Whatever Happened to the Ownership Society?

Imprimis, Hillsdale College ^ | November 2005 | Larry P. Arnn

[CSM]

The opinions expressed in Imprimis are not necessarily the views of Hillsdale College. Copyright © 2005. Permission to reprint in whole or part is hereby granted, provided the following credit line is used: "Reprinted by permission from IMPRIMIS, the national speech digest of Hillsdale College, www.hillsdale.edu." Subcription free upon request. ISSN 0277-8432.

[CSM]

Private property ping.

[satchmodog9]

Private property my ass. When I paid 18 thousand dollars a year in property taxes, I got the feeling I was just renting. The town told me they assessed my property as two build able three acre lots since they actually were. So I had to pay an extra 9 grand a year to have a view.

[pageonetoo]

Whatever Happened to the Ownership Society?

The Socialists, hand in hand with our Governments...

[TXBSAFH]

It is an ownership society. The problem is that we are owned by government. At least that is how they act.

[pageonetoo]

The town told me they assessed my property as two build able three acre lots since they actually were. So I had to pay an extra 9 grand a year to have a view.

Do you own two lots? If so, and you don't intend to sell them, you may be able to have them joined as one parcel, by deed.

I buy large parcels, and split them up, for resale, but don't pay taxes on them, individually. The buyers do that!

[trebb]

I guess that if we taxpayers were able to keep more of our money, instead of having it confiscated to give to others, we could have an ownership society. As it is, I feel no guilt over accepting some FEMA money to help defray my post-Katrina costs.

That said, I would gladly trade those few thousand dollars in if we could actually come up with a sane tax structure. I could also give a lot more to some of my church and favorite charities. If we are given the chance to truly fend for ourselves, we are more apt to be generous to those truly in need and to force the deadbeats to either pull their own weight or live under the bridges they choose...

[Mr. Jeeves]

Whatever Happened to the Ownership Society?

People decided they would rather let Dad do the owning and just be paid an allowance, instead. ;)

[SheLion]

"The role of government is not to create wealth.
The role of government is to create an environment
in which the entrepreneur or small business or
dreamer can flourish.  And that starts with rule of law,
respect of private property, less regulatory burdens on the
entrepreneur, open banking laws so that all people
have access to capital, and good tax policy."

President George W. Bush
St. Petersburg University,
St. Petersburg, Russia
May 25, 2002

[SheLion]

[CSM]

"If we are given the chance to truly fend for ourselves, we are more apt to be generous to those truly in need and to force the deadbeats to either pull their own weight or live under the bridges they choose..."

We can't have that. The socialists would be out of a job if you let people chose to help others.

[commonerX]

“No taxation without representation”



There hasn't been a "no taxation without representation" for a long time.
A City that charges city wage tax for people living out side the city limits and works in the city, is practicing taxation without representation. The out of city worker has no vote and not representation in city government.



I seems like private property rights are a thing of the past.
Government, governs all and owns all. They will divvy it up as they feel fit.

Can only keep voting and hope.

[sheik yerbouty]

"Serfs up!"

[Alberta's Child]

One element of this issue that deserves some scrutiny is whether the notion of "private property" has any meaning in an urban or suburban setting where people live in one place and work in another.

I've come to the conclusion that the concept of "private property" lost a lot of its meaning in the post-industrial age when fewer and fewer people owned their own businesses and had joint business/personal uses of their homes. I can't say I disagree with the notion that a typical suburban home is not -- and never was -- "private property" in any sense of the word.

[satchmodog9]

I sold it and moved to across the border to Wisconsin. I get the same property for a third of the tax.

[Dead Corpse]

Pretty words. Too bad he isn't acting on them.

[Alex Murphy]

I sold it and moved to across the border to Wisconsin. I get the same property for a third of the tax.

I foresee a day when threats of "eminent domain" will force those who value private property to move across national borders (assuming there's someplace safer to move to, that is).

[DumpsterDiver]

I'll clear some of this up.

...open banking laws so that all people have access to capital...

Loans to illegal aliens.

... and good tax policy.

To a politician, it is good policy to tax cigarettes!

[Gabz]

Excellent read.