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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 8 of 8. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by SatinDoll on November 6, 2006, at 17:54:04
Me- democrate mostly- usually don't vote in these minor elections, but I am tommorrow. I am so excited!
Posted by Dinah on November 7, 2006, at 12:40:21
In reply to SOOOOOOOOOO, who is voting what?///////////, posted by SatinDoll on November 6, 2006, at 17:49:30
We had a ton of state constitutional amendments. As always. I'm really curious to see how one of them will do.
Posted by Declan on November 7, 2006, at 12:45:35
In reply to Re: SOOOOOOOOOO, who is voting what?/////////// » SatinDoll, posted by Dinah on November 7, 2006, at 12:40:21
You vote on those, Dinah?
You are curious to see how a particular one does?
Are they State or (as we say here) Federal?
You mind telling me which one, and why?
But you vote on all sorts of things, don't you, like judges and sherrifs and stuff?
Posted by Dinah on November 7, 2006, at 13:54:47
In reply to Constitutional Ammendments » Dinah, posted by Declan on November 7, 2006, at 12:45:35
The state of Louisiana has a very specific constitution, and nearly everything legislators would legislate in other places has to be passed by the people here. I'm sure there was a very good reason for that, so I'm not complaining.
This election, the big amendment is reducing the number of assessors in Orleans Parish (which has contiguous borders with the City of New Orleans) from seven to the one that every other parish has.
I think it would be an easy sell, except that people suddenly remember that although they seem to want only one assessor, they want *their* assessor to be that one. So I'm curious to see what happens.
The November elections aren't generally a big event for deciding local races. I don't know all the ins and outs, but we usually hold elections on Saturdays. And we have an open primary system, so you don't vote for your republican or democratic candidate, you vote for whoever you want. If no one gets over fifty percent of the vote, it goes to a runoff. There's a lot of controversy about the effect of this on federal elections, since if they hold the "primary" for house and senate on election Tuesday, a lot of races will be decided right there, but some won't. But if they hold the "primary" earlier, most races will be decided before election day. It looks like they settled on holding the "primary" on election day, since there were more than two candidates.
The presidential election of course is different. We have to vote according to our parties in the primaries.
Posted by Declan on November 7, 2006, at 15:35:46
In reply to Re: Constitutional Ammendments » Declan, posted by Dinah on November 7, 2006, at 13:54:47
But what are assessors? Not like insurance ones?
The Australian constitution is a basket case, but we have good electoral arrangements. I surprise myself by saying maybe the best in the world.
Posted by Dinah on November 7, 2006, at 15:56:37
In reply to Re: Constitutional Ammendments, posted by Declan on November 7, 2006, at 15:35:46
Assessors assign a value of real estate and tangible personal property for the purpose of taxation. So many mils per dollar of value.
The results in New Orleans (and elsewhere for all I know) have been known to be wildly inconsistent, as newly owned properties might be assessed at their recorded sales prices while the house next door might still be valued at a fraction of that, because it hasn't changed hands.
And while I wouldn't dream of suggesting that anything out of line occurs, it has been suggested by others that knowing an assessor or making campaign contributions or in some way having a positive footing with an assessor has the potential, however unlikely, to subtly and unconsciously influence their judgement when it comes to mitigating factors and why a property might not be worth what you might think it was worth.
I wouldn't know. My tax bills are reasonable in general, because we have the homestead exemption which exempts hte first xxx dollars of your personal residence from tax. And there's also a permanent freeze on the valuation of taxpayers over sixtyfive who made, in the year asked, under a certain amount of income. I don't know my assessor, and am reluctant to part with my money for any sort of campaign contributions.
But it has been said that the millions of contented happy homeowners with low valuations and homestead exemptions come at the cost of businesses, and that makes for a poor business environment. However, that has nothing to do with the assessors of course. Except that the assessors assess the value of the business property, and the business owners are perhaps chafing at perceived unfairness and highly respect those assessors who might be sympathetic to their plight.
In general, the assessors office is considered for some reason a highly desirable one, and the seven assessors are likely loath to give it up. And those homeowners and business owners who are happy with their property taxes are unlikely to want to roll the dice with a new assessor, who might have completely different impressions of the many circumstances that might make a property less valuable than you might otherwise think.
Posted by Dinah on November 7, 2006, at 16:21:09
In reply to Re: Constitutional Ammendments » Declan, posted by Dinah on November 7, 2006, at 15:56:37
I'm in a silly mood and got a bit carried away. Assessors have an important and difficult job, and it's a fine line to walk. I wouldn't want it for anything.
It's true that there are inconsistencies that are occasionally reported in the newspaper. But they're making strides to correct that, and really inconsistencies are bound to occur, no matter what. And only the most extreme are likely to be reported.
My apologies to the honest and hard working assessors of New Orleans, and everywhere.
But given my druthers, I would just as soon that fewer people were subject to the difficulties of holding that office, and so my vote was to standardize the office in all parishes - one per parish.
Posted by Dinah on November 8, 2006, at 21:18:53
In reply to Re: Constitutional Ammendments » Declan, posted by Dinah on November 7, 2006, at 15:56:37
It's nice when my cynicism is overcome by the facts.
And it's nice to see things you never thought would be changed, changed.
Now for that rule about changing the voting record...
This is the end of the thread.
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