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The first point can best be understood by considering the privilege of holding a portion of the earth's surface (land privileges).  In a large city practically all the land is privately owned or otherwise off limits for commercial use (parks and other public lands.)  What options does a person with only their labor have?  Whatever their business, they have to be somewhere and that means paying someone who already "owns" space in the city.

As opposed to? What would be the alternative - private ownership, public ownership, cooperative ownership - whether or not we call it ownership someone has control over the property or enterprise. If you want to find a place to live or work you need to get those people to let you live/work there. In other words, there is no doing away with these 'privileges', just the possibility of shifting who controls them. So if you want to argue against private land ownership, for example, you also need to explain how it will be controlled, and why such an alternate scheme would be better for your average individual.  

by MarekNYC on Mon Mar 5th, 2007 at 01:39:28 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Property rights in natural resources such as land would still remain within our historic notion of private property.  But just considering land, it really consists of two distinctly different concepts.  

First, the exclusive right to use and control a given piece of the earth, subject to not breaking other laws or harming anyone else.  It is absolutely necessary to preserve these sorts of rights if we want people to use land intensively.  Who would construct a building without being assured of rights of control?

Second, comes the right to collect the value created by the privilege.  My theory of charging for privileges splits these two concepts apart.  As the privilege charge is phased in the selling price of land (and other privileges) would fall to 0.

Of course, in the bargain we would phase out taxes that fall on specific activities carried out by the owner such as sales taxes, building taxes, income taxes from income generated on the property.  

The tax shift I propose essentially strengthens property rights having to do with privacy, and production while eliminating private interest in profit from privilege directly.  There would be no change to the core property structures although common practice and expectations would change considerably.

by Geonomist on Mon Mar 5th, 2007 at 06:34:18 PM EST
[ Parent ]
There is a rhetorical problem here: A 'privilege' etymologically refers to a special law applicable to an individual or a restricted group. In modern usage a 'privilege' is commonly contrasted to a 'right', whether a general right or a specific property right, and unlike a 'right', a privilege may be revoked.

Referring to a property right as a privilege therefore sounds odd and suggests that it is apt to be revoked. This, of course, stimulates associations with nationalisation and classical socialism.

It may be that the ideas you describe can be expressed in different terms, or in a way that uses the term 'privilege', but minimises this problem. I can see the political attractiveness of building on the negative connotations of 'privilege', but I'm concerned about the net effect.

In advancing a political idea, it's important both to motivate a block of supporters and to reduce the motivation of potential opposition groups. The latter becomes more important later in the game, and I'd think expect that an emphasis on cutting (present) taxes and fostering economic growth would be a strength.

Words and ideas I offer here may be used freely and without attribution.

by technopolitical on Wed Mar 7th, 2007 at 02:58:53 PM EST
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