[Esel Mann]

We had that annual city levied excise tax on vehicles when we lived up in MA.

Down here in fLA, there is also an annual tangible personal property tax which is levied on businesses and property owners who lease/rent. Years ago there was also an intangibles tax (a tax on investments). That one was dropped sometime around late '90s if I recall.

As far as the question of fairness, I see two unfair aspects with property based taxes.

The first is how to fairly assess the value of the property and ensure that it is universally applied. If you take a look at how real estate taxes are assessed you will see the problem. For example here in fLA, take 2 identical houses which are of the same location and same value. Both are paying the same real estate taxes. One of the two is suddenly sold. Upon completion of the sale, the house is re-assessed. That is to say a new value is placed on the sold house and from which property taxes are calculated. That new property tax levied will no longer be the same as before. So despite two houses of the same value, each owner is now paying a different amount in taxes!!!

The second is how to ensure taxation with fair representation. The more divisive we make our methods of taxation, the less representation a tax payer receives and so it becomes a taxation without adequate representation scenario. Well recall how that turned out some time ago. If you look at our current political landscape you will see this taking place right now. For example part of our woes is entitlements which do not align with revenues. Which side is getting better representation, the entitlement receiver or the tax payer? Notice how our representatives will not touch entitlements but are more than happy to either punt the liability or raise taxes to support the entitlements.


That being said, such a taxation could potentially be set up to address these shortcomings. Sadly it isn't being done.