  Masterblaster Member Username: Masterblaster Post Number: 130 Registered: 03-2005 |
According to the Detroit Free Press website, a man named Douglas Johnson, a city council candidate, is filing a petition to recall Mayor Kilpatrick. A poster on the the Free Press's website asked this gentleman if he would work to get non-resident taxpayers representation on the City Council. What do y'all think about this??? Keep in mind, one of the main reasons that the Colonies sought independence from Great Britain was because they were being taxed without having any say on how much they were being taxed and how those tax dollars were being used!! Another poster on that forum made a good point: Why should workers have to pay an extra tax for the privilege of working in the Detroit City Limits. Also, another poster made a good point: This tax hinders smaller/medium city businesses from moving to the city because they will likely not get those gigantic tax breaks that Compuware got, and that Quicken Loans will surely receive, that would offset the Detroit City income tax. To the few fiscal conservatives that frequent this site, is there anyway that this non-resident tax can be eliminated without adversely affecting public services. | ||
Rockcity2windycity Member Username: Rockcity2windycity Post Number: 267 Registered: 11-2005 |
Paying a tax to work in the city of Detroit isn't a problem because you're using some city services. The hotel, liquor and rental car tax from Macomb and Oakland county used to pay for Cobo Hall is a problem because Macomb or Oakland doesn't have a voice on Cobo decisions. I think that was LBP problem with the new Cobo proposal. Also the history of fiscal irresponsibility played a part. The firs plan called for almost a billion dollar project. When LBP said he wouldn't even consider it suddenly the project could be done for under half a billion. I wouldn't mind extending the taxes to pay for a new or renovated Cobo but I want representation. | ||
Iheartthed Member Username: Iheartthed Post Number: 2683 Registered: 04-2006 |
No. | ||
Detroit_pride Member Username: Detroit_pride Post Number: 2 Registered: 02-2008 |
"Another poster on that forum made a good point: Why should workers have to pay an extra tax for the privilege of working in the Detroit City Limits." If your building is on fire, who is going to come put out the fire? A city of Detroit employee...correct? | ||
Crumbled_pavement Member Username: Crumbled_pavement Post Number: 174 Registered: 08-2007 |
I don't think people who live outside the city of Detroit should have a representative on the council. However, any member of the council and the Mayor should consider the affects of their decision on the people who work in Detroit, live in and around Detroit, etc. I'd rather see the city tax done away with than to add representation to non-residents. Good leadership and sound practices negate this question from needing to be asked. The real question is will we ever get that kind of leadership. | ||
Spitty Member Username: Spitty Post Number: 665 Registered: 07-2004 |
Is Detroit the only city with a fire department? So does that mean that since I'm not paying taxes here in Dearborn (where I work) that I'll have to watch my building burn if it should catch fire? I'd hate for that to happen. I better run over to city hall and pay them some money so that they'll stop a building from burning in their city so that I can continue to work here. | ||
Fishtoes2000 Member Username: Fishtoes2000 Post Number: 411 Registered: 06-2005 |
Non-resident do have representation. State government gives Michigan cities this authority to tax. If you don't like that, contact your state representative or senator and have them change state law. Good luck! | ||
Iheartthed Member Username: Iheartthed Post Number: 2686 Registered: 04-2006 |
If I go to California and stay in a hotel I will get taxed. Should tourists have a representative in the California legislature? | ||
Rocket_city Member Username: Rocket_city Post Number: 599 Registered: 04-2006 |
I admire the petitioner for putting his life on the line. | ||
Novine Member Username: Novine Post Number: 434 Registered: 07-2007 |
The last thing I would want to do is indulge the morons who dominate the Freep Forums but this idea that being asked to pay a city income tax is "taxation without representation" is garbage. You don't like paying it? Don't work in the city. It's that simple. Having a city income tax may be the stupidest thing in the world. But it's what the elected representatives in Detroit voted to impose. As Iheartthed correctly notes, we all pay taxes of one form or another wherever we go. What makes those who have to pay the city income tax think they are entitled to some kind of special representation? | ||
Detroit_stylin Member Username: Detroit_stylin Post Number: 5507 Registered: 10-2003 |
No | ||
3rdworldcity Member Username: 3rdworldcity Post Number: 1015 Registered: 01-2005 |
"You don't like paying it? Don't work in the City." Duh. A couple of hundred thousand people figured that out a long time ago. | ||
Bobj Member Username: Bobj Post Number: 3879 Registered: 11-2003 |
no | ||
Jasoncw Member Username: Jasoncw Post Number: 491 Registered: 07-2005 |
I think that the city should make the tax noticably worthwhile to the non-resident employees. | ||
Andylinn Member Username: Andylinn Post Number: 735 Registered: 04-2006 |
city of detroit residents have been paying taxes and utility fees to build suburban infrastructure for 80 years. suburbanites paying a couple percentage tax in detroit is chump change. | ||
Livernoisyard Member Username: Livernoisyard Post Number: 5199 Registered: 10-2004 |
Because Johnson is running for Detroit city council, it would seem as if he's planning to have a domicile within Detroit. He could have as many other residences as he chooses, wherever. Fieger once had similar intentions. | ||
Histeric Member Username: Histeric Post Number: 843 Registered: 10-2003 |
no | ||
Umcs Member Username: Umcs Post Number: 472 Registered: 06-2007 |
I'm a non-resident who pays the city income tax and I think the idea is pretty dumb. I chose to work in Detroit. I should not be able to "vote" in Detroit because I don't live there. However, Detroit and the suburbs should be mindful that the region is very interdependent, despite what they may want to believe. | ||
Digitalvision Member Username: Digitalvision Post Number: 564 Registered: 11-2003 |
I think it's the national standard to have representation where you reside; you change that and things get murky from a practical standpoint fast. This is not the only place in the nation like this with some areas with an income tax and others without. I know people who live in Ohio but work in Michigan - so one could make the case that they should have representation in Michigan. And yes, non-residents use services. They use the roads, the streetlights, need police, etc. I don't agree with the separate income tax period, but that is a different argument more along the lines of I don't like high taxes, especially ones that make an area I care about much less competitive. This is more of the income tax being a bad perception thing than anything else. If anything to improve the cities' business-friendly image getting rid of that income tax would be good. There was a deal to do it, too - and the state went back on it. Blech. More levels of government not being able to play nice together around here. | ||
Jiscodazz Member Username: Jiscodazz Post Number: 70 Registered: 02-2007 |
The city income tax is one of the biggest hurdles to getting business and people to work and reside in the city. When are they gonna get it? | ||
Greatlakes Member Username: Greatlakes Post Number: 147 Registered: 07-2007 |
"You don't like paying it? Don't work in the city. It's that simple." Hahahaha. Looks like Southfield's going to remain the real downtown of Metro Detroit for a little longer. | ||
Iheartthed Member Username: Iheartthed Post Number: 2689 Registered: 04-2006 |
 That's a great shot of | ||
Greatlakes Member Username: Greatlakes Post Number: 148 Registered: 07-2007 |
Yep, I've pointed that out in another thread. You gotta love the irony. | ||
Evelyn Member Username: Evelyn Post Number: 112 Registered: 02-2005 |
No, non-residents who work in the city shouldn't have a say in Detroit's city council. That's silly. However, Umcs is right. The city and the suburbs are economically interlinked and rather dependent on each other. Metro Detroit would be better off if the city and its suburbs realized this. |
