Fern: We recently got the 2023 assessment for our house. Joe: We did? Uh-oh! Fern: Everybody got a new assessment. I think the whole state. And the housing assessments went up. Way up. Joe: The guys in my Wednesday morning coffee group were talking about their assessments. What do you call “way up”?
I love this conversation on every level and I hope it is being duplicated in homes across our state. We also got our property assessments. We honestly do not mind paying taxes and I know that sounds crazy, but we know we are where we are in our life because we attended great public schools. Our schools were seen as a community good. Education was a community good. Offering a hand up to families who struggled was a priority. I know that because after my dad died, we were one of those families for a while after my dad died. It bothers me a great deal that how our tax revenue is spent (or not) these days is being decided by republicans in the legislature who seem to have no notion of what is the greater good for the citizens of Iowa, especially for the children. Their lack of vision leaves me frightened for the future.
I love this conversation on every level and I hope it is being duplicated in homes across our state. We also got our property assessments. We honestly do not mind paying taxes and I know that sounds crazy, but we know we are where we are in our life because we attended great public schools. Our schools were seen as a community good. Education was a community good. Offering a hand up to families who struggled was a priority. I know that because after my dad died, we were one of those families for a while after my dad died. It bothers me a great deal that how our tax revenue is spent (or not) these days is being decided by republicans in the legislature who seem to have no notion of what is the greater good for the citizens of Iowa, especially for the children. Their lack of vision leaves me frightened for the future.
A single, childless child man said, “I want good schools because I don’t want to live in a country of stupid people.”
As a senior citizen, I want good schools because well-educated workers pay into the Social Security fund. (That a whole ‘nuther subject!)
Seriously, I want to pay taxes for good schools because it’s the right thing to do. Period. A well-educated citizenry is the basis of democracy.
More brilliance and ‘taking the words right out of our/my mouth(s)’!
Yes, we were shocked as well, our home went up 50 something %! Talk about Shocked!
The personal is the political. Homes, health, history.