Protecting the rentier class

Discussion in 'Politics' started by Ricter, Jun 20, 2012.

  1. I don't think so. Most of ET reads P&R believe it or not. I have gotten some PMs from people who have never posted in the basement.

    Our front page is constantly rolling. If we stop with the ad homs and give honest views from the left and the right, it might actually do some folks some good.
     
    #101     Jul 26, 2012
  2. Honestly it sounds like too much work for me, I'm not really interested.

    I come here to post my opinions and occasional fact to back it up , otherwise I'd have to be paid for my efforts if you want a bunch of research.

    Sorry but that's the situation.
     
    #102     Jul 26, 2012
  3. Epic

    Epic

    I'll throw out a topic just to get things started.

    Economics....

    The idea is to scrap the entire tax code as it stands now and replace it with land value tax based as a flat % of unimproved land value.

    To guide the discussion, we might wonder why this type of tax has the best credentials and broadest support amongst economists of any type of tax imaginable. It results in the least amount of dead weight loss and supposedly provides the best incentive structure for economic growth. Yet it is oddly the one that we avoid the most.

    Who wants to start?
     
    #103     Jul 26, 2012
  4. never heard of it before.
    Wouldn't the US govt be the biggest taxpayer under that plan?
     
    #104     Jul 26, 2012
  5. It would be less muddled if we started a separate thread. It can be the one thread where we can actually come up with some ideas to call our congressman about.
     
    #105     Jul 26, 2012
  6. Please start the thread Epic, and I will need to do some homework, for one.

    Are you sure you and Ivan did not cook this up?:D
     
    #106     Jul 26, 2012
  7. Epic

    Epic

    The govt land is generally exempt from taxation. As all tax revenue is fungible, they would essentially be using other land tax to pay their own land tax, which would be a wash.

    But that brings up an interesting point. Govt programs that would restrict development would result in reduction of potential revenue. The govt is thereby incentivized not to pursue large land grabs.
     
    #107     Jul 26, 2012
  8. Epic

    Epic

    Ok, shall I start it here or in economics?

    I'm not really sure who Ivan is, but I've been considering the idea of land tax as a preferable system for a little while. I'd like to hear an honest debate from multiple perspectives.
     
    #108     Jul 26, 2012
  9. Start it here, believe it or not, the thinkers are down here.
     
    #109     Jul 26, 2012
  10. Tsing Tao

    Tsing Tao

    LOL,. no. I have nothing to do with Epic.
     
    #110     Jul 26, 2012