The Concept of Ownership

[Frank Lee]

When you pay off the mortgage you own your house free and clear right? Nope. You can pound as many nails into the walls as you want, but you still have to pay "rent" to the govt to live there. Try not paying that "rent" and the sheriff will take "your" place and auction it off.

It's kind of the same with your vehicles. You might have the title, and the title might have no lienholders, but try to use that vehicle without paying the "rent"- it ain't gonna happen once you get caught. Heck, you may not even be able to do whatever you want to it; if I lit mine on fire and the Fire Dept. catches wind of it, I'll probably get a bill and a citation (not a Chevy).

It seems one CAN own a bicycle- if you got it second-hand you didn't pay any tax, and there isn't any rent either.

What can I say? It's 2 a.m. and I've been awake thinking about how little control or influence I have over anything.

[Rokeby]

Frank,

You might try reading The Price of Civilization by Jeffery Sachs.
This interview with Charlie Rose is sort of a video summary:

Charlie Rose - Jeffrey Sachs

You can get a free pdf download here:
The Price of Civilization - Jeffrey D. Sachs.pdf file from uploading.com!

[jakobnev]

Otoh, driving an unregistered car on your own property is better than free - since gas is subsidized, they are actually paying you for it. (Only true in some locations, YMMV)

And to some extent, the people who are defending the government (and all it's actions you disagree with) are even dying for it.

[cfguy2000]

Personally, I like paying property tax because I know the money pays for our schools. I couldn't even imagine a city without schools. What kind of trouble would all the youth get in to?

[jakobnev]

Originally Posted by cfguy2000

Personally, I like paying property tax because I know the money pays for our schools. I couldn't even imagine a city without schools. What kind of trouble would all the youth get in to?

Wouldn't paying for schools with child tax be more fair?

[Frank Lee]

Originally Posted by cfguy2000

Personally, I like paying property tax because I know the money pays for our schools. I couldn't even imagine a city without schools. What kind of trouble would all the youth get in to?

Awww ****, sorry I started this.

[MorphDaCivic]

I have grappled with this topic for years. It boils down to the only thing in life we can control or own is our attitude. Even in the face of having every last part of life counted, taxed and siezed.

Often wondered why there is a tax credit for having kids, when the schools they require add to the costs for government.

You could move to Alaska, where every citizen gets a dividend each year just for living there. I think last year it was $5K per person. So a family of 6 would get a $30K check each year!!!

[Old Mechanic]

States like Florida allow property tax exemptions for residents after 5 years, or at least they did when I lived there. They make their money on tolls and other user fees. My preference would be to have taxes on consumption, which rewards conservation.

I know of examples where I live in Va where older people have to choose between essential medications, food, and paying taxes to avoid confiscation of their property. In some cases the tax is more than they paid for the land after residing for 40+ years.

MY suggestion would be to energise the senior population to see if you can get the homesteaders exemption type law passed in your areas.

You have to laugh when you get a tax bill on a 40 year old vehicle, but at least here in York County we are only paying a rate of .684%. It is my understanding that there are places in the northern midwest where the rates are up to 10 times higher.

Many of our schools here are 50 years old. In some cases they use trailer units instead of building expensive new schools.

regards
Mech

[jamesqf]

Originally Posted by Old Mechanic

Many of our schools here are 50 years old.

Well, Oxford seems to be doing pretty good at about a thousand years old :-)

[Frank Lee]

MY suggestion would be to energise the senior population to see if you can get the homesteaders exemption type law passed in your areas.

Heck, we had that for decades but MN govt shut down last summer and to get it going again the geniuses at the capital threw the homestead exemption away. Moving in the right direction or the wrong... I guess I'll find out when I get my proposed prop tax statement.