Reply #6: I am advocating higher taxes (a return to a progressive rate is essential) and a change

[T Wolf]

in the priority of what this country spends our money on.

There is plenty of money for war and corporate welfare, but none for medical care and education?

Property taxes are an unfair way to (completely) finance things. Mainly, what should be taxed is income.

As for your numbers - I could not really follow your example. I do know that the mortgage payment you state ($2,000) is pretty damn high (to me). We are in our second home and when we "traded up" - we did not greatly increase our monthly payment. We do live in a high tax area and our taxes are almost equal to our bank mortgage. But together, they only total around $1,100 a month. What kind of estate do you live on that demands a mortgage three times as high?

Details aside, it is just a question of what is valued (and supported) by a society. Here in the USofA, education is way down the list.