The DIA Art Millage

[antongast]

And if you don't own a house you pay zero - now that's "fair" isn't it? All the non-contributors will be able to get in FREE [[for a while!) and see the lovely Art on somebody else's dime while the people that have to pay won't be able to afford the gas to get there.

Nope, not fair at all. Sell your house and join us, it's great!

[English]

The person that started this thread got the facts wrong. It's not "....12 mills with from any taxable income. You just be paying 12 dollars a year for the next ten years..." [[his words; not mine). It's a 0.20 mill based on the taxable value of your house. Most people's payments in Oakland County will be about $30/$60 per year or #300/$600 for 10 years. And if you don't own a house you pay zero - now that's "fair" isn't it? All the non-contributors will be able to get in FREE [[for a while!) and see the lovely Art on somebody else's dime while the people that have to pay won't be able to afford the gas to get there.

Um, the value of your home, and all the other homes in a region, is affected by the amenities of that region. We can do nothing about the weather, but we can do something about what Metro Detroit has to offer.

I've just moved to Philadelphia. Some of the issues here seem familiar, while others are not. There's no way that even the most Philly-hating suburbanite would advocate for this art museum to close down.

[Jason]

And if you don't own a house you pay zero - now that's "fair" isn't it? All the non-contributors will be able to get in FREE [[for a while!) and see the lovely Art on somebody else's dime while the people that have to pay won't be able to afford the gas to get there.

That's true but even though renters don't pay property taxes, the landlords do and those taxes are presumably passed indirectly onto the renter in their rent.

[Zacha341]

Hello English! You're so right! So glad to see you back!! We've missed you. I'll PM you...

Um, the value of your home, and all the other homes in a region, is affected by the amenities of that region. We can do nothing about the weather, but we can do something about what Metro Detroit has to offer.

I've just moved to Philadelphia. Some of the issues here seem familiar, while others are not. There's no way that even the most Philly-hating suburbanite would advocate for this art museum to close down.

[narnarnar]

According to the 2010 IRS Form 990 [[Schedule J), the DIA president was compensated $440,000 and the VPs $215,000 and $206,000. With salaries like that I can't be expected to dig deeper into my pockets when my property taxes are already pushing our family budget to the limit.

[Eber Brock Ward]

All three numbers are less than comparable numbers at similar [[and worse!) institutions. We, as a region, are getting a bargain there.

[bailey]

All three numbers are less than comparable numbers at similar [[and worse!) institutions. We, as a region, are getting a bargain there.

Barack Obama, 44th President of the United States, Annual Salary:
$400,000.00 plus about 160k in in non tax- travel expenses, other expense allowances, and entertainment.

So, in order to get this "bargain" the DIA has to go to the tax payers to cover payroll so Graham Beal can make a salary on par with POTUS?

Look, I know it's a bit of a silly comparison...but to dismiss it as a "bargain" and end debate about the somewhat exorbitant salary [[especially in this market- NYC, London, LA...ok. Detroit Metro...seriously!?!) is kinda ridiculous.

local median income is about 42k. Asking people who are trying to raise a family on that to all chip in to keep the lavish salaries intact is going to get some push back.

[Nikki Pooh]

Barack Obama, 44th President of the United States, Annual Salary:
$400,000.00 plus about 160k in in non tax- travel expenses, other expense allowances, and entertainment.

So, in order to get this "bargain" the DIA has to go to the tax payers to cover payroll so Graham Beal can make a salary on par with POTUS?

Look, I know it's a bit of a silly comparison...but to dismiss it as a "bargain" and end debate about the somewhat exorbitant salary [[especially in this market- NYC, London, LA...ok. Detroit Metro...seriously!?!) is kinda ridiculous.

local median income is about 42k. Asking people who are trying to raise a family on that to all chip in to keep the lavish salaries intact is going to get some push back.

Politically correct answer is...DIA must offer competitive salaries in order to recruit the brightest and best.

I'm a renter and voted NO. Not fair to homeowners. If the DIA is free for all it should be funded by all, not just homeowners. Why not propose a .00005% increase on sales tax? Why? Because it wouldn't fly.

[Scottathew]

I voted NO on this. It's not fair to tax the entire tri-county area for something that only some people will use.

Also, the DIA director makes over 400K a year.

