Comments for Dearth & Taxes at http://www.theind.com , comment 1 to 58 out of 20 comments http://www.theind.com Wed, 19 Jun 2013 19:21:20 +0100 FeedCreator 1.7.3 http://www.theind.com/news/9-indnews/9049-dearth-a-taxes#comment-23560 Its not coincidence the "teacher's conference" for public schools is 6 dys before the property tax goes to the polls. LPSB is pulling out all the stops attempting to cripple this community for the next 20 yrs. - BoFred Mon, 17 Oct 2011 10:51:12 +0100 http://www.theind.com/news/9-indnews/9049-dearth-a-taxes#comment-23131 Thur: Baton Rouge Advocate: "Overall, Lafayette Parish received a grade of C and is ranked 25th in the state based on its performance score of 97.6 — a 1.1 point improvement over last year, according to figures released Wednesday. There are about 70 school districts in the state." With performance scores like this, I see no reason to shell out another $800 - $1000 a yr, x 5 yrs, then double that for the next 5 yrs.... I believe the school board should just open some of those schools they had to close, build a few at a time on the increasing money the get every year. My prop tx goes UP every year, NEVER DOWN, & on top of that, Laf parish collects record amnts of $$$ in SALES TAX from residents & out of towners.... I AM ABSOLUTELY AGAINST ANY NEW TAXES FOR ANYONE..... - Molly6 Thu, 06 Oct 2011 08:27:12 +0100 http://www.theind.com/news/9-indnews/9049-dearth-a-taxes#comment-22737 You make the LPSB produce .....and then you give them more money hold their hands to the fire and only then will the consultant cronyism cease and the money spent wisely, you give the yan-yaning LPSB money everytime they cry, they'll never stop yan-yaning. Gosh even the slow learnts understand this, hah. - NORTHSIDIAN SHOTGUN Wed, 28 Sep 2011 09:39:46 +0100 http://www.theind.com/news/9-indnews/9049-dearth-a-taxes#comment-22721 Doing some quick calcs: My taxes: city - 604.00 parish - 2210.00 New LPSB tax = 655.00, based on $262,000 asessed value of my property, including homestead exemption.(655 X 20 = $13,100) LPSB already gets 39.4% of parish tax, which = $844.00 So, i would pay $844, plus additional $655(the 655 for 20 years for Phase 1), for a MINIMUM grand total of $1,539 to LPSB - Southsider Tue, 27 Sep 2011 22:51:27 +0100 http://www.theind.com/news/9-indnews/9049-dearth-a-taxes#comment-22693 The bald-face fact of the negativity of a tax increase for schools, " the money never reaches the schools, repairs are never undertaken, teachers remain underpaid, and pray tell why in the hell are our children in metal buildings like CC camps. Politics is intended to be a business its products is intended to provide a greater return than the original investment, ( TAXES ) the problem is in politics we have no business-wise leaders, Jinal/Joey, my point ! We have but grubby sticky finger lowlifes taking a cut of the pie for themselves depending on what the puppetmasters allow after the leavings by the puppetmasters. This will never change and whatever much millage of taxes for schools, the tax money will never reach the schools, A LA the UNITED NATIONS GURU in his pocket went the FEED THE WORLD tOO-do, WHAT A TRAGIC JOKE . - NORTHSIDIAN SHOTGUN Tue, 27 Sep 2011 13:35:45 +0100 http://www.theind.com/news/9-indnews/9049-dearth-a-taxes#comment-22685 RC..i spoke with someone on the oversight committee this weekend. The explanation was in 7 years, the next tax will be 'renewed'. Doesn't make much sense to me, but i'm not that smart. If you take out a loan for $521mill over 20 years, how is it going to be paid off in 7 so that the next phase can start without having another tax? - Southsider Tue, 27 Sep 2011 11:46:18 +0100 http://www.theind.com/news/9-indnews/9049-dearth-a-taxes#comment-22679 Walter -- No answer on the length of this 23 Mill tax hike? Because it looks to me like it WILL be a 20 year tax. And that's only for HALF the project. Phase two will probably another 20-25 Mill tax hike. When was LPSB planning on asking for THAT money? - ragin_cajun Tue, 27 Sep 2011 08:54:06 +0100 http://www.theind.com/news/9-indnews/9049-dearth-a-taxes#comment-22657 Let's not forget that we just had a $25 million dolar tax increase 2 years ago. Thanks to our own City-Parish Council, we are already paying an increased amount in both sales and property taxes, all without a public vote. I'm betting there's a big chance that voters will use this tax election to react to that.....it