[tacticalogic]

So, considering alternatives, suppose different levels of government get into wars of, "if you tax me, I'll tax you", then how are average citizens any better off?

If the federal government has to pay property taxes on the property it owns in a State, just like everyone else that money goes to the State with no strings attached, unlike the "revenue sharing" shell game they play now.

[BroJoeK]

tacticalogic: "If the federal government has to pay property taxes on the property it owns in a State..."

Good point!
I agree that would be better.
But my guess is that Eastern states which have very little Federal land, probably wouldn't like Federal taxes being paid disporportionately to Western states and Alaska.
So it's all politics, with the usual result that nobody is entirely happy with the solutions.