>From Dave Ketchum <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >>Agreed that the bare land should be taxed, mostly for consuming roadside frontage.
>>But, the five-star hotel owes more because it requires access to a major highway. Land with access to a major highway would be worth more, and thus would pay higher "land rent." Combine with fuel taxes to pay for pollution and wear and tear on the highway (thus having the extra traffic generated by the hotel pay for the use of the road), and you would have a relatively fair method of taxation. Since a five-star hotel increases the value of the surrounding land more than a tenement building, the neighbors that benefit would also pay a bit more, equal to the amount of increased value. >>In other words, whatever activity imposes a load on a government budget should be paying for the services it consumes. Pick on water as a service, and that can be charged by measuring consumption. Try police services and that fits more into people living. I agree, user fees are a good way to fund government activities that do not benefit everyone. Fees for things like licenses, permits, waste removal, and possibly even national park access, are reasonable, as long as the money is used for that service, or for functions of government that benefit everyone. In addition, services that are for the general welfare, like the police, fire department, military, courts, and many local government functions, can be funded by a land value tax. Michael Rouse BTW, sorry about going off on a tangent not related to voting methods. :) ---- election-methods mailing list - see http://electorama.com/em for list info
