Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Why A Smaller Home by Walt Barrett

   Before you build your dream home and especially if you plan to retire in it, or resell it in your old age and retire on the profits, you better think the situation over carefully.  Things don't always work out the way you plan.  With property taxes going up constantly you may not be able to hang onto a large property for very long.
   Two days ago in a southern New England city the SPCA went to the home of an elderly woman and took her dog away so they could put it down. Now that is a sad story.  It seems a neighbor noticed the dog was getting thin and it's nails needed cutting, and the other signs of neglect were evident.  I'll bet the old woman felt terrible and why wouldn't she.  It makes me so sad just to tell the story.   According to the press,  She could no longer afford to feed her dear old friend. There was a clip on the evening news, and he was a sad looking old timer, but I think he many have had a few years left with a proper visit to a Vet. They didn't show the woman, thank God, for her self respect, but I turned to my wife and said "If she can't afford to feed her dog, I wonder what she looks like", and I was not being sarcastic either.
 Now the city that the old woman  lives in is is dire financial straights.  They are currently discussing a 4% tax increase, and there has been hell to pay at city hall.  The point I want to make here is that so many cities and towns in America have spent themselves into oblivion that they are going broke one after another and it's too late to save them.  Now here is what is going to happen next.  That old lady is not going to be able pay her outrageous property taxes very soon now, and the city is going to auction off her house for the taxes, and probably to an insider who will profit from it immensely.  That will be her reward for working hard all her life and being a "good American". Isn't that wonderful, and what a country.  America is being taken down from the inside out by its own politicians.  The elderly are being forced out of their homes because they cannot pay their ridiculously high property taxes!  Now take a look at your own life and make sure there is not a scenario like this in your future.  Remember, government is really a business, and do you know what happens to businesses that spend more money than they can ever take in - they go down!  Are we all also going  to just grow old and lose our dignity and self respect to the tax collector?  Do we really have a choice, and did you vote last time?  Do you really think one party is better than another? And most important, I'm sure you have a retirement home in Naples, Florida, right?