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Culture War Roundup for the week of December 25, 2023

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Isn't that evidence against the idea that property taxes don't reduce economic activity? Also, those properties are still developed and their owners are paying higher taxes than they would if they were not.

Isn't that evidence against the idea that property taxes don't reduce economic activity?

Why?

Also, those properties are still developed and their owners are paying higher taxes than they would if they were not.

The house was built in the late sixties. The current owner bought it ten years ago. They're not developing a thing.

Property taxes existed in the 60s. Anyone thinking of developing the property back then would have considered future property taxes in their decision to develop the property. The fact that a given property seems underdeveloped suggests that property taxes have been suppressing development.

The landlord seeks to maximize profit. There's no reason to do anything to the property that won't pay for itself in increased rent. Thought experiment: do you think a landlord would upgrade the property if they got a fat government check? Hell no, pocket the check, that's pure profit right there.

Your property tax is proportional to the value of the property, such that if you develop it further, you increase the tax. If the government subsidized properties based on their value, landlords absolutely would upgrade them.

Venting the dryer isn't increasing your property value.