tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1588280325775325323.post7737264570116482100..comments2023-12-24T05:26:48.861-05:00Comments on The Pittsburgh Comet: Thursday: Crazy News, Man.Bram Reichbaumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05620172942925293407noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1588280325775325323.post-74297630984023284072009-02-13T09:41:00.001-05:002009-02-13T09:41:00.001-05:00Today in regards to Vincent Fumo:http://www.post-g...Today in regards to Vincent Fumo:<BR/><BR/>http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09044/948902-454.stm<BR/><BR/>http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09044/948884-454.stm<BR/><BR/><I>[Fumo] acknowledged that he didn't want to answer the question back then "in a way that let people know I got perks and gifts."</I><BR/><BR/>[snip]<BR/><BR/><I>But the sharpest jousting took place in connection with the 2004 WHYY-FM radio interview during which Mr. Fumo said he didn't get "any benefit" from Citizens' Alliance.<BR/><BR/>Confronted with an FBI analysis of store receipts and credit-card bills, Mr. Fumo has now acknowledged that he did in fact get a slew of goods from the nonprofit.<BR/><BR/>Mr. Pease bored in on Mr. Fumo's answers in the radio interview.<BR/><BR/>"You didn't want anybody to know," the prosecutor challenged him.<BR/><BR/>"I didn't want people outside Citizens' knowing anything except what they had to know," replied Mr. Fumo.</I>Bram Reichbaumhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05620172942925293407noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1588280325775325323.post-26116378272282244972009-02-13T08:48:00.000-05:002009-02-13T08:48:00.000-05:00I wonder if the whole legislative pay-raise thing ...I wonder if the whole legislative pay-raise thing wasn't triggered by Fumo's need to pay his butler.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1588280325775325323.post-36048759893674241302009-02-13T08:47:00.000-05:002009-02-13T08:47:00.000-05:00After today's PG article on Fumo, is there any dou...After today's PG article on Fumo, is there any doubt why politicians are held in such low esteem. This man should go to prison and his $500,000 picnic boat should be seized. This is PA politics with Fast Eddie and his cronies.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1588280325775325323.post-9910442368572995062009-02-12T21:34:00.000-05:002009-02-12T21:34:00.000-05:00Rauterkus - "Wealth in a building is not linked to...Rauterkus - "Wealth in a building is not linked to the rest of the wealth in the community such as wealth in the land."<BR/><BR/>Disagree entirely. I build a house made of gold and chocolate, that doesn't effect the property values of my immediate neighbors? What if I build one made out of damp plywood and manure, and only build three walls before fleeing to Brazil?<BR/><BR/>"Land is finite and building value is not."<BR/><BR/>Irrelevant.<BR/><BR/>"We want to encourage investments in the local area. That brings value to the others."<BR/><BR/>So what's your point? Taxes are not kryptonite for all investments. Particularly the sound ones.<BR/><BR/>"Taxing building wealth is not progressive nor productive."<BR/><BR/>Massive disagree. Irreconcilable differences. Let's talk about Vincent Fumo.Bram Reichbaumhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05620172942925293407noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1588280325775325323.post-76068904750953115992009-02-12T21:00:00.000-05:002009-02-12T21:00:00.000-05:00Wealth in a building is not linked to the rest of ...Wealth in a building is not linked to the rest of the wealth in the community such as wealth in the land.<BR/><BR/>Land is finite and building value is not. <BR/><BR/>We want to encourage investments in the local area. That brings value to the others. <BR/><BR/>Taxing building wealth is not progressive nor productive.Mark Rauterkushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17157914569686528007noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1588280325775325323.post-5905774599107642352009-02-12T17:25:00.000-05:002009-02-12T17:25:00.000-05:00Ed - I don't think we necessarily have to be waiti...Ed - I don't think we necessarily have to be waiting on any verdict. If any leaders of any county can manage to fashion something that improves long-term sustainability and passes legal muster, that could be used as a model for the Legislature, for the Judiciary, or simply for other counties. If our own county exec aspires to statewise leadership, he might stand to gain from taking the lead.<BR/><BR/>Mark - buildings are wealth. Wealth can be stored in building-form; welath can appreciate in building form. I think we have no choice but to tax wealth to a reasonable degree just about wherever it accrues.Bram Reichbaumhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05620172942925293407noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1588280325775325323.post-5642149360207501352009-02-12T17:08:00.000-05:002009-02-12T17:08:00.000-05:00Well, I think I voiced some misgivings about asses...Well, I think I voiced some misgivings about assessments on Pgh is a city, but here I will just say that we are all (literally the whole State, I believe) waiting for the State Supreme's verdict on Allegheny County's case. I suppose the Supremes might throw the matter to the legislature, which might delay a resolution more.EdHeathhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09109361235271107574noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1588280325775325323.post-83409236116028810662009-02-12T12:42:00.000-05:002009-02-12T12:42:00.000-05:00The way to deal with the increase in value to real...The way to deal with the increase in value to real property is with "assessment buffering."<BR/><BR/>The way to deal with the harsh penalty (higher taxes) for fix-ups of property (home improvements) and to counter the opposite (lower taxes for letting your house decay, or worse, be demolished) is the "land value tax." <BR/><BR/>The way to handle the constant need of re-assessments is to only examine the land -- with a land value tax. Land is impossible to hide.Mark Rauterkushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17157914569686528007noreply@blogger.com