"One is replacing all taxes on productivity, that is, on land use, with taxes on the value of land itself. The other is the Lockean pre-monetary system. It woul

"One is replacing all taxes on productivity, that is, on land use, with taxes on the value of land itself. The other is the Lockean pre-monetary system. It would have to rely on a judicial mechanism, whereby you assert your claim to land by demonstrating that you are using the land. While the latter method does not provide any community funds (a mixed blessing, perhaps), it does subject your landhold to the discretion of that judicial mechanism." Why should it be any business to the government what you are doing with your land (as long as it is not illegal)? I am not even sure the government should have the right to judge the value of any land. I can understand Paine's argument. And for that I think it is not unreasonable that a light tax be assessed to land ownership. But today's property taxes are far too high.