the increased sales price of new homes has far exceeded the rate of inflation.
One would think that if our local community leaders were watching their budget properly, they would be reducing our property tax millage, rather than considering any increase for education, or for any other purposes.
-- Ron Gissiner, Seminole
Let's have some accountability
Re: The cost of living here, Feb. 15.
I read with great interest your massive study on home prices in the area last weekend. I was staggered by the massive increases in home prices, but I was particularly taken by the data in the B section, which deals with the increased property taxes. Taxes have increased from $50.2-million in 1998 to a projected $73.6-million this year in St. Petersburg.
We are now being told that another increase in property taxes is required to fund school teacher salary increases, which may be on the ballot in November. Where did that $23.4-million increase in property taxes go? I assume that Pinellas County has received comparable "windfalls." Have they also been squandered? When will the uncontrolled government spending stop? I would think that some accountability is justified before another uncontrolled round of spending begins.
-- Ed Ellis, St. Petersburg
It's about neighborhood, not profit
I was gravely disappointed in your coverage of the Historic Kenwood neighborhood.
Not everyone who buys in Historic Kenwood is looking to profit off and change the character of this neighborhood. Many of us are here and will remain through the housing frenzy because we have wonderful neighbors. And just as many are here because we love the diversity of those around us. Historic Kenwood is a great place to raise children. Before school choice, our children were fortunate to be zoned mostly to Melrose Magnet Elementary. Many of our children are still attending that great school.
We are a neighborhood mostly of working-class African-Americans, Asians, Hispanics, whites, etc. We have a large gay population, and quite a number of artists have made Historic Kenwood their home. Thoughtfulness, open-mindedness and genuine community-rooted care make me proud to call Historic Kenwood home.
-- Kath Madden Moxon, St. Petersburg
Insurance costs are up, too
Re: The real estate situation.
As if the price of homes wasn't enough to consider, there's also the cost of insurance that's risen since Hurricane Andrew, if an insurer can be found.
-- Ted Mazzarese, Largo
Housing can be had
Re: Sitting on gold mines, we still feel oddly poor, by Mary Jo Melone, Feb. 18.
I think Ms. Melone is confusing affordable housing with desirable housing. There are indeed homes available within 10 minutes of Hyde Park, they just aren't what Ms. Melone or other middle Americans want to purchase. Also, as any big-city commuter can attest to, affordable and desirable homes are available, albeit at a drive time of 30 minutes to 1 hour, which thousands of people opt to do every day.
-- Scott K. Wagman, St. Petersburg
An escape from the congestion
Re: Soaring home prices in the bay area.
There is another "hot" area that offers affordable housing that many Pinellas and Hillsborough residents have already discovered. It is northeast Manatee County, specifically the Ellenton/Bradenton/Parrish area. It has become a bedroom community for Tampa, Sarasota and St. Petersburg, with an estimated driving time of 25-40 minutes to any of these three cities.
After 31 years in Pinellas County, we retired to the Parrish area and are enjoying the rural feeling, and yet are close to shopping and a half hour from the beaches. I can't believe we put up with the traffic, congestion and higher taxes in Pinellas for as long as we did.
Southwest Hillsborough County is also another "Pinellas transplant" area. Every week we run into people who have left the congestion of Pinellas for a better quality of life. Just a thought for those young couples who are still searching for affordable housing and a nice area to raise their children.
And as for the drive: It took us 20 minutes to drive across town to the nearest Home Depot when we lived in Pinellas. It now takes us 18 minutes to get to the nearest Home Depot (even though it is double the mileage). And the trek is half farm area, and half interstate, so it is an enjoyable ride.
And finally, downtown St. Petersburg is wonderful. We still enjoy visiting for an occasional dinner or movie. So Pinellas does have many great attributes, but it is difficult to focus on them when you are stuck in traffic.
-- SueAnn B. Brockwell, Parrish
Television needs to clean up
Re: Washington clamors for cleaner TV, Feb. 12.
