The ownership of land is the great fundamental fact which ultimately determines the social, the political, and consequently the intellectual and moral condition of a people.
Prosper Australia President Catherine Cashmore was interviewed by Michael Bleby in the weekend Australian Financial Review. The interview stepped behind the intrigue of Henry George and Land Value Tax.
https://www.prosper.org.au/2016/02/16/prosper-president-in-the-news/
Economic thinkers don’t often draw large crowds, but George did. “Thousands on thousands” of people filled the streets upon the death of the man whose text Progress and Poverty reportedly outsold the Bible in 19th-century America, the New York Times recounted.
There are now over 170 Community Land Trusts in England and Wales, half of which formed in the last two years. The CLT owns the land so the rise in land value is held in common by that community.
http://www.communitylandtrusts.org.uk/what-is-a-clt/about-clts
Provincial and federal budgets loom: taxation is a hot topic.
The price of living in a modern, civilized nation, it nevertheless rankles when part of our earnings are deducted leaving less to spend on our families, every purchase incurring sales tax making life more expensive and shrinking our purchasing power, every enterprise paying what feel like fines for success.
Some pundits perennially complain of being taxed into the poorhouse, even as they drive fancy convertibles or build expensive home studios.
by David S. D’Amato
An overview of the life, work, and influence of Henry George, who famously argued that the only justifiable tax was a property tax on land.
http://www.libertarianism.org/columns/singular-henry-george-insights-in…
Australians are routinely being told that hefty mining taxes would hinder the country’s exports of coal and iron ore. However, mining giant BHP Billiton recently increased its profits by 83% to US $8.1bn. In spite of this enormous growth, the company only paid US $29m in minerals resource rent tax (MRRT). As it stands, the tax is in no way making BHP uncompetitive.
Imagine a new streetcar or subway line were built and extra money started magically appearing in cash registers of businesses along it; along the route, especially at stops, landlords suddenly got a cash bonus with their monthly rent cheques....
Transit can pay its own way with Land Value Capture
http://www.erichthegreen.ca/2013/12/transit-can-pay-its-own-way-with-la…
====================
The Total Resource Rents of Australia report finds the complete removal of income, company and sales tax is possible by replacement with a tax on monopolies such as water trading, cyber squatting, taxi licenses and land.
“Economists have for hundreds of years pointed to a more efficient system by harnessing the naturally rising value of scarce resources as the tax base. Few reports have calculated if this is actually possible” said report author Karl Fitzgerald.
- Press Release: http://www.prosper.org.au/2013/12/03/harnessing-monopoly-to-finance-gov…
New video produced by Earthsharing Canada:
A short history and profile of 19th century American economist Henry George, based on the writings of Agnes de Mille, George's granddaughter.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qmKZthN50fs
http://www.henrygeorge.org/agnes.htm
Funding: Robert Schalkenbach Foundation http://schalkenbach.org/