protest THIS !

Ah, it must be a national election year, as I'm seeing more and more messages about protesting something (anything?). So it was no surprise that there are those working to disrupt the political conventions (still a few months away). Still, I think the way to do this would have involved a bit more secrecy that a public web site! See Shadow Protest.org

Coming next week: the annual property tax bill. There is no state income tax in Texas, so the government has to make up that shortfall somehow. That usually takes the form of property and school taxes (in my case, school taxes are higher). And every year except one, they have raised my taxes by the statutory maximum (10%). Last year, I decided that Enough Was Enough so I filed a protest and made my way down to the Dallas Central Appraisal District, only to find out that somehow I had written down the wrong day (doh! - my appointment was for the day prior) and had to accept them as submitted. Well, I'll try again this year. There's lots of good advice on Ben Dover's website: How to Fight Property Taxes. Time to cozy up to a local realtor and get those all-important Neighborhood Comps (list of homes sold in your neighborhood, of comparable value).