Many Economists Advocate LVT
Forbes, Apr 23, columnist Tim Worstall notes economists, as did Henry George, show that capital and corporate taxation rates should be zero, doing the least damage to future growth.
Starting a new Housing Bubble?
The (London) Observer, Apr 27: If homeowners pay a percentage of the value of their land each year, it could help to prevent the next bubble inflating.
I’m a Gentrification Bomb and Proud
Oakland Local, Apr 29: Rising land values measure the progress of a community. Taxing them keeps them circulating to the benefit of the community.
To Trigger Building More Homes
Inside Housing, May 8: The Centre for Labour and Social Studies says taxing land could replace business rates and stamp duty and deliver a ‘house-building revolution’.
A Classic, Now More Than Ever
Slate, May 10, by Matthew Yglesias: The rapid fall in transportation and communications prices has made location matter more than ever.
Tax Vacant Property & Save
Project Syndicate, May 13, by Dean Baker: Much of the last cycle was an unprecedented run-up in house prices. Governments can help via a vacant lot tax.
Welcome!
Welcome to the Web site of Common Ground OR-WA, the Oregon-Washington chapter of
Common Ground USA, commonground-usa.net.
We promote legislation that democratizes use of natural resources in these two states --
that treats the natural resources of a jurisdiction as a commonwealth for all of the legal residents.
We promote the taxation of private use of nature (taxing a negative effect on society).
This tax has to be high enough to encourage price stability and discourage speculation and sprawl, but not so high that an "ownership" contract (e.g. deed, corporate charter) is easily abandoned.
Take a look at our Legislative Action tabs for more information about our current focus!
Updates
Hearings on land, on carbon
The carbon tax study/task force bill, SB 306, will come up for a work session in the Senate next week, April 24, a Wednesday at 1 PM. Tell them, or hear experts tell them, about its revenue potential, power to streamline the economy, and the need for a dividend. Hopefully, the land tax study bill, HB 2509, will get another hearing, too. Its first hearing is on legislative audio. In the UK, Parliament has heard a similar bill once and will again.
Massachusetts & New York
In Lanesborough MA the question of accepting LVT is on the agenda of a special town meeting coming up. Town meetings have been a cradle of democracy, so just maybe ... Out of nearby New York City, HQ of the Schalkenbach Fdn, is a new video, On Solid Ground. How'd you like to see it in a theater then discuss the them?
Radio host Jo Ann Hardesty, an ex-legislator, on Thursday April 18 interviewed Common Ground‘s two Jeff’s, 8-9AM. Download it here. The magazine covering the rebirth of public commons has published us for the first time. To the left check out "Urban Land". From there you can go to the original articles. Read, enjoy, and leave your feedback!
Join us.
There are many ways to pitch in to make policy work right for people and planet.
Others in the Field
Dozens of organizations work for putting the publicly-generated site values into the public treasury. They range from Brookings in the nation's capital to the Budget & Policy Center in the Washington that's north of Oregon. All do needed work, all constitute a strand in the thick rope bringing the sharing of land value into the public arena. We've listed the scores in "Links We Like".
LVT and the Built Environment
On Solid Ground
Get a check from the common wealth?