My town, in it's wisdom has raised Real Estate taxes again.

[Paper Roses]

The town is small, has a large portion of Seniors, at the moment, a high unemployment rate.
House values are dropping like stones.

Some of us old timers who live on Social Security are in duck soup. As it is now, I have to save half of my monthly check..I'm not kidding...to pay my Real Estate taxes.

I would like to sell the house and get something smaller but the small houses seem to be the ones that are selling and I have no funds to buy another place while I still own this one.

I'm sure it is like this everywhere but it sure makes for a meager standard of living. Everything else goes to bills. Lean eating now, I'm becoming a chicketarian. When I buy meat, it is chicken-on sale.

Sorry, I just had to vent---again.

[nadinbrzezinski]

1. And it is a DIRECT consequence of the low tax mantra

literally cities and towns have little recourse... not defending them... but it is a consequence of the broken philosophy that is pushed by the GOP.

Round these parts they raise fees... same reason.

[HuckleB]

5. Exactly! -eom-

[bluestate10]

2. If you don't mind, what State do you live in?

My State distributes state tax revenues to towns and cities. Property tax rates have not changed for years, barring a few overrides for items that town or city residents deemed important.

[Paper Roses]

6. Good old MA. Home of Romney-care. Ugh!

Did I mention there are over 300 houses for sale in this little New England town. And many, many foreclosures.

Closed up stores, for sale and for rent signs everywhere. I guess this is typical America but it truly saddens me to see where we have fallen.

[sally cat]

3. Municipalities are hurting in this economy, they don't want to cut expenditures so you pay.

[DJ13]

4. K&R

The lack of any COLA's for two years is starting to seriously hurt those on SS.