Comments on: Should Farmers Pay More Property Taxes?

By: David Stokes

David Stokes — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 19:07:03 +0000

Thanks for the excellent comments. To Papillon’s point, in my concluding paragraph I was primarily referring to the lower tax on the land, not the property. So I certainly agree with Papillon that the personal property (my car) and the farmer’s farm equipment (the tractor) should be taxed at the same rate. I don’t think the farm equipment should necessarily go up to 1/3 assessment. I am sure there is a revenue-neutral middle-ground where they can be made even.

By: Papillon

Papillon — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 14:47:13 +0000

All taxes distort behavior, but taxes are, well, pretty necessary.

Taxing one item, tractor, at a lower rate than another, auto, is not a good idea. Let the farmer get what the market will bear for the goods, and have the taxes be collected without favor to one industry or another.

‘But we’ll starve!!’ I doubt it, people will store up the food knowing that a famine will come, other suppliers will be found etc. The prices may spike every once in a while, but it is preferred to the alternative.

By: gina

gina — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 13:25:44 +0000

Interesting article, David. Informative. The issue does seem a bit more complicated than might first meet the eye, and you illuminated that well. Contrast the farm issues here in Missouri compared to those 40,000 unemployed for the sake of a bait fish. 20 BILLION dollars in farm production…gone. So what will THAT do to our food prices?

Sometimes good old common sense in these matters can go a long way.