This story in The State today reminds me that I have to decide by next week whether to vote for the Lexington County penny tax increase.
I checked with Warren Bolton to see whether they’re going to have anything about it on the editorial page. He said there will be something, and I look forward to reading it. Y’all may think of me as a guy who comes equipped with a full set of strongly-held opinions, and to some extent that’s true. But my daily discussions with Warren and Cindi — and back in the halcyon days, Mike Fitts and Nina Brook and before them John Monk and Claudia Brinson — helped me refine and correct and hone my views. I was always smarter about an issue after discussing it with them. Even if I still had the same general view I went in with (which, I admit, was usually the case), I had a better grasp on it, and had sanded off the rough edges, when I came out.
And when, as with this case, I’m not sure what to think, such a discussion always helped me make up my mind. (That dynamic, by the way — the testing of one’s thoughts against those of a group of thoughtful people — is what editorials, and especially endorsements, are all about. Even if you disagree with the piece, and don’t change your mind, you’ll be smarter about the way you approach the issue for having tested your views against the ones you read.)
I know that if I could sit in a regular morning meeting with my friends on the edit board, I could arrive at a conclusion that I would be comfortable with, and that I could support and defend. Lacking that, I look forward to seeing what they publish.
The problem I have making up my mind on the Lexington penny is that it’s just for roads and infrastructure. I backed the penny in Richland because half of it went to the buses. I’d have backed it more enthusiastically if it had all gone to public transportation. But Lexington County largely turns its back on the bus system, and is all about cars and roads. Which bothers me…
OK, it’s not ALL about cars and roads. There’s some other infrastructure in there. But I’m happy to pay the Richland penny because it’s funding something that is an alternative to cars and roads, and which the community needed, and which it was having trouble paying for otherwise. (And though I do live in Lexington, I probably spend at least as much on taxable items in Richland.)
Then there’s also the problem that we’re already leaning on the sales tax too much in this state. It’s crept up to where it’s on the border of being too high if not there already, while property and income taxes aren’t bearing their share of the load (OK, business property taxes are, but primary-residence taxes are not).
And as I’ve said repeatedly, we have a mechanism for building and maintaining roads — the state gasoline tax. That needs to be raised, rather than just raising sales taxes here and there across the state.
At the same time, that is still a tough row to hoe, and in the meantime we have inadequate roads. So I struggle with this.
Maybe y’all can help me with this. The morning meeting is hereby convened…
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“(That dynamic, by the way — the testing of one’s thoughts against those of a group of thoughtful people — is what editorials, and especially endorsements, are all about. Even if you disagree with the piece, and don’t change your mind, you’ll be smarter about the way you approach the issue for having tested your views against the ones you read.)”
That’s one of my favorite parts about this blog. The back and forth in the comment section has a similar dynamic – thoughtful people with different views.
Thanks. That’s the way I roll. That’s the kind of dialectic I dig…
“But Lexington County largely turns its back on the bus system, and is all about cars and roads. Which bothers me…”
I understand your affinity for public transportation. However, public transportation does have limitations to where it is effective. In Lexington County, it’s logical that the county avoids spending money on public transportation. I assume (please correct me if I am wrong) that you are not advocating for Lexington to build a subway system or create a light rail network.
I assume you’re in favor of a more robust bus system. Ok, here’s some questions to stimulate thought and debate via the Socratic Method.
1. What kind of bus system would you like to see in Lexington County? (Where would the routes be? How often would buses run?)
2. How would the more robust bus system described above be comparatively a better way to travel through Lexington County than by private vehicle?
3. At what cost would this new bus system come?
Who would run it at a possible net loss?
Would it be the mess than has been the Columbia bus system?
Bryan and Barry:
If I thought anyone would give me a hearing for a millisecond, I would indeed be advocating for a subway system, with the main line running by my house and going straight downtown. Actually, I can go beyond that — I actually described my dream system in some detail in a column in 1998.
