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Property taxes are ‘a blatant con’

I hate taxes. taxes. Taxes are nothing more then legalized theft by the government.

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Our nation was founded on the very principle that taxes are wrong, and we went to war over a 3% tax on tea.

Today, we are taxed on literally

What makes me most angry is the property tax. What a blatant con! The government sets the property tax based on some imagined algorithm based on where your property is and how big it is depending on which state/county/city you live in.

And where does that property tax money go? According to Investopedia: “Property tax receipts are the main source of revenue for most local governments in the U.S. They are used to fund schools, police and fire departments, road construction and repair, libraries, water and sewer departments, and other local services that benefit the community.”

But schools are also funded by federal money, so why are teachers so underpaid, schools are falling apart, and our children are performing so poorly in schools?

Reading, math and science levels of education in our country are at an all-time low. So, where does that property tax money actually go?

Police and dire departments all over the country are horribly underfunded and undermanned. Fire stations in Los Angeles, one of the biggest counties in the country, are falling apart with mold and rodents. Look at how many police departments in our country are in the same sorry state. So, where does that property tax money actually go?

Roads all over our country are falling apart. Potholes the size of manholes are common, and we have freeways, bridges and overpasses that are crumbling. So, where does that property tax money actually go?

Libraries across the country are woefully underfunded, understaffed and their staffs make barely a living wage. Libraries in areas with high property taxes lack resources and some still don’t even have Wi-Fi. Not to mention areas like Waikoloa Village, where I live, don’t even have a library, yet we are still paying property taxes. So, where does that property tax money actually go?

Water and sewer? Let’s look at what happened to L.A. county with the wildfires.

Let’s look at Lahaina and what happened to the water supply that was supposed to fight the wildfires there. And if our property taxes go toward water, why do we pay for water separately? Why are there so many sewage spills and disasters across the country? Why are the residents of Flint, Michigan, still dealing with contaminated water? So, where does that property tax money actually go?

Property taxes are the same as other such taxes in our country: legalized extortion to fill the pockets of corrupt career politicians who smile while they rob us blind.

Shawn Lathrop

Waikoloa

Proposing a trade for Greenland

Denmark has offered to buy California, and I would ask Donald Trump and Elon Musk to take this most seriously, offer to throw in Hawaii as well, and see if a trade can be worked out for Greenland.

Trump doesn’t much like California or Hawaii for our politics and political critics, so it would be a happy exchange for all of us.

Arne Werchick

Kailua-Kona