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From: eder@ssc-vax.UUCP (Dani Eder)
Newsgroups: net.politics
Subject: Re: Libertarianism & property
Message-ID: <375@ssc-vax.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 23-Jan-85 22:07:51 EST
Article-I.D.: ssc-vax.375
Posted: Wed Jan 23 22:07:51 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 25-Jan-85 05:32:14 EST
References: <272@gargoyle.UChicago.UUCP> <648@bunker.UUCP> <420@whuxl.UUCP> <1181@ut-ngp.UUCP>
Organization: Boeing Aerospace Co., Seattle, WA
Lines: 36

> >the Indians had no concept that you could restrict another's liberty
> >to use or roam the land by claiming something called "ownership".
> >Why should ANYONE be able to claim they own the land?
> >  tim sevener    whuxl!orb
> 
> By that logic, Mr. Sevener, how can *you* claim to own the
> clothes that you are (presumably :-)) wearing?  After all,
> that claim restricts the freedom of others to wear them...
> 
> Ken Montgomery  "Shredder-of-hapless-smurfs"

     The difference is between the land, which was not made by anyone,
and the fruits of human labor.  A system which seems reasonable to me
is to tax only land occupancy (land ownership if that's what you want
to call it), but not the improvements or any other personal property.
You may think of this as an indirect payment to the rest of society
for restricting their access to the land.

     Not only would this be a feasible change in the method of 
taxation, but it would be an economic incentive as well.  Here in
King County, Washington, the local tax assessors already determine
the land component of property values.  In the future, they could
simply ignore the improvements portion of the calculation.  Today,
since improvements, like construction, raise the assessed value
of a piece of property, and hence the property taxes, there is in
effect a tax on construction.  By taxing only land value, this
disincentive to construction would be removed.  As a practical 
matter, this type of change needs to be phased in over a period
of years, to avoid sudden dislocation.  You simply start taxing
the land at higher rates and the improvements at lower rates,
keeping the sum constant.  (if you are Libertarian, the 
advantage of eliminating keeping track of improvements, and hence
laying off some civil servants, should be appealing to you.  Its
a small step in the right direction.)

Dani Eder / Boeing / ssc-vax!eder