"A New Development in the Tax Debate, Casey Cagle Style"
The Cut Waste initiative and website were created in an effort to improve state government. In that light, we share this story from today's InsiderAdvantage Georgia, highlighting Lt. Governor Cagle's efforts to increase the homestead exemption and provide necessary tax relief to Georgia homeowners during these challenging economic times.
Meanwhile, A New Development in the Tax Debate, Casey Cagle Style
1/30/2009
The tax story keeps unfolding piecemeal in the Georgia Legislature, and Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle has just thrown in another piece.
He told reporters Thursday at his weekly briefing he is working towards legislation that would increase the homestead exemption -- the real one, not the pretend one used for the current homeowner tax relief grants -- as a step to shield homeowners if the current tax relief grants are ended.
As you know from our previous story today, the House will vote Friday on measures which would:
Continue the homeowner grants for the current year but make them subject to a revenue test in the future that puts their continuation after that in doubt. The immediate impact is to protect homeowners from receiving $200 and $300 tax bills from their local governments for relief that was granted last year under the program but never funded by the state.
Limit assessment increases on residential and commercial property so that local governments which needed new revenue would have to vote publicly for tax hikes rather than relying on assessment creep to generate fresh cash.
The current homeowner relief program is a convoluted system in which local governments pretend that the $2,000 homestead exemption provided by law is actually an $8,000 exemption, and the state pays the difference -- some $428 million a year.
But that pretend exemption will go away under the action currently contemplated by the governor and under the proposed legislation.
Cagle told reporters his legislation, designed to work more or less in tandem with the House measures, would at least double the real homestead exemption from $2,000 to $4,000.
He said the measure limiting assessment increases, going before the House on Friday, will give homeowners "predictability in their property tax by knowing what the assessed values are going to from one year to the next."
Coupling that with a doubling of the homestead exemption from $2,000 to $4,000 "would reduce their tax burden, as well."
The state would not fund the increased homestead exemption that Cagle proposes. Instead, it would come out of local government revenues. Local governments that were hard pressed would be required to increase taxes, Cagle acknowledged, but he said a front--end tax hike is preferable to back--door increases through assessment creep.
The increased homestead exemption does not require a constitutional amendment, but it does require a statewide referendum. Cagle said he is examining whether that referendum can be scheduled in 2009, alongside municipal elections, rather than waiting an additional year.
0 Comments:
Cagle volunteers say "cut the pork!" at annual Wild Hog Supper
2 Comments:
I thought they were giving me my ticket to the event. I appreciated their welcome and committment to help keep our taxes down. Good Job!!!!!!
By 
Fred, at
January 14, 2009 7:23 PM
I hear that they may do away with the Homestead Act for home owners. This would increase the home owner’s monthly payment from $100 or more. How is this going to help the keep the home owners in their homes now when most of us can barely make the payment now. And more home owners would be losing their home because of higher payments. So how is this good?
By 
, at
January 15, 2009 4:46 AM
Lt. Governor Casey Cagle Outlines Priorities During Annual Eggs and Issues Speech
Posted by Staff
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Lt. Governor Casey Cagle participated in the Georgia Chamber of Commerce's annual Eggs and Issues Breakfast and spoke to more than 1000 business and community leaders from throughout the state.
Cagle took the opportunity to outline his priorities for this session during his speech:
Click here for the link to the original press release.
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Georgians Loud and Clear: Cut wasteful government spending!
I'm pleased to share results from the Georgia Solutions Survey, an online poll I announced in November to give Georgians a direct voice into the 2009 legislative session. Since its launch, response to the Solutions Survey has been tremendous -- in total, we received 3,677 responses!
Overwhelmingly, the message Georgians are sending is loud and clear: cut wasteful government spending and say "no" to new taxes!
In the coming weeks, I pledge to keep you informed of efforts to cut waste in government. I will also be asking for your help -- when legislators want to increase taxes or won't cut the budget, I will need you to make calls, write letters to the editor, and invite friends to participate in our cause. We must keep the pressure on the legislature to do what's right at this critical time in our state's history.
Below are results of the Solutions Survey. Did you participate in the Solutions Survey? Are you surprised by the results? I look forward to reading your comments. -- Casey
6 Comments:
One person's waste is another's priority. Take a look at the entire state education system, with 50% pluss drop out rates, if that's not waste, we'll not find it. Abandon the "public" schools, issue $10,000 per year vouchers to every student who attends, and let the private sector compete to get them educated.
By , at
January 12, 2009 1:06 PM
Public schools aren't the problem. Parents or the lack of them is the largest problem. A 16 yr old dropout will do so whether or not he is "competed" for. How many kids do you know that have dropped out that the parents set high standards of character? We hate to admit it but our problems are easy to identify, politically incorrect to fix. School Vouchers would be the biggest blunder in history. I hope Mr. Cagle is brighter, though he is likely getting "Atlantan".
By , at
January 12, 2009 6:38 PM
Much of the waste in government, especially at the local level, is tied to endless elected terms.
Our system of government was designed to be a government of the people. As we have it now, our locally elected leaders seem to be exempt from this ideology. They stack the deck, vote themselves pensions and lifetime health insurance. It has become CORRUPT.
The legislature should, however I won't hold my breath, take on this corruption and implement term limits on local offices.
This would generate renewed and greater participation in local governments, eliminate much of the corruption and return the government truly to the people.
Maurice Atkinson
Macon, Georgia
By , at
January 12, 2009 8:21 PM
I agree with MG in that until parents are willing to take "unpopular" steps with their children and raise them as respectful, positive, or even possibly nationalistic young citizens, no amount of shuffling of money will make a 15-year-old miscreant into a "poindexter".
By Daniel, at
January 13, 2009 4:58 AM
As to education, the schools are a huge problem, and so is parenting. Both areas are at fault. Government has NEVER been able to do something BETTER than the private sector. Too many families think it's the gov's responsibility to raise their kids. Private schools, competing in the market place would drive better education, or the kids would/should not pass on to higher grades. We currently live in a society where all our kids get a "trophy" after the race because we don't want to hurt their "feelings". Ridiculous. We are HURTING our kids by doing this - raising a generation that will be weak and will endure MORE STRIFE because of it. It will accomplish exactly the opposite of what some think it will accomplish.
The biggest problem in this country today is political correctness, followed by the disease that is liberalism. We have lost our moral center, and believe that illegal immigrants should be able to get a drivers license, their kids go to our schools, and that they should health care?!?!?!?! Just a symptom of a much bigger problem.
Government is NOT THE ANSWER. MORE GOVERNMENT IS THE PROBLEM.
WHEN WILL WE COME TO OUR SENSES???
By , at
January 13, 2009 5:25 AM
I agree w/ Mr Atkinson. Especially at the Federal level. If our legislators don't have to count on the same Social Security system that we do for their retirement why should they be concerned w/ fixing it? We need to get back to sending "regular" people to our state and federal places of government for a fixed period of time. Seems like once they get their snout in the trough they forget about the folks back home they are supposed to represent.
BF
Savannah, GA
By , at
January 15, 2009 6:31 AM