> You’ll have to summarize any key points from the book, since I don’t own a copy.
The first few chapters of Rethinking the Economics of Land and Housing describe the distinction between competitive capital (whose price signals the economy to create more) and land (which cannot be created) and thus why they should be taxed differently. I think it is mostly based on this essay by Mason Gaffney: “Neo-classical Economics as a Stratagem against Henry George” (http://masongaffney.org/publications/K1Neo-classical_Stratag...)
> You say that property tax is a tool to reduce inequality, but I’m not 100% sure about that. For example, I don’t even know where my property taxes go
Broadly speaking, progressive taxation is all about taxing any income that is above and beyond what the average wage-earner earns from wages and competitive capital, and using it to fund services that are used by everybody. Virtually everyone has their own labor, whereas income from ownership of natural resources and monopolies is concentrated, so taxation of income above and beyond wages and interest reduces inequality.
Increases in land rent are unearned income that are not due to the owner’s wages and do not incentivize the creation of capital, so it is fair game to tax it as part of a progressive income tax system. If we don’t tax it using property taxes, then land value increases only become a windfall to the owner, leading to greater wealth inequality.
> Further, I’m not sure what I’m supposed to do if my home value doubles just because of natural reasons
The subject of this article is California’s ”severe shortage of houses.” What you are supposed to do in response to the price signal is expand the building so that more people can live on your lot.
The first few chapters of Rethinking the Economics of Land and Housing describe the distinction between competitive capital (whose price signals the economy to create more) and land (which cannot be created) and thus why they should be taxed differently. I think it is mostly based on this essay by Mason Gaffney: “Neo-classical Economics as a Stratagem against Henry George” (http://masongaffney.org/publications/K1Neo-classical_Stratag...)
> You say that property tax is a tool to reduce inequality, but I’m not 100% sure about that. For example, I don’t even know where my property taxes go
Broadly speaking, progressive taxation is all about taxing any income that is above and beyond what the average wage-earner earns from wages and competitive capital, and using it to fund services that are used by everybody. Virtually everyone has their own labor, whereas income from ownership of natural resources and monopolies is concentrated, so taxation of income above and beyond wages and interest reduces inequality.
Increases in land rent are unearned income that are not due to the owner’s wages and do not incentivize the creation of capital, so it is fair game to tax it as part of a progressive income tax system. If we don’t tax it using property taxes, then land value increases only become a windfall to the owner, leading to greater wealth inequality.
> Further, I’m not sure what I’m supposed to do if my home value doubles just because of natural reasons
The subject of this article is California’s ”severe shortage of houses.” What you are supposed to do in response to the price signal is expand the building so that more people can live on your lot.