The Georgists

[BillG]

And, like the article stated briefly, some folks really like city skylines. These views should also be taxed.

WAIT A MINUTE! WHAT AM I SAYING?! LESS TAX - NOT MORE!

Sorry, I lost control for a minute.

as I said - the view tax is nothing more than a further explanation of all the factors that go into a locational tax which is part of the property tax today.

typically downtown locations are more valuable because of the access to public infrastructure and markets - but they have nothing to do with any labor (the true source of property rights) contributed by the owner - they are as the original, laissez-faire, classical liberals called them a  "social surplus".

as a result - the laissez-faire, classical liberals didn' call for NO tax at all but rather just the shifting of taxes off of labor and capital and onto the "social surplus" as  it did not violate labor-based property rights.

why don't other libertarians understand this simple, verifiable historical fact?

[KBCraig]

Avitar is the assessing company that caused such a ruckus in Berlin this year. Some houses increased in valuation 50% only a few months after being sold. Much incorrect information was reported, and many residents were surprised to see their assessments reported as being based on inspections, when no one from Avitar had ever been inside their homes.

The city lowered their tax rates, but the increased valuations meant a big tax bill for lots of people. Property tax assessments and adjustments are so arbitrary that they're ripe for abuse.

Kevin

[Michael Fisher]

Mike, why are you giving your plants acid rain water?

To supplement their acid tap water.   

[BillG]

Some houses increased in valuation 50% only a few months after being sold.

Kevin,

houses depreciate in value over time whereas land appreciates in value over time?

if you tax houses you get less houses - no?
if you tax land - do you get less land?

what gives?

[BillG]

So, if the guy across the street and I put our cars up on blocks and let our lawns and weeds grow, can we get a reduction on our taxes?

yes your land values will down but your neighbors will too via the concept of negative extenalities

good for you in paying lower property taxes.

bad for them if they are trying to sell.

[Russell Kanning]

does this guy not get jokes?

[Lloyd Danforth]

So, if the guy across the street and I put our cars up on blocks and let our lawns and weeds grow, can we get a reduction on our taxes?

yes your land values will down but your neighbors will too via the concept of negative extenalities

good for you in paying lower property taxes.

bad for them if they are trying to sell.

But, who would want to leave under these great circumstances?  Property taxes coming down and all.

[Russell Kanning]

We could hire ourselves out to lower property values .... does your view $ lower if porcupines party outside your home too often?

[BillG]

So, if the guy across the street and I put our cars up on blocks and let our lawns and weeds grow, can we get a reduction on our taxes?

yes your land values will down but your neighbors will too via the concept of negative extenalities

good for you in paying lower property taxes.

bad for them if they are trying to sell.

But, who would want to leave under these great circumstances?? Property taxes coming down and all.

anyone who views their house as an "investment" rather than a "home" to raise a family in a community of neighbors...

[Michael Fisher]

does this guy not get jokes?

Yes, greens have a hard time with it.  Every joke seems like an opportunity to promote land taxes.

[Lloyd Danforth]

does this guy not get jokes?

Yes, greens have a hard time with it.? Every joke seems like an opportunity to promote land taxes.

[tracysaboe]

Shut up Bill

Tracy

[BillG]

Shut up Bill

Tracy...nice to communicate again with you too - I can see that you have missed me!

Hey, what happen between you and your libertarian socialist buddy Green?

[BillG]

Been reading Tolstoy lately ..... he talks about how neither violent revolution nor gradualism within the system has ever worked .... only the simple refusal of people to work for or with an evil system can succeed.

nice fellow that Tolstoy...too bad he was a Georgist, huh?

http://www.earthsharing.org.au/tolstoy.html

From Tolstoy's introduction to "Social Problems" he wrote:

quote:
"Henry George said: "To those who have never studied the subject, it will seem ridiculous to propose as the greatest and most far-reaching of all reforms a mere fiscal change. But whoever has followed the train of thought through which in preceding chapters I have endeavoured to lead, will see that in this simple proposition is involved the greatest of social revolutions - a revolution compared with which that which destroyed ancient monarchy in France, or that which destroyed chattel slavery in our Southern States were nothing".

'And see, this is just the enormous importance of the big and real reform proposed by George that has not been understood in the world until now.' Tolstoy continues:

'George's idea which changes the way of living of the people, to the advantage of the big majority - at present downtrodden and silent, and to the detriment of the ruling minority--this idea is expressed so convincingly and effectively and above all so simply that it is impossible not to understand it. For this reason, there is only one way to fight against it, to falsify it and to keep silent about it. Both are practised with such pains that it is difficult to induce people to read George's books attentively and to deepen his doctrine. In the whole world, among the majority of intellectuals the ideas of George continue to be misinterpreted, and the indifference towards them appears to grow.

'But a precise, and consequently fertile thought, cannot be destroyed. However one tries to strangle it, it remains more alive than all the other doctrines which are vague and devoid of meaning and behind which one tries to force it. Sooner or later truth will pierce the veil by which it is hidden, and will throw light over the world.

Such is the thought of Henry George'."

----------------------

Russell-

why do you think Tolstoy so admired Henry George?

[BillG]

Kat-

if you want me to draft a statement that we all have an inalienable, individual equal access right to a public forum in a public building inwhich the public's business is being discussed to excercise our First Amendment common rights to speech, peaceably assemble and petition the Government (so long as one doesn't infringe on the equal rights of others to the same) - I'll see what I can do...
.