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Re: (erielack)Taxes

New Jersey was in a class by itself in railroad property taxation. And 
Hudson County and Jersey City taxes ere confiscatory on railroads. But they 
were very low on the population -- so if the modern "low tax" people are 
correct, we all know that Jersey City was demonstrably one of the highest 
income, richest and most desirable, favorable for business locations in the 
United States in those days.

In any case --- the Erie ripped up lots of double track and demolished lots 
of structures in the 1930s to cut taxes. The NYS&W put in CTC to get rid of 
doublet track in Hudson County as late as 1962.

> My understanding is that the assessment for improvements to railroad
> property is significant, so much so that the crossover at QD(Prospect St 
> in

At least NS is not paying a supplement to support operation and construction 
of a passenger airport, as the DL&W, Erie and LV were in at least one city 
on the tier in the early 1950s.

> associated structures and appliances. They would have paid taxes to about 
> 23
> counties in NY, and probably four times as many towns and school 
> districts,
> plus a smattering of villages and cities.

And Oh! how the towns bitched with MN taking over Suffern-Port Jervis.  They 
should tax the land at the same rate as I84's land or Route 17 <g>.
>
> On 3.65 acres, my taxes were about $1400 for town and county, and my most
> recent school tax bill was $2170, up $170 from last year. I'm headed
> south....

My property tax when we left Long Island was $11,000 and rising on a 
half-acre with house -- and neighbors pay $15-20,000. OTOH, no one bitches 
about lousy schools <g>.  At least here in New York City, property taxes are 
very low on private homes and co-ops.

Those from outside New York State have to understand that our state taxes 
are actually very low -- something like 8th from the bottom, nationally (or 
42nd highest <g>). However, much of the tax burden gets foisted off on 
counties, townships and school districts -- so the grand total is pretty 
high. That means that CR could very well be paying more IN NY State than 
anywhere else -- or even everywhere else combined, but still not paying a 
penny more than adjacent property owners. In short, if someone compares NY 
State property taxes on railroads to property taxes on railroads elsewhere, 
at best one needs more information to make any kind of reasonable judgment.

BTW -- taxes in most of the upstate counties are out of line because 
politicians get elected running against New York City, lying to the locals 
that they need to protect the poor farmers from NYC welfare queens -- when 
in reality the wall they've created against NYC -- the state's economic 
engine -- enriches New York City people and impoverishes upstate even 
further, and makes it difficult to attract new business -- because any 
desirable entity can read the tea leaves on such things as the future of 
local Medicaid costs.

In any case, IIWKF, there would be no property or other taxes on railroad 
property used in interstate passenger and freight services. IOW -- the 
Montreal Secondary or the Tier would pay property tax, but the CSX and D&H 
lines used by Amtrak would not. Railroads might even consider throwing a 
coach behind a locomotive and running hither and yon because it might be 
cheaper than property taxes <g>.

That would be a variation on Sen Dirksen's famous couplet "Don't tax you, 
don't tax me, tax that man behind the tree" Or in this case, railroads 
hostile to passenger trains and/or Amtrak <g>.

Cheers,
Jim 


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