The incredible blindness of the public is infuriating. Somebody asks the question, “do we actually own property or does the government own everything inside their borders?” I try to answer it with a simple equation, “Property tax = You don’t own the property.” Someone else responds calling that hyperbole and continues with the typical insults. I respond with:
“But you won’t explain why once a property is paid off, if you stop paying property tax the county takes the property and sells it.
You won’t explain how if you actually OWN something it can never be taxed and never taken away from you except by force of a gun.”
And of course that is when this so-called “libertarian” disappears.
What is a logical statist response if they are not defeated by that? Maybe something like, “well I can sell it for money so I own it.” OK, do you get taxed on that sale? And do you own the next thing you buy with that money or do you pay taxes on it?
Or here’s an even better one, “property taxes pay for vital services like sewage and water.” So what you’re saying is that if I take care of all of these public services (water, utility, waste….basically “off the grid”) I don’t have to pay property taxes anymore? Um, no. You STILL have to pay rent.
The uncomfortable truth is that the system is set up so that the State retains ownership in all property. There is nothing not taxed or regulated.
And no politician I can think of has ever addressed this issue. This may be the closest anyone has ever come to it.
-MR
