I live in one of the highest property value areas anywhere in the entire country, and the local district’s primary source of funding is municipal sales taxes. It’s truly absurd.
Sales taxes are regressive by design, and are ultimately a way to fuck over poor neighborhoods if you drop it to the municipal level.
The only time sales taxes tend to serve the local citizens well is when there’s a large tourist or traveler population and even then it usually mostly goes to making sure their required infrastructure isn’t a burden because if it’s too high then they just don’t spend money.
Because when it exists in wealthy districts it not only primarily serves to makes sure none of the filthy poors in other districts benefit from their taxes, it’s even targeted within the district, as the middle and lower class residents will be using public schools and the truly wealthy will be sending their kids to private schools and demanding a tax credit for doing it, even if the local area is funding it with the sales taxes they don’t even pay into.
Plus it’s just a self defeating tax scheme in the first place. You don’t want to discourage local spending or encourage people traveling to other areas to avoid it.
Why is this absurd?
Sales taxes are regressive by design, and are ultimately a way to fuck over poor neighborhoods if you drop it to the municipal level.
The only time sales taxes tend to serve the local citizens well is when there’s a large tourist or traveler population and even then it usually mostly goes to making sure their required infrastructure isn’t a burden because if it’s too high then they just don’t spend money.
Why is @ToastedRavioli@midwest.social 's experience of local schools being funded sales taxes absurd?
Because when it exists in wealthy districts it not only primarily serves to makes sure none of the filthy poors in other districts benefit from their taxes, it’s even targeted within the district, as the middle and lower class residents will be using public schools and the truly wealthy will be sending their kids to private schools and demanding a tax credit for doing it, even if the local area is funding it with the sales taxes they don’t even pay into.
Plus it’s just a self defeating tax scheme in the first place. You don’t want to discourage local spending or encourage people traveling to other areas to avoid it.