just goes to show you, that, when you do these major things without a public vote, it will bite you in the tookas down the line..... - baseball3 Mon, 26 Sep 2011 12:30:32 +0100 http://www.theind.com/news/9-indnews/9049-dearth-a-taxes#comment-22641 Proven they already cannot perform basic functions like maintenance which should be factored into every yearly budget, why should they be trusted with more money? More money has never helped the irresponsible to balance a budget; just the opposite. Straighten out the books, make improvements and then come asking. We have no faith!!! - realitycheck Sun, 25 Sep 2011 18:02:41 +0100 http://www.theind.com/news/9-indnews/9049-dearth-a-taxes#comment-22634 Can anyone from LPSS respond to Pedro's comment? Are these schools dirty? That has nothing to do with money and I'd like an explanation. I went LJ Alleman and LHS 20 years ago and they were clean and well maintained. What changed? Why? I think LPSB may have opened a can of worms with this tax hike. They've gone out and told everyone Lafayette's schools are in poor condition, but it seems to me like everyone thinks that's the school systems fault. Instead of stoking support for a tax hike, they seem to have stoked resentment and dissatisfaction with LPSS. - ragin_cajun Sun, 25 Sep 2011 09:18:53 +0100 http://www.theind.com/news/9-indnews/9049-dearth-a-taxes#comment-22619 I saw an article in the local rag. I think "they" have taken a new direction in trying to convince the public property owners should pay more. I guess I'll have to write a letter to the paper, but THEY only publish what they want - like that fake "poll". Please, if you're not in favor of giving the school board more of your money to waste, please tell everyone you know & write your own letters. - Hope Sat, 24 Sep 2011 08:15:28 +0100 http://www.theind.com/news/9-indnews/9049-dearth-a-taxes#comment-22605 RuthT, you are arguing/mad with the wrong people.....you need to speak to your LPSB member about why "the roof may fall in" and the tax may fail. Why must we hire consultants and PAY the LPSB/LPSS administration? Show me fiscal responsibility and accountability before asking me for more of my hard earned tax dollars. It is/has been a vicious cycle in Lafayette Parish for many years. Walter, LPSS was forced to offer schools of choice in order to obtain unitary status. Many of the "choices" are underfunded shells of programs. Your friend, Mike Hefner and the LPSB wasted money for years ignoring the federal consent decree. I am afraid building new facilities may turn out the same way. How much money was spent/time wasted preparing for the now non existent IB programs? We need a LPSB accountable to/representing the best interest of the citizens/students of Lafayette Parish. Until that time I vote no. My children attend schools in horrible condition (LJ Alleman and LHS). Ceiling fans laden with dust, broken bathroom doors and toilet seats, moldy classrooms, water intrusion, rats and pests in classrooms. Most problems simple housekeeping/maintenance could solve. The problems continue. We built new schools. They quickly became moldy and in disrepair and now we are paying to repair them. It is not about the money. - Pedro Fri, 23 Sep 2011 21:06:42 +0100 http://www.theind.com/news/9-indnews/9049-dearth-a-taxes#comment-22570 Soop, maybe it was someone in the high dollar consulting company or in that league that formed the PAC... like they can insult the public into voting for the tax. I really resent being called brainless for not being able to afford it. There is no reason to "talk down" to the public. - Hope Fri, 23 Sep 2011 10:09:19 +0100 http://www.theind.com/news/9-indnews/9049-dearth-a-taxes#comment-22567 Soop -- Brilliant. Simple, concise, undeniably true. I hope you're right. - ragin_cajun Fri, 23 Sep 2011 09:12:54 +0100 http://www.theind.com/news/9-indnews/9049-dearth-a-taxes#comment-22561 Here is the only comment you need to know -- this tax will never pass. Period. End of story. The old way of raising taxes .... just asking for an increase and hoping the electorate will trust the proper entity to do the right thing .... is over. And no offense, but whoever thought the proper approach to convince voters to pass a new tax was to argue that we don't pay enough in taxes already is an idiot of the highest order. If the system had any hope of passing the tax, they would need to have explained where prior budgeted money has