We can have one without the other
As a rule, people have a general aversion to discussions of tax policy. Except for the most elementary understanding – progressive, neutral, regressive, or exempt or non-exempt – public discourse on taxation is mostly banal or non-existent. It’s really no wonder, because political leaders have… Read More »The Common Aversion to Tax Study
In response to an article written by Harrison Astbury on November 18, 2020 Why a property tax is not the answer, I believe that Astbury is half right. Real estate consists of two types of property, land and improvements. A property tax on buildings and… Read More »Why a property tax on land value is indeed the answer – Op-Ed
The rush to declare the ‘death of cities’ in the wake of COVID-19 was almost certainly premature, given that rural areas are now struggling to contain the virus to nearly the same extent as urban areas did in the spring. However, the virus has dealt… Read More »Land Value Capture Can Help Mass Transit Systems Rebuild Post Pandemic
I broadly agree with Frank de Jong regarding UBIs (UBI self-defeating unless funded by rental value capture): to do universal basic income without a land value tax is foolish, and fundamentally unsustainable. However, I disagree with the characterization of “self-defeating”, for reasons of both a… Read More »Even an Imperfect UBI Not Necessarily “Self-Defeating”
A universal basic income (UBI) is an idea whose time has definitely come, especially considering the devastating COVID-19 related business and job disruptions. As well as covering basic costs for the duration of the pandemic, a UBI can and will help businesses retool, restructure and… Read More »UBI self-defeating unless funded by rental value capture – Point A
In the last weeks, our attention has (rightly) been focused at the national level, and in a time when the word “unprecedented” has been used so often it barely registers, it was hardly surprising that the 2020 Presidential election was one for the record books. … Read More »The Presidential Election is Over. It’s Time to Think Local.
Property taxes are ubiquitous around the world, and in the United States, they’re a tax most people love to hate. Unlike sales and income taxes, which are baked into every purchase and paycheck, property taxes are added onto mortgage bills or mailed in as lump… Read More »A Surprising Vaccine for Cities Hit Hard By COVID: Property Taxes
Part 1 of Property Tax: The Last One Standing introduced “Property Tax Independence Act” (PTIA) and the proposal for a constitutional amendment in the state of Pennsylvania for the sentimental sobriquet of “House Bill 1776.” Read part one here. The Spirit of 76? Tax… Read More »Property Tax: The Last One Standing – Part 2
As the first punches from Covid 19 landed on state and local government revenues in spring 2020, it was clear that the virus’s impact, compounded by mandated shutdowns, blew big holes in budgets. Public health and the economy both slumped quickly, draining revenue for essential… Read More »Property Tax: The Last One Standing – Part 1
Most recent economics texts have devoted little or no space to the subject of rent and rent seeking. In classical economics, that which prevailed over a century ago prior to what is today known as neoclassical economics, rent was a pivotal idea and factor of… Read More »The Impact of Rent and Rent-Seeking on the Economy
