“More senior citizens are moving into my district. Because they get so many property tax exemptions, it’s lowering the tax base for my district. That means less money for my school district,“ Roy told me. Unknown to Roy, senior citizens are not moving into his district. Since 1980, U.S. Census data has shown a loss of 653 people age 65 and older in Roy’s county. This loss of senior population is a trend all over southern Illinois, as the southernmost thirteen counties have had a loss of over 2,000 senior adults since 1980 according to the Census. Roy is right that senior citizens do get a property tax exemption which subtracts $3,000 from the value of their home. This “senior citizen property tax exemption” has been around for many years, therefore it can’t be a new problem for school districts. The more important property tax exemption that Roy failed to take into consideration was a new law which allows all home owners, regardless of their age, to enjoy a $5,000 exemption on the value of their home. This “general property tax exemption” is more likely the bane of Roy’s financial concerns for his school district. The idea of “generational equity” and “elder bashing” is often born out of ignorance of the facts. It’s easy to blame our troubles on those we perceive as better off, especially if you’re working hard and see retired people getting paid with a Social Security or “government check”. Actually, when a typical worker retires, his or her income drops sharply. Most elderly people depend on Social Security income for most, if not all of their income. Half of all retired people would fall below the poverty level if it were not for Social Security. Also, it should be pointed out that Social Security and Medicare help millions of children and persons with a disability. Only about three percent of the elderly can be described as affluent according to government sources. Sometimes we all need to find a scapegoat for our troubles, and like Roy, we lash out at the easiest and most visible group. Senior adults are sometimes bashed as affluent, world traveling, and selfish. “They drive their expensive cars too slowly,” someone told me recently. It seems that anyone with gray hair receives no quarter. There is no presumption of innocence and no defense, which are rights granted to all other Americans. The target of “bashing” shouldn’t be the elderly. Perhaps the target should be people who haven’t actually earned their benefits. It’s another lesson learned. Let’s hope it’s not lost on the young. ### |
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