We can have one without the other
A wealth tax is an example of a policy that has a superficial appeal that dissolves when closely examined or when put into practice. Wealth is anything with a positive market value. Net wealth is wealth minus liabilities. Gross wealth does not subtract liabilities. Wealth… Read More »Why Wealth Taxes were Repealed in Europe
“Nature would prefer not to sell herself, but if forced to it by growth, would at least like to divide equally among her children the revenue from the forced sale of her previous gifts.” — Herman Daly Life’s not fair, but taxes should be. Henry… Read More »We’re not all in this together: Wealth taxes vs LVT Point A
When the public has lost its appetite for the argument that taxing the wealthy is in some way unfair – a claim which, in the midst of a pandemic that has sharply heightened in equality, falls even flatter than usual – the next common retort… Read More »Is it that hard to tax the rich?
In early February, Nick Kristof addressed his column, A Letter to My Liberals Friends to his conservative hometown friends in Yamhill, Ore. He urged them to hold liberals accountable while doing the same for right-wing extremists, kooks and charlatans. In that spirit — and with… Read More »California: The Leader in What NOT to Do OP-ED
We have lost a great friend, Board Member, and contributor. The world has lost a great man, a great advocate of progressive economics and equality for all, and a true believer of the teachings of Henry George. Paul Francis Justus passed away unexpectedly while on… Read More »In Memory of RSF Board Member Paul Justus
State Senator Steve Erdman’s “Nebraska’s tax system needs fixing” was published in the Star Herald, January 23, 2021 and there are a few points worth addressing. Erdman begins by asserting that the property tax, among others, is bad, Nebraska being the “seventh worst state.” This… Read More »Response to State Senator Erdman’s, “Nebraska’s tax system needs fixing” OP-ED
Macroeconomics has remained substantially unchanged since 1971 when gold and the dollar were uncoupled. Whether this pivotal change in the early 1970s was the end of economic sanity or the beginning of a great era of prosperity is a matter of opinion. In any case,… Read More »LVT, MMT, UBI & BTC: The Alphabet Soup of Economics
How a Tax Shift Would Affect Low-income and Elderly Homeowners As previously stated, land value taxation has different effects on different demographics. So, what about low-income homeowners, or elderly homeowners? The effects of LVT on these groups specifically is not well studied, but we can… Read More »Benefits of Land Value Tax on New York and Other Major Cities – Part 2
In the United States, no major cities have land value taxation (LVT), although a number of cities in Pennsylvania (including Allentown and Harrisburg) have a two-rate property tax. But political economist Henry George ran twice for mayor of New York in the late 19th century,… Read More »Benefits of Land Value Tax on New York and Other Major Cities – Part 1
Behold the 5G mid-band auction. The trade press and the FCC itself have touted the auction, concluded late August 2020, as a long-overdue boon to the U.S. But something about it gives me that “Watch Out” feeling. That something is the 19th Century predatory monopolism… Read More »The 5G Auction: Boon or Trap?
