"The City of Harrisburg continues in the view that such a land value taxation system, which places a much higher tax on land than on improvements, is an important incentive for the highest and best use of land in already developed communities, such as cities. […] Moreover, the same two-rate system tends to discourage real estate speculators and others who would be inclined under normal conditions to tie up land tracts that could otherwise be used for development purposes. […] With over 90% of the property owners in the City of Harrisburg, the two-tiered tax system actually saves money over what would be otherwise a single rate system that is currently in use in nearly all municipalities in Pennsylvania. […] I should note that the City of Harrisburg was considered the second most distressed in the United States twelve years ago […] Since then, over $1.2 billion in new investment has occurred here, reversing nearly three decades of very serious decline. (Mayor Reed in a 1994 letter to Patrick J. Toomey)
Det är så intressant att se att var landskatt än implementeras så sätter den fart på ekonomin. Den internationellt erkände nationalekonomen Michael Hudson föreslår till exempel att markvärdesavgifter bör kvitta ned inkomstskatten i europas krisländer för att klara av att lyfta ekonomin. Och med tanke på exemplet med Harrisburg som enligt sin borgmästare betraktades som "USA:s näst värst ekonomiskt utsatta stad" innan markvärdesavgiften infördes så verkar det troligt att det borde fungera i "hopplösa ekonomier" som Grekland, Spanien, Lettland och så vidare. Eller vad tror ni?
Läs mer: Den tudelade fastighetsskatten i Harrisburg.
Läs mer: Den tudelade fastighetsskatten i Harrisburg.