All TV seems to be getting more and more raunchy! The Janet Jackson incident was just a "flash in the pan" compared to some of the language and dress in many of the weekly comedies(?).
Many of these programs I do not watch. However, I catch their promos often enough to know I don't want to watch them. What was formerly unacceptable has now become the norm. I also think the Fox station is the worst offender and becoming even more outrageous in its upcoming shows.
Our entertainment media have a good deal of "cleaning" to do.
-- Dorothy E. Karkheck, Dunedin
Give older drivers a break
Re: Older drivers at higher risk, Feb. 18.
The AAA statistics may have some credence, but I doubt all factors were considered.
I have been driving for 60-plus years. Driving I-275 in this area is excellent practice for exercising my reaction time, depth perception and other skills to keep from being killed by people in SUVs, pickup trucks, those with cell phones glued to their ears, tailgaters, etc., while going 80-plus miles per hour.
Give us old people a break. Most of us are better drivers than those who are trying to kill us. After all, my car will only go 100 mph, which makes it difficult to get out of the way of some of these Rambo drivers.
-- William Nichols, St. Petersburg
Many health care problems, one solution
What do these recent news stories have in common?
Financially strapped states are reducing Medicaid benefits, restricting eligibility and trying to shift costs to the federal government (Officials object to states' Medicaid creativity, Feb. 16).
Older Americans are being urged to join Medicare HMOs to become eligible for prescription drug coverage, but they fear that overall health benefits will be reduced and personal copayments will increase.
The Veterans Administration plans to close VA hospitals in several states; veterans fear reductions in health benefits and access to care.
Employers are reducing health benefits and shifting costs to employees.
The percentage of Americans without health insurance increases due to unemployment, underemployment and employer or governmental cost shifting.
Answer: All these issues are fragments of the same basic problem: a lack of universal health care coverage for all Americans. These issues are often wrongly presented as if they require separate, individual solutions. In fact, only universal coverage - Medicare for everyone - will address the myriad problems that exist in our highly fragmented, and increasingly costly, health care system.
-- Robert Clark, Tampa
Get insurance out of health care
"Affordable health insurance" is an oxymoron. We have to get the insurance companies that make huge profits and pay grandiose salaries out of the health care business. Health care and prescription drugs should not be a business; it should be a service provided by and for all the people without profit. How much money is spent on all the health insurance premiums paid by people, corporations and local and state municipalities each year? Think about that! Insurance is why it's so unaffordable!
Making huge profits on the sickness and accidents of other citizens is ghoulish. Oh, you will hear the dreaded "socialized medicine." I never heard a complaint about the socialized fire, police, teachers, military, etc. They are just organizations paid by the people to serve all the people equally.
-- John Culkin, St. Petersburg
A free market for prescription drugs
Re: He's whole-hog for cheap drugs, Feb. 12.
Rep. Gil Gutknecht (my hero) has hit the nail on the head. It is amazing that no candidate for president has taken a stand on this issue. Free markets are free of tampering by any government entity. Let competition among the world drug manufacturers and suppliers dictate price. World competition will bring down the price.
Thirty years ago Toyota, Nissan and Volkswagen shipped cars to this country, and the auto industry became better in quality and price. No one tried to pass a law against these imports. The country is better off now with foreign competition.
Okay, John Kerry, John Edwards, et al. Take a stand for the citizens who are being robbed by the drug industry.
-- William Clarke, Spring Hill
The best medicine
Having just celebrated my five-year survival of a very aggressive cancer, I have to disagree with anyone who says optimism/humor doesn't help one make it through the throes of dealing with a serious illness. To sit back and sink into despair is of no help, but a good laugh and an optimistic outlook can, at the very least, make a frightening situation bearable. To face each new day with an optimistic outlook is health in itself. So, laugh, love and enjoy, and keep the optimism. It really does help - if you let it!
-- Patti Treadwell, St. Petersburg
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