But no, that’s not what I’m talking about here. I’m talking about what Barry refers to as the Columbia system, which is actually a Midlands system, except that Lexington has done little to help support it, which is one reason why the buses seldom cross the river.
I THINK there’s a route that runs out to Lexington Medical Center still, but I’m not positive…
Basically, when the system was as Barry says “a mess,” cutting service left and right due to lack of funding, Richland County was propping the system up, with little or no help from Lexington. That’s what I’m referring to.
So tell me, y’all… how should I vote on this?
And if you live in Lexington County, too, how will YOU vote — and why?
I live in Lexington, and I haven’t decided yet. I support it because of the condition of the roads and the tremendous growth in the area is surpassing the infrastructure, BUT I’m very suspicious that the pro-penny tax group is keeping its donors secret. Why are they doing that?
BTW – the same penny tax deal is on the ballot here in Greenville County.
I am torn like you. Our roads are terrible. When I drive north to Henderson County, NC, just across the border, we always joke you can tell, because the roads immediately get smoother and better, and it’s true. NC does take care of its roads better, even though their weather in the mountains is rougher.
But most of our heavily traveled roads in Greenville our state roads, and this penny tax won’t address them. Nor will it affect bus service, particularly from poorer neighborhoods, which rises and falls, depending on Federal grants. Rep Gowdy certainly isn’t going to secure Federal grants for buses in Greenville, or any other public transportation.
So yes, in Greenville, I’m torn too.
“..we’re already leaning on the sales tax too much in this state. It’s crept up to where it’s on the border of being too high if not there already,” – Yes, that is correct. The state and local sales tax, when coupled with the other point-of-sale taxes (H-tax & Penny) is already too high.
“… while property and income taxes aren’t bearing their share of the load (OK, business property taxes are, but primary-residence taxes are not).” – I will grant you that primary-residence taxes are reasonable and low, but how can you say that our income taxes aren’t bearing the load? The top rate is 7% and it kicks in at 14,400. That equals a lot of SC income tax. In fact, I probably pay about 10x the amount in income taxes that I do in property tax. We are SUPPOSED to be a low tax state.
Just for comparison’s sake:
In SC the top marginal rate of 7% kicks in at 14,400 (single or married couple).
In NY, the “top” (excluding millionaire earners) tax rate is 6.85%, which kicks in at $308,750 for a couple.
Georgia tops out at 6%, NC at 5.8%. SC isn’t California or New Jersey. Let’s keep it that way.
As a Richland Co. resident, I don’t get to vote on the Lexington Penny proposal. I’m sure it’s funded and backed by the same consortium of folks who pushed the Richland Co tax through – The Chamber of Commerce, engineering and construction firms, and of course developers. If I lived in Lexington, I’d want to see some “results” from the Richland efforts prior to expanding the penny to Lexington.
Actually, the greater Columbia Chamber is conspicuous for its absence from the coalition. I’ve been meaning to ask Carl Blackstone about that…
Here are the groups that make up the Coalition:
That’s as of Oct. 10. As of that same date, here’s a list of prominent people endorsing the referendum:
The usual suspects: local politicians, elected and appointed officials, attorneys who handle bond issuances & government contracts, highway construction firms, local chambers of commerce, realtors, residential and commercial builders, people who sell construction materials, the person who owns The Banana House, and the Lee Bussell/Cathy Novinger Axis of Evil.
Since it’s entirely for road construction, I’m surpised that they didn’t get the coveted “David Herndon” of Herndon Chevrolet endorsement, along with the “JT” Gandolfo of JT’s Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram Kia Fiat. Was Jim Hudson busy? Could they not get his endorsement?
Also, Silence, you say, “We are SUPPOSED to be a low tax state.”
I don’t know about “supposed” — I don’t think it’s in our constitution, or anything. But I’m assuming you mean it is REPUTED to be a low tax state.
There’s a reason for that. We ARE a low-tax state.
It may not be in our constitution, but it’s very much ingrained in our political culture. Despite what anti-tax groups say, claiming our legislators love to raise taxes, the truth is that they are very much enamored of the opposite…