come from. Because so much of the stuff in the Master Plan looks to me to be stuff that should have been taken care of through regular maintenance. All the best, Soop - Soop. Fri, 23 Sep 2011 08:17:10 +0100 http://www.theind.com/news/9-indnews/9049-dearth-a-taxes#comment-22555 The last people to benefit from this progressive "mere roll forward" will be the average citizen and their children. Eventually. Consultants have already made their quick profit, contractors and other will be next to profit. The rest of us will pay higher rent and higher prices. By time any of these new schools are finished, what will Lafayette look like? How many huge missteps are built into the plan? Only time will tell. - snaildarter Fri, 23 Sep 2011 05:49:49 +0100 http://www.theind.com/news/9-indnews/9049-dearth-a-taxes#comment-22532 Walter -- Perhaps you, or Ruth T, or Angie Simoneaux, can answer another question about this "steep" tax hike? This will clarify the whole "5 year doubling" issue that keeps hanging around and confusing everyone... So the new tax will be 25 mils. The revenue from that tax increase will be used to float $590 Million in bonds, which is the projected cost of Phase 1. General Obligation bonds with a 20 year term at 9%. A 20 year GO bond typically has twice a year debt service payments which are equal over the life of the bond. So does that mean that this first 25 mil property tax will be a 20 year tax? The ordinance I read that Angie linked to mentions a 20 year 2 Mil tax, but it doesn't say how long the 23 mil tax will be in place. I assume that it is levied for the 20 year term of the bonds issued? Assuming level debt service, that's $61 Million per year in bond payments that LPSB has to make. How much will this 25 mill tax take in every year? Will there be enough to make the payments? Will the tax take in MORE than the debt service payments? For how long? What happens to the surplus? What happens if the property tax revenues suddenly decrease for some reason? Is that even possible? And this "5 years from now Phase 2 starts"....that is the construction plan. That in no way means that the debt will be paid off in 5 years. And it doesn't mean that the first 25 Mil levy will expire in 5 years, does it? Finally, the proposal says "an estimated 23 mills to be levied". Does that mean that the tax can vary over time, go up or down as needed to make the debt service payments set forth in the bonds? Can any of you track that down and let us know...so we can all be clear before election day and all... Thanks... - ragin_cajun Thu, 22 Sep 2011 19:30:56 +0100 http://www.theind.com/news/9-indnews/9049-dearth-a-taxes#comment-22513 The plan is 1.1 BILLION. It is not very smart for us to make a 20 year, billion dollar commitment to a system that is obsolete. New buildings will only help the architects, engineers, contractors, suppliers, (Lafayette Chamber of Commerce) at the expense of the tax payers and the children that get locked into a system that doesn’t work. The trend in education is in the opposite direction. Shame on the Chamber and the people behind this, the same old tax and spend insiders. - R Reagan Thu, 22 Sep 2011 13:51:25 +0100 http://www.theind.com/news/9-indnews/9049-dearth-a-taxes#comment-22512 GA, WHATEVER HAPPENED TO UHF NOW DAYS ITS ADD, ADHD, ADAD, AND DVD Whatever happened to Spare the rod and spoil the child Todays kids who have parents on watch, do learn Drugheads and Wellfare PARENTS have no concern for themselves or their children, and they'll only teach their children, how to get on the government teat. So tell me, should'nt we just set up an outdoor lunch area and let the slow learnts have lunch and learn a trade, drive thru Speedy Car Wash ! Non ? - NORTHSIDIAN SHOTGUN Thu, 22 Sep 2011 13:39:44 +0100 http://www.theind.com/news/9-indnews/9049-dearth-a-taxes#comment-22511 Dear Miss Ruth, in answer to your question, if you must know, YES! That $500 will cover their dental exams, or the incidentals for school or it goes a good way on my car insurance or health insurance for the kids. And so what? I ALREADY GIVE THOUSANDS OF $ TO THE SCHOOL BOARD EVERY YEAR in property taxes & SALES TAX. It IS NOT MY FAULT OR MY PROBLEM if they have allowed the schools into such disrepair the only solution is A BILLION FREAKING DOLLARS. I do not believe that much money is necessary, but I don't want to give an extra indian head nickle! - Hope Thu, 22 Sep 2011 13:30:56 +0100