4 Comments
User's avatar
Robert Roper's avatar

Not sure how you can describe education funding as "crumbling" when it is growing at 2 to 3 times the rate of inflation every year. The problem isn't that its crumbling it is that it is eating more and more revenue to feed it's never ending appetite for our money.

One other point to consider, the number of $500k filers is small to begin with as the article points out, but many within that small number are one-time filers -- folks who sell an asset such as a business -- not people making that much money every year.

Compass Vermont's avatar

Robert — two fair points. On education funding, you're right that "crumbling" was the wrong word. The problem isn't declining investment, it's unsustainable cost growth outpacing the revenue base — actually a more alarming structural problem than simple underfunding.

On the one-time filers, that's an excellent and underreported dimension that strengthens the story's central argument. The recurring taxable pool may be even smaller than the raw number suggests. Worth a deeper look.

Holly's avatar

Thanks for the info. Looks like the only option is to further increase the property taxes on second homes.

Mark Martin's avatar

Thanks for this information, it is very helpful to understand our current situation.