I like going to the DIA. I don't mind paying to go there. What I don't want is for someone else to pay for me and my family to go.

[Shollin]

I think it's unfair people with no children have to pay school taxes.

[antongast]

Why not propose a .00005% increase on sales tax?

Because that would be unconstitutional in Michigan. I'm sure the DIA folks would rather not have had to push for a constitutional amendment in addition to a tax increase.

[ThisIsForTheHeart]

I voted yes. I feel that no matter what, the place should have a safety net to stay open and offer what it has to younger people. I would rather have younger kids growing up admiring art than on the streets admiring crime.

Same goes with schools, music, ect. I will vote yes on anything for that matter if I feel it will help the younger kids.

[Scottathew]

I think it's unfair people with no children have to pay school taxes.

Well, then you'll probably most certainly think it's unfair to tax everyone for the DIA!

[Shollin]

Well, then you'll probably most certainly think it's unfair to tax everyone for the DIA!

No because I plan to use the DIA.

[HazenPingree]

I own two homes and I voted YES. The DIA is an incredible asset to the region and should be publicly funded.

Renters DO pay property taxes - indirectly through their landlord.

We all pay for public improvements and assets that we don't use but that offer immense public benefit for the common good. I don't use the public school system or the freeway system, but it's important that they exist, no?

[Goose]

No because I plan to use the DIA.

so at best you are a hypocrite.....

[Scottathew]

We all pay for public improvements and assets that we don't use but that offer immense public benefit for the common good. I don't use the public school system or the freeway system, but it's important that they exist, no?

I don't think the DIA is at the level of importance of public education and our transportation system.

Another thing that makes this more unfair than usual is that there's only one DIA, and for some people it's more than 47 direct miles, 60 driving miles, or 1 hour in clear traffic away.

I would have more preferred a millage like the Zoo millage that only partially funds the zoo and then relies on admission fees as well. Although my strongest preference is no millage at all, let admission fees fund it.

If it's so important and in such demand, there should be no issue at all funding this at the gate.

[HazenPingree]

If it's so important and in such demand, there should be no issue at all funding this at the gate.

I guess that's the challenge. If you charged a sustainable rate at the gate, as you suggest, it would be $100 a person. That's not an amount school children or teachers carry on their person.

Then again, if you charged a sustainable toll to use the freeways, nobody would use those either.

[Scottathew]

I guess that's the challenge. If you charged a sustainable rate at the gate, as you suggest, it would be $100 a person. That's not an amount school children or teachers carry on their person.

It wouldn't be $100 per person, that's simply fear-mongering. The DIA currently charges $8 per person. They've actually been building a fund balance at that rate [[meaning revenues cover expenses enough that they have money left over).

So if the DIA needs more money for some reason they could simply raise the cost of admission and still be very reasonably priced. For example, raising admission to $10 would increases revenues by 25%.

They could also look at cost cutting measures. I'm guessing there's a lot of waste because the person running the DIA is making well over $400,000 a year.

Here's a link that states many of my concerns and frustrations with this tax: http://voiceofdetroit.net/2012/08/03...feed-the-rich/

[adamjab19]

All I know if this thing passes, and I did vote yes on it, it better become the best GD art museum on the continent. I voted for the Zoo millage too and they have done a great job, I feel, with refurbishing that place. However, I won't vote for the Zoo again or the DIA again, they get one chance with my tax money, good or bad results.

[Scottathew]

Here are Macomb County results. It's still very early, but the DIA is currently losing 56% No to 44% Yes.

http://74.208.45.94/m10/389.html

[Shollin]

So what if it passes in Oakland and Wayne and not Macomb?

[Kathleen]

From one of the Freep articles...

Q: What happens if the millage passes in one or two counties, but not all three?

A: If voters in Macomb approve the millage, they would pay it only if voters in either Wayne or Oakland counties also pass the tax. But the same isn't true in Oakland and Wayne. Paying the tax in those counties is not dependent on the millage passing in either of the other counties.

[Shollin]

Well latest results have it 50/50 in Macomb county and pulling away yes in Oakland. The first precincts in Macomb county reporting must have been from south Warren.

[Scottathew]

Well latest results have it 50/50 in Macomb county and pulling away yes in Oakland. The first precincts in Macomb county reporting must have been from south Warren.

LOL.

It's now Yes 52% in Macomb with 12.5% reporting.