Re: [Phys-l] taxes (was SOLAR , NUCLEAR ENERGY etc.)

[Joseph Bellina <jbellina@saintmarys.edu>]

I've stayed away from this just because of its complexity, but I do  
want to comment on the renter issue, but not with regard to taxes.

 I think we all agree that there are substantial energy savings to  
be made in home heating and cooling by improving insulation.   
However, it is not clear how to do that in a rental situation when  
the renter is paying for the heating and cooling.  Improving  
insulation is a capitol improvement that belongs to the owner, so the  
renter is not inclined to do it.  Installing the insulation costs  
money and there is not economic benefit to the owner, so they are not  
inclined to do it.

Has anyone seen a solution to this catch 22?  It is especially  
important in lower income housing where the homes are old and very  
poorly insulated.

joe

Joseph J. Bellina, Jr. Ph.D.
Professor of Physics
Saint Mary's College
Notre Dame, IN 46556

On Apr 15, 2009, at 9:45 AM, Rick Tarara wrote:

> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Rauber, Joel" <Joel.Rauber@SDSTATE.EDU>
> > While perhaps technically correct, in the sense that the  
> > landlord's (or
> > their designate holder of the property mortgage)signature is the  
> > name on
> > the check sent to the property tax authority.  As a practical  
> > matter the
> > renters are paying the tax, since it is usually a part of the rent  
> > that
> > they are paying.  I always figured that my rent was paying the  
> > property
> > tax when I rented.
> > _______________________________________________
>
> However...(lots of those in these discussions) what's the property  
> tax for a
> typical apartment--multi-family buildings.  Bet it is not the  
> $2-5000 that
> the home owners are paying--and for the same services.  That's part  
> of the
> problem with taxes...depending on where you are standing you are  
> either
> getting lots of services for almost no money (damn sales taxes  
> though--but
> wait, earned income credit can get some of that back) or else you  
> are paying
> hundreds of times what the guy a few blocks away is paying--all for  
> the same
> set of government services.
>
> Consider where we are (College or University)...a grounds keeper maybe
> making $20,000, a full professor, maybe $100,000, and the football  
> coach at
> $2,000,000.  Consider how much each pays in and what each gets out--in
> government services.  Now fold in you political, sociological,  
> religious,
> economic, ethical, whatever viewpoints and we will never agree on  
> what is
> fair and equitable.
>
> The real question (and again one on which there will be no  
> consensus) is
> what is the proper role of government?  How much should it do and  
> control.
> The American experience has been one of moving that line back and  
> forth
> constantly, but always within somewhat reasonable barriers--at both  
> ends.
> Is that changing?  Has it changed drastically in the last decade?
>
> Life is not fair, not meant to be fair, and taxes are a prime  
> example of
> this!  ;-)
>
> Rick
>
>
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