Have you been watching the surge in real estate values lately? While you've been dancing around the campfires celebrating your new found wealth, have you noticed or received any mail, or read any news stories recently that told you how much the tax rates were going to be reduced? None?
Let's see now. If you had been paying $1500 per year in real estate taxes about 3 years ago, and the inflation of residential values were 9% a year for the past four years (the Dallas Morning News reported about 12% this past year), your tax bill is, or should be soon, about another $500 per year. That is, or course, if there was no reduction in tax rate. Your taxing districts get a 33-35% pay raise, and you get zilch.
At one time I would have thought citizens were interested in such things. That demonstrates just how little I know. I guess I have been expecting too much for citizens to be interested in taxes and elections. After all, there is serious thinking needed for melting ice caps and smothering dissenting opinions on college campuses. Who has time for elections and taxes?