COUNTY KEEPS TAKING EXTRA MILLIONS FROM TAXPAYERS

Submitted by Roldo on Fri, 03/05/2010 - 15:16.

The quarter percent sales tax for the medical mart has now cost County taxpayers $87 million. MMPI, Tim Hagan and his Kennedy friends thank you all. Keep it coming, says Tim.

 

This is to fulfill the agenda of the Greater Cleveland Partnership. The corrupters of our civic life mentioned in my post below. The takers in our community life.

 

 

Since January 2008 through February 2010 County taxpayers have paid via the County Commissioners voted sales tax increase $87,131,339.38 for the med mart & convention center project.

 

That’s $87 million in slightly over two years. How it rolls in!

 

That is $87 million that could not be spent on food, gasoline, restaurants, toys, theater tickets or even cigarettes. In other words, this is $87 million worth of anti-stimulus money for Cuyahoga County businesses. It’s all take, no give.

 

That wasn’t the end of our contributions, however.

 

We have also contributed $63 million for the Browns. Is it in any way worth it? That’s more income really for Randy Lerner and family. Stimulus for the billionaires. And, of course, for the putrid football team.

 

We’ve been paying sales “sin” taxes on alcohol and cigarette products for the Browns Stadium (used maybe 9 or 10 times a year) since August 2005. It simply picked up from Gateway’s taxes. But you did vote for it.

 

The total take is $63,088,767.28. Thank you suckers, says Randy.

 

Just for the fun of it, here’s how the tax breaks down:

Cigarette smokers gave: $14.3 million.

Alcohol drinkers gave: $22.8 million.

Beer drinkers gave: $20.6 million.

Wine & Mixed beverage drinkers gave: $5.1 million.

 

That is $63 million that can’t be spent on food, gasoline, restaurants, toys, theater tickets or even cigarettes. To say nothing of rent and your mortgage. Another anti-stimulus poke to the wallet and a loss for Cuyahoga County businesses.

 

It comes in small bites but it’s somebody’s big free dinner.

 

The arts & culture tax has netted $58 million of your tax dollars since February 2007. The exact take was $58,061,190.71.

 

The taxes come primarily from cigarette smokers.

 

The total extra taxes – all highly regressive – total well more than $200 million taken in highly regressive taxes, the kind wealth people love to impose on ordinary, hard-working people.

 

You know most of it is only the beginning. Because the taxes remain for years and years to come. I doubt that anyone will legally challenge these taxes by a vote.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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I wonder

Submitted by Susan Miller on Fri, 03/05/2010 - 15:42.

I wonder about the zip codes. I hear ya loud and clear on the fact that our pockets have big tears and that most all the pennies we put in them are scattered to taxes, Roldo. I do also wonder which zip codes pay most dearly. Do the number break down that way as well? Hell, Prism which is what Schorgl used to crunch numbers for the arts and culture funding could tell you that this guy bought a Mercedes, Goldfish snack crackers and might be a good candidate to buy a subscription to the orchestra. I expressly recall him telling a group of arts leaders this back in the 1990s at the annex at Trinity Cathedral. Wow, I thought - they know which household buy which toilet paper... What else do they know? I'd like to know which municipalities support the arts and sports the most. If Hunting Valley is paying predominantly for the stadium, etc. it'd be a balm for a beleaguered city center population tiny, yes, but better than thinking it's all on Cleveland and the inner ring.

No, not Huntng Valley

Submitted by Roldo on Fri, 03/05/2010 - 16:45.

I don't believe that Hunting Valley is helping pay for the stadium. Indeed, aside from the sin taxes, Cleveland is paying the property taxes on the land; Lerner pays no property taxes on any of it since the stadium is tax exempt. And his rent is only $250,000 a year, never to rise above that.

More likely - one way or the other - they are taking.

These all are regressive taxes. Even if in total some suburbs were paying more, it wouldn't hurt them much. Ordinary people,  however, paying sales taxes, it can hurt.

The pennies add up, as we can see by the numbers above

I know of no breakdown of these by zip.

We give pennies; they take millions.

thank you Roldo

Submitted by bj on Fri, 03/05/2010 - 17:59.

some very good food for thought.

yes seems the fact is most taxes have a disproportionate impact on the poor.  

though the working class really bears the brunt.  they pay to subsidize the lerners, the developers, the octo-moms, the suburban transplants who will only move into the city if they are given a free ride (the wonderful tax abated housing) as the benefactors sit back and laugh at anyone stupid enough to put in an honest day's work.   

the humble opinion here is that nothing will change in this economy until:

1.  the haves start paying their fair share, and 

2.  people who can work do, and stop looking for handouts.

really the folks working to support all of you are getting fewer by the day.  

 

 

That's the way it has worked here

Submitted by Roldo on Fri, 03/05/2010 - 19:07.

You are right bj. Some people are paying far more than their share.

 

And we can blame the Tim Hagans, Mike Whites, George Voinovichs and George Forbeses. They have followed the Greater Cleveland Partnership (Cleveland Tomorrow before) concept of giving to those who have and taking  from those who have little.