Milking the poor to make the rich.. richer.

 

Watch the video, and see it explained by somebody else.

 

Then consider how the poor subsidise the rich. How the rich claw back their taxes via land at the expense of the landless.

 

We have seen it already and will shortly see it happen again in our city.

 

When the railways were built, property and land values around the stations increased. When government taxes have been used to build infrastructure and improve areas, property and land values have increased.

 

We do not have a progressive tax system. Whilst we may have a progressive income tax - our tax system as a whole is not progressive. Income tax is not a progressive tax in the first place. As it is a tax upon earnings and labour. We should be taxing UNEARNED income instead of income.

 

What we have is a regressive tax system, alcohol and tobacco duty are both highly regressive. VAT is somewhat regressive for the poorest, but generally progressive (what with the exemption for food). Council tax is highly regressive (more akin to a poll tax, than a property tax - although it partially functions as a very small property tax). Income tax is somewhat progressive. We have no real property tax, except for SDLT which is more akin to a (lower rate of) VAT for land transactions than it is a property tax!

 

And the way in which we spend our taxes is very very highly regressive. We redistribute income to the wealthiest people in the country by increasing land values.

 

It is often said that the rich get richer and the poor get poorer, and it is often true. But it need not be the case. We can have FAIR taxation.

 

Both the rich and the poor could get richer OR poorer, but we could make it so people get rich based upon merit, rather than land ownership. We could ensure equality of opportunity and reward people fairly for their labours, if instead of taxing labour, we taxed land.

. . . . .

Both the rich and the poor could get richer OR poorer, but we could make it so people get rich based upon merit, rather than land ownership. We could ensure equality of opportunity and reward people fairly for their labours, if instead of taxing labour, we taxed land.

So redistribute the land tomorrow. Give each of the UK's 60 million or so people 1/60000000 of the land. Within months, there will be rich landowners and poor landless fools, because some people have drive and others are stupid. Just accept it, equality is a dream.

So redistribute the land tomorrow. Give each of the UK's 60 million or so people 1/60000000 of the land. Within months, there will be rich landowners and poor landless fools, because some people have drive and others are stupid. Just accept it, equality is a dream.

 

The man in your signature was in favour of land tax and against land monopoly. He fully supported the peoples budget of 1909!

 

It is funny how you are against land value tax, but admire a man who was strongly in favour of it

The man in your signature was in favour of land tax and against land monopoly. He fully supported the peoples budget of 1909!

 

It is funny how you are against land value tax, but admire a man who was strongly in favour of it

1909 was 103 years ago. Things may have changed.

 

I admire people who strive to achieve, and don't deny that I hold in contempt those who fail to achieve anything.

1909 was 103 years ago. Things may have changed.

 

I admire people who strive to achieve, and don't deny that I hold in contempt those who fail to achieve anything.

 

and what if people stop you from achieving and what is achieving anyway?

1909 was 103 years ago. Things may have changed.

 

I admire people who strive to achieve, and don't deny that I hold in contempt those who fail to achieve anything.

And so people who are born lucky? enough to have a private education at say a Public school are not more likely to have the the better opportunities in life.

So redistribute the land tomorrow. Give each of the UK's 60 million or so people 1/60000000 of the land. Within months, there will be rich landowners and poor landless fools, because some people have drive and others are stupid. Just accept it, equality is a dream.

 

There is nothing wrong with trying to fix a situation that disproportionally benefits a tiny minority. To try and fail is better than failing to try.

It depends on the level where your LVT and unearned income tax (which is already taxed) is set, if it is seen as punitive then land values would fall and tenants contracts could be terminated as it would make no sense to have them.

 

Anyone owning land that has soared in value has only made a paper profit until it is actually sold, so I can't imagine where they would get the money from to pay your LVT.

Yes, we should never stop trying....

But, It's an uneven playing field and some people are more equal than others. Thats ever more the case as wealth and entitlement get passed down.

Nothing to do with hard work or intelligence.

I agree with the op, the rich have been exploiting the poor to get richer.

I think you are either part of the problem, part of the solution or at the bottom of the equation. We do have a choice.

Or you gonna shop at tesco or an independent today? Are you going to pay fees or fines or fight it? Are you gonna go with the flow or swim against the tide? Do you believe what the media says or do you question it? Etc. Etc.

Edited December 1, 2012 by TJC1
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and what if people stop you from achieving and what is achieving anyway?

And what if people in the public sector "achieve" high positions and salaries that definately don't warrant it.............and there are many!

And so people who are born lucky? enough to have a private education at say a Public school are not more likely to have the the better opportunities in life.

Well, I suppose some people might get pleasure blaming their own plight on the good fortune of a few others - jealousy's a strong emotive driver - but on the whole I think it's better to get on and make something of your own life than to dwell on what others have.

And what if people in the public sector "achieve" high positions and salaries that definately don't warrant it.............and there are many!

 

I can second that having worked in the public sector and seen people earning in excess of £45,000pa for doing literally nothing all day every day.