[Winona] Property Taxes Over Last Four Years: Star Tribune Article

Thu Oct 19 12:33:03 CDT 2006

I have believed for my entire small business career that given the high
failure rate for small business our only goal is SURVIVAL.   It seems that
those who rely on government programs or who want a small business for any
reason, other than enjoying the satisfaction of being self supporting,  many
times fail to survive.  Satisfying and appreciating our customers is what
makes us survive.   Tom

Tom Severson 

Severson Oil Co.

P.O. Box 736 

Winona,  Mn. 55987

507 452 3402 ext 214

  _____  

From: winona-bounces at mnforum.org [mailto:winona-bounces at mnforum.org] On
Behalf Of Paul Double
Sent: Thursday, October 19, 2006 10:35 AM
To: Online Democracy
Subject: FW: [Winona] Property Taxes Over Last Four Years: Star Tribune
Article

Byron,

You are right from the standpoint that we consumers create Wal-Marts which
then employ people to service "our buying" patterns.  When any business,
large or small, fills a need or void in the market place which then draws
consumers into their stores it will be successful.  They then have the
challenge to continue to attract us consumers with new ideas, products,
hours, lower prices or additional services to keep us coming back.  If they
fail to do so, then another store will replace them and they will follow the
path of Woolworths, Tempo and Montgomery Wards.  

How many owner operator retail stores, not franchises or chains, located
downtown match or beat the "boxes" in wages and benefits for their employees
when not owners?  How many of the owners have thrown in the towel because
the risk, benefits and rewards can not match what they can make becoming
managers of the "boxes"

Small companies can take advantage of the tax breaks given to all business
owners, who put their money at risk, but to do so they must first make a
profit.  The name of the game will always be "It is not how much income you
gross but how much you get to keep after all the taxes are paid"   

 Paul Double

-----Original Message-----
From: winona-bounces at mnforum.org [mailto:winona-bounces at mnforum.org] On
Behalf Of Kelly Herold
Sent: Thursday, October 19, 2006 9:13 AM

Byron,

Fair enough - the super rich may not create many jobs but do create some.
However in the U.S. small businesses create around 80% of all jobs.  And yet
these small business owner get few of the break large corporations do.

Kelly

On 10/18/06 6:28 PM, "Bothuns" <bcbothun at hbci.com> wrote:

"Some would argue that the super rich create jobs and I agree."

Not me.  Consumers create jobs, plain and simple. The owners of places like
Wal Mart didn't become "Super Rich" by creating jobs.  They did it by
eliminating jobs, or paying lower wages for them.  Corporations love to hold
our jobs hostage for a ransom of tax loopholes, but they need access to our
buying power more than we need the benefits of their "business acumen".  

How many jobs do you think would get shipped overseas if those companies had
to keep the resulting products over there with them? The super rich need us.
We'd be just fine without them.

Bryon Bothun

  _____  

From: winona-bounces at mnforum.org [mailto:winona-bounces at mnforum.org]
<mailto:winona-bounces at mnforum.org%5d>  On Behalf Of Kelly Herold
Sent: Wednesday, October 18, 2006 7:53 AM
To: LindaF; E Democracy
Subject: Re: [Winona] Property Taxes Over Last Four Years: Star Tribune
Article

Cost of living and inflation eat up many of our taxes - but to be honest the
tax breaks given to the top 1% of our citizenship is the price we all pay.

In Minnesota alone around 25,000 folks making 300,000 or more have realized
an overall tax decrease while those in the shrinking middle class have seen
a tax increase.  

The fee based initiatives also shift much of the tax burden to the middle
class.  

When CEO are retiring with 100+ million packages and other compensation
sweatheart deals the middle class continues to work itself to death.

Some would argue that the super rich create jobs and I agree.  But the
overall job creation, are over the past decade, undeniably moving towards
less paying, low benefit service jobs.  The productivity realize by industry
can be attributed to mainly two things - increased hours of current workers
and shipping jobs overseas.

As a result - the shared cost of sky rocketing health care, inflated
housing, and unfair tax burden continues to 
erode the back bone of America, Minnesota and small communities like Winona.

Kelly

On 10/18/06 6:47 AM, "LindaF" <lbfort at ridge-runner.com> wrote:
[Winona Online Democracy] 

  _____  

While I don't doubt your numbers are correct I don't think you are comparing
apples to apples.
My daughter and son in law live in Onalaska.  I am going to look at her tax
statement the next time I am at her house.   I believe they are paying
higher taxes in Wisconsin because more is taken out of that fund for various
projects than in Minnesota.

Linda Fort

[Winona Online Democracy]

  _____  

While I know that residential property taxes have gone up, especially  last
year with the school referendum, please keep in mind that homestead
property taxes in Minnesota are less than half on a comparably valued home
in  LaCrosse. I checked the LaCrosse County web site this morning and a
house  valued at $183,000 had taxes of $4,700. A house in Winona at that
value  carried a 2006 property tax of just less than $2,000.

My  point--While the increases sure seem to be a bad trend, it could always
be  worse.

Stephen Hacken

Winona County Assessor

-----

  _____  

_______________________________________________
This message was posted to Winona Online Democracy
All messages must be signed by the senders actual name.
No commercial solicitations are allowed on this list.
To manage your subscription or view the message archives, please visit
http://mapnp.mnforum.org/mailman/listinfo/winona
Any problems or suggestions can be directed to 
mailto:winona-admin at mnforum.org 
If you want help on how to contact elected officials, go to the Contact page
at
 http://www.winonaonlinedemocracy.org

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://mapnp.Geeks.ORG/pipermail/winona/attachments/20061019/9802435c/attachment.html