Local Sales Tax: Increased or Decreased
I. Introduction
a. Hook
Increasing local sales taxes could benefit the community in numerous amounts of ways. Some people may not like it; however when the bigger picture is looked at it is easy to see that the pros outweigh the cons.
b. Necessary background information
Many people think that the government gets enough money as it is. They do not consider the fact that the government has to pay bills and employees to keep the city running smoothly and be protected. If the local sales taxes were raised just a little the city government would have more money and could thrive in a better cared for area.
c. 3-point Thesis
Local sales tax should be increased to help pay for the betterment of education, improving neighborhoods, and assisting in the upkeep of the streets and buildings.
II. Thesis Point #1
Local sales tax should be increased to help pay for the betterment of education
a. Parts of the increased local sales tax can be aimed toward bettering the education of the youth. With better education for the children it can lead to more successful adults. This alone would be one of the best things for any community.
b. Bettering the education of college students would also be included giving them a higher allowance of financial aid which would help them complete their college courses.
c. Governor Beverly Perdue of North Carolina points out how an increase even if temporary could fill in the blanks for education funds where they have previously been cut (Leslie).
d. Children are the future and people should want to do whatever they have to, ensuring they are educated properly.
e. In the article “It’s time to raise taxes for education, transportation, say Utah leaders”, Senator Aaron Osmond states that most other ways of getting the money that is needed has been exhausted and raising the taxes is the best as well as easiest way (Davidson).
III. Thesis Point #2
Local sales tax should be increased to help pay for the improvement of the neighborhoods.
a. Local tax increase could help with improving the neighborhoods by cleaning up the streets of trash and debris. This makes the areas look more comfortable and feel like home.
b. The city could afford to pay the city workers to pave the streets and get rid of holes and make sure that sidewalks are in place for people to safely walk through.
c. In San Jose, the City Council has voted to explore tax and bond measures to raise new road funds. This is the only thing they claim left that they can do which will not cut into other funds and still handle the problem accordingly (Bigler).
IV. Thesis Point #3
Local sales tax should be increased to help in the assisting in the upkeep of the streets and buildings.
a. Living conditions could be improved period if all the streets and buildings were taken care of. Whether they are vacant or not it is the city’s responsibility to keep them up. If they do not have enough funds, that is a project that could be tossed to the back burner.
b. Dallas officials voted to raise taxes to fund millions of dollars in street maintenance, park upkeep, recreation center programs and a host of other services. This increase is also saving many city jobs that were at risk (Bush).
c. People should want their communities to look good at all times. Taking pride in agreeing to a slight raise in taxes should not be an issue.
d. Buildings and streets that are not kept up can be hazardous to the people living in the area and traveling through it. Children can get hurt in buildings that should be condemned or fixed up.
V. Counterargument
Bill Clinton states, “I personally don’t believe we ought to be raising taxes or cutting spending until we get this economy off the ground. If we cut government spending, which I normally would be very inclined to do when the deficit’s this big; with interest rates already near zero you can’t get the benefits out of it” (Meyers and Ruddy, 2011)
a. Some people can barely afford what is already required of them. To raise the taxes could take food off the tables of some.
b. The effects of the tax hike could cause some people to pack up and move out. This would leave the city needing even more than before and fall farther down the drain.
VI. Rebuttal to counterargument
If the situation is bad enough to be noticed, then something must be done about it.
a. Obviously there is a noticeable situation that must be dealt with accordingly.
b. It would help the city look better as a whole to outsiders and local citizens.
VII. Conclusion
Raising local taxes would benefit the community more than hurt it by ensuring the well-being, cosmetic appearance, and safety of the citizens within as well as others. The raise probably would not even be noticeable to many and would be so valuable and useful. Education and safety should be a priority for all cities and the people within them. Anything that improves education, neighborhoods, and the upkeep of the streets and buildings should be something that people would be proud to partake in.

Sources:

Bigler, Matt. San Jose Will Explore Raising Taxes To Improve Roads. 06 March 2013. 16 November 2013. .
Bush, Rudolph. Dallas council raises tax rate to fund street and park upkeep, rec programs, more . 23 September 2010. 16 November 2013. .
Davidson, Lee. It’s time to raise taxes for education, transportation, say Utah leaders. 28 March 2013. 16 November 2013. .
Leslie, Laura. Perdue wants higher sales tax for education. 17 January 2012. 16 November 2013. .
Meyers, Jim and Ruddy, Christopher. Ex-President Clinton to Newsmax: Raising Taxes Won't Work. 23 September 2011. 16 November 2013. .