Heavy Hitters!

Unless you're a doctor, lawyer, or high priced educator ... get ready to leave the state.

It occurred to me that a possible plan is underway to remove us "trash" from the area and turn the entire state into a boutique... a rich persons playground.

I used to think it was just areas like Fayetteville, Snowshoe area, Lewisburg etc. But now I'm wondering if the politicians would just as soon see us all leave so that they can build more candle shops and Clay Centers.

I mean... everyone knows that the East Coast is getting pretty crowded. Just look at the Eastern Panhandle. And summer vacation homes are being built all over the ski resort areas and now New River Gorge. West Virginia is the only state around with the "wildness" that rich city folk flock to, in order to get away from it all right? We have more "nature" and less people per square mile than anyone around. The only problem is, that we have a LOT of poverty, blighted areas, and ugly places too, that give us a bad name. Remove the cause of that and you remove the problem. The wealthy can come-in and set up shop. We can seriously be known as "The playground of the East" then. Naturally, with the influx of all those rich people, we must build the infrastructure that they demand, like more Clay Centers and cultural hot spots. We'll be the ASPEN OF THE EAST!

If it just weren't for all those damned POOR people and lower middle class!

I know! Raise their property taxes to the point that they CANT afford to live here anymore! After all, with all the HIDDEN taxes they're paying now... added to the "low" property tax... we're squeezing them about as hard as we can right now! Just a little more and we can drive these hillbillies out of here and set up shop for the REAL Players!

I can see it now. It's 2050, and WV is so polluted with the wealthy that there's a waiting list just to buy a home. Donald Trump is on that list because he waited too long. Manchin and Rockefeller got in on the ground floor and each own a nice spread worth millions near Amandaville. Yes, that's how popular WV became... after they ran off all the trash like us....

Concerning Property Taxes:

Email Addresses you can use: (Mostly Kanawha County)

vic@vicsprouse.com

epwells@mail.wvnet.edu

dfoster@mail.wvnet.edu

bbrown1@mail.wvnet.edu

hatfield@mail.wvnet.edu

dhiggins@mail.wvnet.edu

cpalumbo@mail.wvnet.edu

delspencer@aol.com

cwebste1@mail.wvnet.edu



I received a reply from Sen. Eric Wells within minutes:

Hello Jerry,

Thanks for the note. There is discussion of this very issue taking place right now. There is a focus on the easten panhandle because of the rising cost of housing in that part of the state.

The way it would work --- my understanding -- is that property taxes would be frozen at a certain age of the landowner. The taxes would continue to rise, but the landowner would only pay the frozen rate. Upon the sale of the home, the remaining taxes would be owed.

The one concern folks do have is the fact that this is like a death tax that remaining family members have to pay following the liquidation of a person's estate and property.

I'll try to find out where the legislation is.

Erik

Several hours later, Bonnie Brown weighs-in with this:

Jerry,
This is definitely a problem. We have property in Greenbrier County and the property taxes tripled . We have some select committees which will probably be looking at these issues. Stay tuned. Bonnie

great, a new way for the tax man to get what ever you have to leave your kids....

this way, the same family wont be able to hoard property that could be taxed by having to sell it for the back taxes owed.....

it is a win win situation for the tax man.

I'll write the letters, BUT I AIN'T LEAVIN' WV!!!!!!

this really makes me wonder what they really are thinking with all the new "blueprint" designations for towns...

Letter says:
The taxes would continue to rise, but the landowner would only pay the frozen rate. Upon the sale of the home, the remaining taxes would be owed.

My question is:
Will the land owner have a choice to take or not take the frozen rate?
There could be pro's and cons for this issue. I can think of about 1,000,000 other questions to ask about a situations on this issue, good and bad...If I have so many questions in my mind then maybe it will be a long time in the making, if it would ever get made....Remember Seniors have a right to go on Homestead or not. They have to sign up for it. It takes a while for it to go in effect. I know this isn't the same thing, but they have a choice....I think Seniors, children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren should go to war over this issue if they don't have a choice in the matter....