By Robert Anthony
July 17th 2023
Just spent several hours on the phone with Karla Wagner, Real Estate Agent, Residential Construction Contractor, Land Developer, Small Business Owner, Former Volunteer Sheriff's Deputy, Helping run several Campaigns in Michigan, and more! What an incredible woman with an incredibly good heart! She is the newest Michigander to take on "the powers that be". Karla has a vision to take back our power as citizens by dramatically cutting their budgets and ability to control us - to control us with our own money, I might add. While I she hasn't finished the petition language as of yet, she has a lawyer, a founding team and all the gumption and chutzpah required to get a movement like this going!
Here is a little article she wrote for us in her own words. I'm very much hoping she and her team can pull this off. Michigan, we should seriously consider this initiative, and consider giving it our support!
AXEMITAX
Citizens' Initiative Proposal
For 2024 Ballot
AxeMiTax is a citizens' initiative proposal to eliminate ALL property taxes in the state of Michigan. This would directly benefit all homeowners, landlords, renters, farmers, small and large businesses etc. The main objective is to eliminate the state and local governments ability to tax and SEIZE our properties because we can no longer afford the ever increasing tax bills. Property tax payers (not all owners pay property taxes, think non-profits, government entities, corporations that are exempt by the government) bear the brunt of a greedy government and society that not only does not prioritize spending but cannot adhere to a budget. Last year alone, in the State of Michigan, approximately 185,000 properties entered into a tax lien seizure. These are not mortgage liens held by banks, but government tax liens. These tax liens create homeless people. We are then taxed more to create AFFORDABLE HOUSING for the homeless we create. Rent could be more affordable and homeownership will be more affordable and attainable. Homeownership creates equity and generational wealth. Property taxes also support our states school aid fund. But we were also told that the lottery and the increase of 2% in sales tax were going to do that. The State of Michigan's public school aid fund is $23 billion plus.....more than 21 other states' TOTAL budgets. Are we happy with the public school curriculum? How do we spend so much on school buildings and other expenses when the public school attendance is way down? How do private and Christian schools operate on donations and tuition only? Why do those parents also pay public school taxes? All people in a community should pay for essential services such as police, fire and road maintenance (snowplowing, patching etc). Consumers or users of other services such as zoos, museums, transit, libraries should pay for those services. If no businesses pay property taxes in Michigan, we would experience an economic boom. Existing businesses would expand, new businesses would come and more importantly, the labor needed for those businesses will flock into Michigan. Products and services will be less expensive and more competitive in the marketplace. The proposal to eliminate property taxes will also provide means to replace lost revenue to the townships and counties. It will NOT replace the lost revenue to the states school aid fund. Our governor has already signed into effect a new, larger budget that will provide more school aid. The ballot proposal to eliminate property taxes is a chance for the people of Michigan to say NO MORE!!. We cannot afford higher property taxes and we absolutely cannot afford to lose our homes, businesses and farms. This is entirely in our hands... we must fund the initiative, gather signatures and go out and vote. We do not need the majority in the house or the governors blessing. It is up to us to stop the seizures and homelessness!! Karla J Wagner AXEMITAX.org
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