I can't keep my home unless I pay the government a tax.

I can't travel out of my country unless I present the government with documents I can only get from my government.

I can't prevent my government from waging war.

I can't prevent my government from causing untold economic damage world wide through moronic laws.

And more.

> Property taxes are a compromise. They rob the rich (especially the rich who are sitting on assets but not working them), which makes it easier for the poor to build a bit of wealth.

Sorry but I find all "rob the rich" arguments down-right repugnant. No government or individual should have the right to take what I have. Period. I am not rich, but, as a long time entrepreneur I have done well. And I have also faltered, and I have also been down in the mud. I have suffered, struggled and recovered only to come out of it better off in the end. At no point have I ever thought about "sticking it to the rich". Nah. You own your own destiny. If someone is a lazy fuck who wants others to provide for them, then, well, communism or socialism is the answer. This concept of "fair share" is such bullshit. Why does someone with more money have to pay more? Because they have more money? Circular argument, I guess. If they want to be kind and contribute more money then that's their choice. Otherwise, we all share alike. If we have to build a new road that will benefit all, we split the costs evenly. That's fair. It isn't fair to point to the guy with more money (not rich, just more money) and make them pay more.

See, this argument gets lost very easily because people tend to talk about the rich. Let's say that you make 50% more than your neighbor. Nobody is rich. He makes $100K per year and you make $150K per year. Well, this liberal concept of "fair share" means that you should pay 50% more taxes at the gas station when you get gas. That's your "fair share". Because you make more money. Not fair, you say? Damn right. Fair share, if you are going to be reasonable, means that you either split it equally or you base it upon consumption. It does not mean that those with more money get clobbered over the head. The formula has to be universally applicable. You can't say that the alternate-reality fairness rule starts to kick-in after, say, $200K. If the rule isn't fair at $100K it sure as heck ain't fair at $1 million.

Back to property taxes. I recognize that governments need money to run. I get it. The issue here is that I ought to be able to own my home. Free and clear. Forever. By taxing my home this is impossible. The government, in effect, almost "owns" my home. If I stop paying property taxes I loose the house. That should not be possible. You work hard your entire life to buy a house. Once it is paid for it should be yours forever. It should be impossible for government to take it away from you. That's my argument, plain and simple. It isn't any more complicated than that. I want to own my home free and clear. Government can go get the funds they need through some other means.

Here's another example. Let's say that I own a piece of land. And, that, over a period of twenty years, I build my own home on this land. Brick by brick. Nail by nail. Through my own efforts and that of my family, my kids, we physically build our own home. Sure, it took twenty years but we built it and it is 100% paid for.

But, wait a minute, you can't do that. Not without paying the government for a building permit before you even begin.

Why do I have to pay government for a permit to build a shelter for my family?

OK, let's say you play along.

What's the first thing that will happen in the US once you are done?

The property will get be appraised based on the value with the home you built and you will owe the government taxes for the rest of your life.

Then, when you die, your kids will have to pay a huge tax bill to the government based on the value of the property.

And, after that, your kids will have to continue to pay an annual property tax to the government based on the new value of the property.

Despite the twenty year effort and family sacrifice that went into building your home, the government has its hooks into your property for, well, eternity. If you or any of your successors falters at all, the government gets to take it all.

That is wrong. That should not be possible.