Stop Talking About Philanthropy

all that is melted solidifies in air

Some of us are freezing, others are in Davos telling us they are sick of talking about philanthropy, and suggest we talk about taxes instead.

How timely! After my post on Monday live-chronicling data gathering about philanthropies that do not pay taxes, more charts and percentages were sent to me. Here’s a quick update for those of you playing along at home:

• Updated parcel records for Cleveland for 2018, not including government-owned or land bank properties, with very rough property tax estimates:

• Through the end of 2018:

  
  

  (confused about the difference between exemptions and abatements? Broad strokes distinction: abatements are temporary, and often offered to private developers; exemptions are permanent, and largely go to hospitals, stadiums, arts organizations, etc.)

  (Note the difference between percentage of properties and assessed value of those properties: the tax exempt ones are disproportionally more valuable than the whole.)

• 38 parking lots in cuyahoga county (28 in the city of cleveland) are either tax exempt or have property tax abatements. They cover 110.4 acres (48.5 in the city) of land
  

• If just the private hospital systems (excluding Metro) and the 3 stadiums were taxed at the full 3.34% rate, the City of Cleveland could bring in some $99M a year in property taxes, almost 3x total revenues currently.

  Over on Facebook, a conversation trying to make meaning:

• “By picking hospitals, educational institutions, stadiums, non-profits, etc. as the winners, the City effectively shifts the tax burden more heavily onto residents, forcing them to pay a higher share of the tax bill than they would otherwise need to pay. That's distortionary and harmful, especially in a City with poverty rates as high as we have.”
  

• “Small businesses generate sales tax and their employees' pay income tax, while paying property taxes. Can we forgive some of the property taxes on small businesses in exchange for the jobs they create?”
  

  People keep telling me not to quote them by name, as significant a fact as any of the above. Thanks to those who have emailed, DMed, FBed, etc. to help flesh out this quick gathering of figures. Keep sending me more.

  Meanwhile, down the street from me, the city belches up fluid that instantly solidifies.

  

  In the January sun it is almost too clear: one must have a mind of winter.