🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <38lrsf$cic@news.utdallas.edu>, goyal@utdallas.edu (Mohit K Goyal) writes:

|> Welfare currently takes up a whopping **1%** of the federal
|> budget.  Welfare reform will in all likelihood, end up costing more
|> than the current system.

Unfortunately it takes up a SIGNIFICANT portion of state and county budgets. 
I haven't been directly involved since I moved to Texas, but in 
Ulster County NY, it directly resulted in a 3/4 percent increase in the 
county sales tax, and regularly added to the property tax rate. 
I pay more taxes on a piece of prperty appraised at $66K in 
NY than I do on a property appraised at $125K in Texas 
even including the 'mandatory' service fees in Austin, not to mention 
approximately 8% income tax. Not surprising NY has a Democratic 
governor and what has been toted as the Cadillac of Welfare systems.

More insidious than the direct taxes is the economic effects. Rents in Ulster
county are still close to what they are here in Austin, despite an economic
slowdown that rivals the mid 80's in Texas. However, since section 8 is still
paying higher rates, ( which is good for me the landlord), there is no incentive to 
lower rates. As a result, people in the lower wage categories still can not
afford rent. So the poor and the rich win, but the middle class get screwed. 


Jeff Gaer

My Own Opinions