A Usenet persona calling itself BCITORGB wrote:

Scott:
============
As to property taxes being an appropriate means of funding education,
I've never said that. That happens to be the way much of it is
funded,
but I'll agree with you, that doesn't make it right or the correct
way
to do it. Income tax works for me just as well (better!).

That's all I'm saying.
=================

And I've never said otherwise, except to disspell the notion that
tenants pay "no" tax toward schools. Property taxes are in more than a
few ways, very "odd" taxes. For example, here, where they're based on
assessed market value, they penalize those who take care of and
maintain their property. And, as you say Scott, they are a poor
reflection of actual usage of the services they're supposed to pay for
(sewage, water, garbage collection, or whatever). For many of these
things, I'm over on your side Scott. Put a meter on my water (which my
municipality is doing this summer), charge me per garbage can, etc. On
these things, I'm very much a "user pay" advocate (including, if you'll
recall and earler thread, agriculture, which you seem to want to
support).

Why not for health care and schools too?

[Aside: all bets are off if the city tries to sell the water
reservoirs and distribution rights to private, for-profit, firms --
water belongs to the PEOPLE.]

Well, down here, water belongs to whomever first diverts it and puts it to
beneficial use. Which is why, BTW, Colorado doesn't have any navigable
waterways for you to kayak on. (Just thought I'd bring the discussion back
to paddling for a moment.)
--
Regards,
Scott Weiser

"I love the Internet, I no longer have to depend on
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© 2005 Scott Weiser