[Superman]

I think I understand your question Len, and I'm not sure I have an answer. Red Beard points out that making poor people shoulder the greatest tax burden probably would not work. He goes on to explain that most taxes are designed to place the burden on persons and organizations that have the capacity to pay.

I've got no problem with public scrutiny of government decisions. Obviously. We own our government and its just is to serve us. But I also know that in order to serve us, government must have some means of achieving those goals we set for it, and some means of providing the services we expect and request. And that taxes must be at least somewhat "progressive" in the sense that they must target folks who can pay.

Interestingly, property taxes is one of those areas where taxes are often taken from certain folks, and applied to help certain other folks, and the two groups are different. Property taxes are mostly used to fund education. Young couples with small children in school are by and large not the owners of high-value property. What is a bit heart-warming to me is my observation that property owners, even retirees on fixed incomes, commonly vote to approve school levies. They vote to raise their own taxes in order to fund education, which those older and established citizens recognize as important for the community's future.

As an aside, I grew up in Northern Idaho, near a breathtaking lake called Lake Coeur d'Alene. Many of the people I know who live on that lake (mail is delivered by boat, and many of the homes do not have roads to them...it's rather quaint) were homesteaded by a great grandfather. Sadly, this lake is becoming developed so quickly that property values are EXPLOSIVE. Some of families who own these multi-generation properties are having to sell them simply because they are not well-to-do, and cannot afford today's property taxes. Sad.

So, I understand. I understand how unfair this tax can seem. I also understand that education is important. I do not agree with those of you (Island, for example) who seem to believe that gubmint is in the business of deliberately ruining peoples' lives and that taxes are not necessary. That gubmint services are cost-free.