Thursday, July 10, 2008

Michigan Residents Speak with their Feet!


As they flee the state for lower taxes and less restriction on their freedom and liberty! And our elected officials scratch their heads and wonder why. And the rest of us Michigan residents that are still here wonder how so many stupid people get elected.

The
Detroit Free Press online
reports this..
Detroit and many other Michigan
cities are continuing to bleed residents, according to the latest population
estimates released today by the U.S. Census Bureau.

In fact, many
Michigan cities with populations over 100,000 saw population drops in 2007 over
the previous years.

Detroit, the state's largest city, lost 28,000
residents, or 3% of its population, from 2000 to 2007, the census reported.
Other cities with big losses included: Westland (-6.3%), Livonia (-6.8%), Dearborn (-8.9%) and
Highland Park (-12.3%).

Now some of this I can understand, like Detroit and Dearborn. No one wants to live in either city anymore. The crime rate in Detroit is out of control, the neighborhoods are in serious decay. And Dearborn, who would want to send their kids to Fordson High School and have them ruled by Islam and Sharia Law? I wouldn't let my enemy go there, to be subjected to Calls to Prayer, and Christians discriminated against freely and openly!

But Wayne County has more problems than those. High property taxes and state income taxes, and taxes up the kazoo everywhere, makes Michigan the place NOT TO BE! There's a lot of us that still want to leave, and when the time is right, more are going to leave. Especially people that rent homes or apartments, they have no monetary reason to stay.

And our government wonders why people are not stepping up to buy these bank owned homes and foreclosed properties. Its easy to see why. If you happen to already own a home in Michigan, you cant get lower taxes on a rental. Its about 40% more to own a rental home. And the hassles that these cities put on the buyers just isn't worth it.

So, when I heard on the radio, WJR 760, that Wayne County has a TURBO program for investors, I had to look it up. What a scam. It doesn't apply to most Fixer-uppers, I guess the house has to be a complete Money Pit to apply. And then they take it one step further, which made my head ache..you must put the home in their name, until I guess they approve what you have done to the property at which time they sign it back to you. HUH? I don't trust government in the first place, and to save one years property tax with all those conditions wont make a whole lot of investors even want to try.

From the site:
Why do I have to convey my property to the Wayne County Land Bank
(WCLB)?
In order to tap into the financing incentives available to
land banks, the TURBO Development Agreement will require the Property owner to
convey his/her Property to the WCLB. This is a necessary element for the TURBO
Program but under no circumstances will the WCLB retain ownership fo the
Property beyond a mutually agreed upon date. The deed to the property will be
held in an escrow account with the Investor’s title company. The Investor should
be aware that this transfer of the Property will trigger the uncapping of the
taxable value of the Property.


The State, the Counties, and the Cities are having a hard time making ends meet because of the flight of its residents. Vacant homes collect no taxes. Families are fleeing to new states and new jobs collect no taxes in Michigan. Home values decreased, SEV's decreased, taxes should be decreasing too. I haven't seen that happen yet.

You would think that using a one year tax rebate, along with 5 years at 50% taxation would be good, but it comes with so many strings, and so much capitol to rebuild these homes, that it is not worth it. Anyone with a brain would never risk so much money if the title to the home is not in their name.

From its website..
Minor improvements or additions to existing property do
not qualify. Examples of minor improvements are replacement of aluminum siding,
adding a deck, painting, replacing windows, replacing a roof. Alone, these types
of improvements are not adequate to qualify the property owner for the TURBO
Program.


I have to laugh at the gall of these mental midgets in government. You would think that they would be jumping at the chance to sell these homes, no matter how small the improvements may be. i just cant imagine what its like to be a politician in Michigan. They need to lay off the stupid pills.

Here's a few ideas!
1. Have the Governor sign an Executive Order that no cities or towns are allowed to have City Inspections (at almost 200 bucks a pop), or for the city to demand that any homeowner selling their home has to fix certain items to be able to sell it. Private Home Inspectors tell a buyer what is wrong and what is right with any given property. Get out of the inspection business, and save money on fewer city employees and their benefit packages, and gas! What a triple bonanza!

2. Have the Governor sign an Executive Order that all homes are taxed at the same rate whether they are a rental or occupied by the owners. Lower these taxes for everyone, and adjust the taxation now for the drop in value to our homes. You have no right to tax us at the older, higher values, but most cities got used to that extra money and spent it!

3. Restore property rights to the fullest extent to private property owners. Get rid of city and town employees that just drive around all day looking for someone to ticket for not cutting their lawn. Think of the savings in that one! No salary and benefits for a rat fink passing out tickets, and the gas that would save! Now that's another triple Bonanza! Neighbors, pitch in and mow the grass of a property that is in distress or foreclosure. Keep the government out of our neighborhoods.

4. Cut city employees and give aways. When they make the kind of money they do, there is no reason to supply them with cars, pay the insurance, and gas it up for them. Make their health insurance have a higher co-pay, dental, optical, and prescription drugs should be eliminated. City employees should have to do what the rest of have to do, and that is purchase these insurance programs on their own.

5. Stop useless and expensive programs like the Leaf Program. Most residents have no idea how expensive that must be to run. Equipment, salaries, the time involved in that stupid idea could be eliminated. Pay some youngster or lawn care company to do the job in the fall, private business would love that! Once again, savings on less employees, no maintenance on equipment, let alone the cost of it initially, and saving a ton of money on gas. Bonanza, bonanza, bonanza.

6. And the last idea, at least for now is, repeal the new taxes that were passed last year, including the State Income tax and the new Business Tax. Have the state trim employees, in large numbers. Eliminate Public TV and Radio. We are the Land of the Free, we have no need for all these people running around telling us what to do. So many government programs should be eliminated, and government funding to any outside entity should end. People struggling to buy groceries do not want to see the Museum of Arts in Detroit funded with our food money, or state and federal money going to abortion clinics. We worked for that money, its not yours. And decrease welfare and prosecute the people that fraudulently collect free money. That's my money, not theirs.

No one will move here with these present conditions, and government leaders just don't see why the moving vans are heading out. To us "little people" we see clearly why they are using their feet to show how incompetent our leaders are. The best businesses to own in Michigan right now are the moving companies!

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