I went to a public hearing the other day about a raise in property taxes, this time by the county instead of the state or city. I had about ten minutes worth of facts and figures to read, but I was required to speak what I wanted to say in only three minutes. This was impossible, and I was enraged that free speech and the redress of grievances to our tyrannical government has been reduced to a circus show where the council would only allow my free speech in three minute segments. That is no longer free speech, but rather a privilege granted by the ruling class to the peasantry.
I just wanted to share with you the opener to my speech, since this seems the only truly free forum in which I can speak!
It went like this:
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First, I’d just like to say thank you to the board in keeping the constitutional rights of public assembly and the freedom of speech alive in maintaining these types of public hearings. I keep hope that this right is never taken away from the people in what will always remain a representative government. To that end… you who sit on this panel are the representatives of the people, and simply defined that means that the peoples will is paramount to yours.
Now, I’d like talk about taxes. Specifically in this case… property taxes.
I wonder if anyone can tell me the difference between property taxes and rent?
If I rent an apartment, I have to pay a tax – which is called rent – to stay in that apartment.
Likewise, if I live on my own land, in my own house, I also have to pay rent – which is called a tax – a property tax – to stay on that land and in that house.
So is there any difference between rent and property tax?
Well, as far as I can tell, no there is not.
Let’s qualify this…
If I cease to pay my rent to my landlord for his apartment, the consequences of that action are for the landlord to evict me, with the city and state government’s support, of course. This I understand, for it is not my property for which I am living.
But what about my own land and home… the land that my ancestors might have settled over 200 years ago before a property tax scam was even imagined… heck, before Salt Lake City was even imagined? The home that I might own outright, having paid all debt owed for that land and home? What if I cease to pay my rent (in the form of property taxes) to my landlord (who is the government)? What will happen?
Well, as far as I know, the government will just evict me from my own home who I am the landlord of.
So is this a tax, or is it rent.
Lets go even further and call it for what it really is… extortion. Plain and simple.
For through eminent domain, you can take my property anytime you want. Just like a landlord can sell his property and kick you out of your apartment, anytime he likes.
If you homeowners out there don’t agree with me on this, then I invite you to stop paying your property tax… your “rent” to the government, and see what happens…
A legal tax on the citizenry must be apportioned. But it should also be avoidable. If I don’t want to pay the gas tax, I can choose not to drive. If I don’t want to pay the sales tax, I can barter, trade, or grow my own food (as long as the government with all of their codes allows me to do this).
But, as a homeowner, I cannot avoid this tax, unless I want to move and pay rent to someone else. I must pay it or loose my home. Kinda reminds me of protection money, gangland style… The American dream of owning a home is nothing more than glorified rent, with a false sense of security through “limited” ownership, and the stature attached to that dream.
So who regulates the mafia, when they decide to raise the protection money rates, or the government from raising the rent in the form of property taxes?
This is one I wish I had an answer to, though I don’t.
But if every citizen who shows up to this hearing today has a negative response to this “rent through tax” increase, then the logical conclusion to this hearing is that this increase on an already burdensome tax fund should not be allowed. This would be an example of that representative government I was talking about earlier. Meaning that you, as representatives of the people of your county have been made perfectly aware and clear that this tax increase is unacceptable to the overwhelming majority of the people that you supposedly represent and who responded to this announcement and hearing. Therefore the outcome of this hearing should also be clear, which is a resounding NO NEW TAXES!
Now I can only assume, that if you, as a representative public panel, approve this new unavoidable tax increase, that would mean that you are in fact not representing your constitutes; the people who elected you, and are in fact representing someone, or something else.
I have other pertinent documentation that clearly shows that the money to pay for these improvements and initiatives is quite available through other government means. However, I would ask that someone else in the honorable constituents waiting to speak whom also opposes this increase, to allow me their time to speak on behalf of the citizenry. For I assure you, this is the most important of information. Anyone…?
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This is dedicated to the Salt Lake County Council, who is no doubt complicit in the theft and wealth building from its starving taxpayer base, for cutting me off and threatening police interaction if anyone spoke out of line. May you rot in Hell for the ruin you have brought unto this city and collectively through all other governments, this country.
They voted in favor of the tax increase, by the way.
More to come on this government wealth which could eliminate all taxes in future posts…
Clint Richardson (realitybloger.wordpress.com)
December 10, 2001
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