Now that deadline has come and gone a friend posted this story about how farm land generates more revenue for local municipalities than it uses in services.
We have been saying this for years. Farmers generally own more land than the average person, thus facing a hefty property tax bill. Cows and corn don't go to school, or speed down the street in unregistered cars, or many of the other things that use tax money to provide services. People in houses do.
I was writing about the potential for the advent of high speed rail to change rural communities in a negative manner, what with the influx of city folks and McMansions. I knew houses uses more services than they pay for and have to rely on other land uses to subsidize the cost....just couldn't find the figures to prove it. Wish I had had the numbers from this article when I was working on that column...darn it!
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5 comments:
"I was writing about the potential for the advent of high speed rail to change rural communities in a negative manner, what with the influx of city folks and McMansions."
Same thing happened with the building of the Interstate Highway systems. Look at all the bedroom communities that sprang up like spokes on a wheel. Folks will accept a commute to work of approximately 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Distance is irrelevant. Make it easier (and faster) to travel and they'll just move further away "to escape it all."
....and then there is the land that gets bought up and NOT used by acreage owners taking it out of production:(
Very interesting. On a somewhat more encouraging note, I have read about a residential movement back to the city centers, due to the higher costs of driving for miles and miles.
You made me think of this:
This was in the Waco Tribune Herald, Waco , TX Nov 18, 2010
Put me in charge . . .
Put me in charge of food stamps. I'd get rid of Lone Star cards; no cash for
Ding Dongs or Ho Ho's, just money for 50-pound bags of rice and beans,
blocks of cheese and all the powdered milk you can haul away. If you want
steak and frozen pizza, then get a job.
Put me in charge of Medicaid. The first thing I'd do is to get women
Norplant birth control implants or tubal ligations. Then, we'll test
recipients for drugs, alcohol, and nicotine and document all tattoos and
piercings. If you want to reproduce or use drugs, alcohol, smoke or get
tats and piercings, then get a job.
Put me in charge of government housing. Ever live in a military barracks?
You will maintain our property in a clean and good state of repair. Your
"home" will be subject to inspections anytime and possessions will be
inventoried. If you want a plasma TV or Xbox 360, then get a job and your
own place.
In addition, you will either present a check stub from a job each week or
you will report to a "government" job. It may be cleaning the roadways of
trash, painting and repairing public housing, whatever we find for you. We
will sell your 22 inch rims and low profile tires and your blasting stereo
and speakers and put that money toward the "common good."
Before you write that I've violated someone's rights, realize that all of
the above is voluntary. If you want our money, accept our rules.. Before
you say that this would be "demeaning" and ruin their "self esteem,"
consider that it wasn't that long ago that taking someone else's money for
doing absolutely nothing was demeaning and lowered self esteem.
If we are expected to pay for other people's mistakes we should at least
attempt to make them learn from their bad choices. The current system
rewards them for continuing to make bad choices.
AND While you are on Gov't subsistence, you no longer can VOTE! Yes that is
correct. For you to vote would be a conflict of interest. You will
voluntarily remove yourself from voting while you are receiving a Gov't
welfare check. If you want to vote, then get a job.
Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com
http://deltacountyhistoricalsociety.wordpress.com
Joated, and bring it all right along with them!
Linda, We don't see that too much yet, although I suppose we will.
WW, that is a good thought!
Linda, hear, hear! It gets discouraging sometimes.
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