Block · one region of the page, as the scanner read it. It may hold a whole story, part of one, several, or an advertisement; stitching blocks into articles is the next step. Text is supplied OCR.
Page 5 · column 1 of 6 · from the scan, no model involved
Good government is dependent
on honesty so let’s be honest with each other: The current methodology used to raise government operational moneys is seriously flawed.
Once upon a time, when the majority of our society was Agrarian, taxing land value — the value was determined by its ability to produce agricultural goods — made sense. But the value of that land did not consistently increase, indeed it steadfastly decreased in most cases due to the abusive agricultural practices. After all, there was plenty more rich fertile productive land to the west.
Our current system of determining a “value” is pure chicanery. Capitalism says that a “fair market price” is determined when there is a willing buyer and a willing seller.
I am not, nor are the majority of landowners in this county, willing sellers.
Is the county government, or for that matter the Blue Ridge Mass Appraisal Company the eager buyer? Even if they are, I am still NOT a willing seller.
The value of my property is not determined by a “market” UNTIL I am looking to sell. The value of my property is what I paid for it when I bought it. That is my investment.
When and if I sell that property, then and only then should the government be allowed to change the tax base. To do otherwise is to permit the government the right to effectively confiscate your legal possessions by pricing you out of the “market”.
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