I'm hard, but not unfair.... an apology

[Patriot]

I recently made a post here that indicated landowners would see a property tax abatement on the land they leased to the windfarm project.  A clearer reading of K.S.A. 79-201 indicates that it is probably only the wind farm equipment that receives an abatement (therefore the windfarm project owners) and not the landowners.  I apologize for any misinformation. 

With that said, a new question arises.  Will the payments received under the PILOT Agreement fully offset the lost tax revenues we would receive if the wind project were subject to ad velorum taxation?  Only those who negotiated the PILOT would know, and I can't find where they've told the rest of us.  This, and many other questions still remain unanswered.

[MarkHall]

city and state governments will frequently exempt new industries from taxation in order to attract them. If KS didn't exempt the wind farms from property taxes, they'd just setup shop in Nebraska or west TX or wherever the tax treatment was more favorable.

It's simply a matter of attracting the jobs and the new industry before someone else does.

I'd rather forgo the tax revenue in order to attract at least a few jobs to the county... in case anyone else hadn't noticed, we're still declining.....

[frawin]

city and state governments will frequently exempt new industries from taxation in order to attract them. If KS didn't exempt the wind farms from property taxes, they'd just setup shop in Nebraska or west TX or wherever the tax treatment was more favorable.

It's simply a matter of attracting the jobs and the new industry before someone else does.

I'd rather forgo the tax revenue in order to attract at least a few jobs to the county... in case anyone else hadn't noticed, we're still declining.....

Mark, that is the most common sense post on this subject that I have seen. In reading the post about Elk Konnected, the Wind farm and other subjects, I can see why noone would want to invest money in businesses and jobs in Elk County.The county is not pulling together at all.

[Diane Amberg]

The 2010 census has Elk County at 2882.You need every business incentive you can find.

[Patriot]

The 2010 census has Elk County at 2882.You need every business incentive you can find.

If one man's incentive takes another man's earnings to offset, I must disagree.

[greatguns]

Good post Mark.

[flintauqua]

If one man's incentive takes another man's earnings to offset, I must disagree.

I guess you wouldn't mind doing without the roads, electric lines, flood protection and water supply lakes, water plants, etc that exist in Elk County.  Because, even though the county's infrastructure is not in great shape, it wouldn't exist at all if only Elk County dollars had gone into building it years ago, and it takes an awful lot of non-Elk county earnings to support the maintenance of it now.  Without these incentives, just how many of the less than 3000 people would choose to live in the county?

[Patriot]

I guess you wouldn't mind doing without the roads, electric lines, flood protection and water supply lakes, water plants, etc that exist in Elk County.  Because, even though the county's infrastructure is not in great shape, it wouldn't exist at all if only Elk County dollars had gone into building it years ago, and it takes an awful lot of non-Elk county earnings to support the maintenance of it now.  Without these incentives, just how many of the less than 3000 people would choose to live in the county?

Spoken like a true redistributionist.  The point was regarding the taking of one persons earnings (taxation) to provide incentive to anothers private enterprise (freedom from taxation). When it comes to growth,  just how much lasting growth did we see say between 2003 & 2006?

[flintauqua]

Redistribution runs both ways.  Many wealthy capitalists in this country want it all redistributed from the rest of us to them!  If all wealth accrues to a cadre of capitalists, and only comes back to the 'little people' through their generousity, isn't that akin to a feudal system with the capitalist as the King, or Duke, etc and the rest of us as serfs?

[Patriot]

Redistribution runs both ways.  Many wealthy capitalists in this country want it all redistributed from the rest of us to them!  If all wealth accrues to a cadre of capitalists, and only comes back to the 'little people' through their generousity, isn't that akin to a feudal system with the capitalist as the King, or Duke, etc and the rest of us as serfs?

Our current direction is redistribution through the taking by force of law by government and giving at the whim of bureaucrats to others.  Not a legitimate function of government.  I would rather earn my keep by working for a capitalist than take the crumbs of government's table.  Because if I ask from a capitalist, I know he likely isn't likely to use the threat of the loss of liberty (jail) on someone else to fulfill my request.   And if the capitalist refuses, he isn't the only source in the land.