Politics

Cooke: Paying Property Tax is for Suckers

By Ryan McGreal
Published September 26, 2009

Terry Cooke wins my nod for commentary of the week:

My property taxes this year will be about $5,500. That's not a typo and no, we don't live at Dundurn Castle. All this time, I've been paying my property taxes on time. I must be an idiot. That stops now.

My three kids have voted unanimously to use the money to go to Disneyworld. But I think we need to spend it closer to home and take full advantage of the city's innovative tax policies.

My next instalment is due this week, and I intend to sit on my wallet until the City of Hamilton offers me a sweetener. They have these great incentives that we have been reading about in the newspapers, all intended to stimulate local construction activity, and we haven't capitalized on them.

It just gets better from there.

Ryan McGreal, the editor of Raise the Hammer, lives in Hamilton with his family and works as a programmer, writer and consultant. Ryan volunteers with Hamilton Light Rail, a citizen group dedicated to bringing light rail transit to Hamilton. Ryan wrote a city affairs column in Hamilton Magazine, and several of his articles have been published in the Hamilton Spectator. His articles have also been published in The Walrus, HuffPost and Behind the Numbers. He maintains a personal website, has been known to share passing thoughts on Twitter and Facebook, and posts the occasional cat photo on Instagram.

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By Michelle Martin (registered) - website | Posted September 26, 2009 at 10:11:42

Me, I was thinking we'd become tax delinquents, then apply for a grant to build an addition to our house that will be an apartment for my grandma. Which forms do I need to fill out? I am also willing to convert the front and back yards into surface parking lots if that is required.

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By jason (registered) | Posted September 26, 2009 at 10:15:11

you don't need to fill out any forms Michelle. Lunch at the Hamilton Club should suffice.

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By Michelle Martin (registered) - website | Posted September 26, 2009 at 10:22:53

Ummm, I was a guest once at a wedding at the Oakville Club-- does that count?

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By highwater (registered) | Posted September 26, 2009 at 11:00:17

Two words. Irish mafia. Call me. ;)

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By synxer (registered) | Posted September 26, 2009 at 22:47:36

The link to the article links to this blog entry.

:(

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By synxer (registered) | Posted September 27, 2009 at 13:09:23

Ryan, I noticed something strange with the comment score/voting. I downvoted myself for the previous comment (current score: 0, 2 votes). If I up-vote the comment, it gives me 2 points (current score: 2, votes 2).

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By Capitalist (anonymous) | Posted September 28, 2009 at 11:23:17

Cook is bang on. This is why (one of the reasons) Hamilton's taxes are among the highest in Canada.

Hamilton's high residential property taxes is driving the middle class out of this city to places like Burlington or KW.

I was in dtown Hamilton yesterday (Sunday) around the John and King William area, the placed looked like a ghost town. All of the people who were walking around were bums who were using the homeless service centre on John and Rebecca.

Keep it up Hamilton! Lets drive out the middle class and bring in the filth at the Royal Cannot Hotel. And people think that the NHL will want to put a hockey team here. Crazy!

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By synxer (registered) | Posted September 28, 2009 at 11:56:46

Looks like someone else also voted on your comment.

Yeah, I don't know what it is, but if I change my vote to negative all of the votes become negative. If I change it to positive only 2/4 are positive. Strange.

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