Coral Gables: Assessed Property Values versus Real Estate Prices

December 20, 2010 Leave a comment

Take a look at the real estate section of the Neighborhood Section  of the Miami Herald any recent Sunday.

You will find that the assessed values of the properties are, on average, 35% higher than the sale prices  of the properties (more or less selected at random).

Friends, assessed property values will continue to decline in Coral Gables.  The city will be under pressure to keep raising our taxes.

The only real question for commission and mayoral candidates in the city of Coral Gables:  What is your position on property taxes and fees?

Filed under Coral Gables, Property Values, Taxes and Fees

Human Arrogance and Coral Gables

December 16, 2010 Leave a comment

The future incorporates serious doubts about the future of this planet, climate change, destruction of our environment and biological diversity, let alone war and terrorism on a grand scale.  The thought that because our lives got better in this short time span of 50 years is no assurance that it will be repeated in the future.

Just because Coral Gables has prospered along with the growth of Miami and South Florida in the past is no certainty that it will continue to prosper in the years ahead.

The economic road ahead is not certain at all.

Coral Gables has had weak governments in the past, but the margin of error is in the future is too small to have weak managers and city leaders who are more attuned to a few developers and labor interests, than the common taxpayer,

The most important scientific revolutions all include, as their only common feature, the dethronement of human arrogance from one pedestal after another of previous convictions about our centrality in the cosmos.
– Stephen Jay Gould

Filed under Environment

Consumers Cutting Credit Card Use

December 15, 2010 Leave a comment

Evidently, consumers are not taking on more debt and they are using cash rather than their credit cards.  This is not a good sign for business in Coral Gables and Miami.  Another reason for the city of Coral Gables to be just as conservatives as its taxpayers and consumers in managing their money. This is also bad news for big (too big to fail) banks.

Only 16.3 percent of consumers polled used credit cards over the Black Friday weekend this year, down from 30.9 percent last year and an all-time low, according to a survey by America’s Research Group and UBS.

Filed under Business and Commerce, Coral Gables, Economy

What They Got on the Tax Deal?

December 15, 2010 Leave a comment

I recommend the following post.  The analysis indicates that the Republicans got $246 billion of benefits and Obama and Co. got $106 billion.  Also, note that the payroll tax cuts mainly benefit middle and high income groups.  The poor are left out of this package.

Moderate GOP Stimulus: Re-examining the Who Got What Tax Deal Chart. « Rortybomb.

Filed under Economy

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