Tag: Private Property

Its actually been punished in 39 states as of 2012 by way of personal property tax on business.  Equipment, shelving, tools, furniture, etc..; bought, then taxed at 6%, then repeatedly taxed as 'wealth' like non-homesteaded property. In this way, business owners are told (as they are with smoking laws, work rules, and being converted to tax collectors) they really don't own JACK.  None of it is under any absolute control, and frankly if the Business owner doesn't make a buck?  They are still told to "Cough it up sunshine, you owe what you owe."

Just for being here.

And its not just the cost of having stuff laying around that punishes the Michigan entrepreneur.  As is the case with many government rules, its the cost of compliance. The Tax Foundation writes:

"TPP taxation is "taxpayer active," meaning that individuals and businesses must fill out tax forms listing all of their taxable personal property, adding a compliance cost to the total cost of administering personal property tax. This is in contrast to real property taxation, which is "taxpayer passive": a statement valuing the land, improvements, and property tax owed is sent to property owners, alleviating compliance costs while adding some cost for government to administer the tax."

But relief could be in sight soon. The state of Michigan will have a surplus.

"The Senate Fiscal Agency projected $1.3 billion in increased revenue over a May 2013 estimating conference. House Fiscal pegged the number at $1.1 billion, while Treasury offered a more conservative $708 million, citing uncertainty over unclaimed Michigan Business Tax credits."

Given the compliance costs can be transformed into profitable effort of growing business, and the added incentive for business attraction, (particularly to manufacturing and its associated equipment expenses) job growth could well explode going forward.

A foundation that is losing its integrity becomes at risk to all manner of invasive species.  Small cracks become larger, and pretty soon the foundation itself begins to decay.  In a physical manifestation of this problem, it is the failure to protect the surfaces, and allow those little cracks to form from weathering.  In the premise under which this country was founded, it is what seems to be everyday ignorance and unchecked unanimity.

"(2) Subsection (1) does not apply to a process server who is on the land or premises of another while in the process of attempting, by the most direct route, to serve process .."

God help us from benevolent bureaucracies!

"HOLLAND, Mich. -- Several weeks after a city zoning officer shut down his hot dog business, 13-year-old Nathan Duszynski and his parents are homeless.

The family was hoping Nathan's hot dog cart could help them through a difficult time.  Nathan's mother, Lynette Johnson, suffers from epilepsy and his stepfather, Doug Johnson, has multiple sclerosis. Their illnesses have restricted them from finding permanent, full-time work.

...

Nathan wanted to help out his family by selling hot dogs from a cart he bought with money he saved.

...

The city of Holland, however, shut down the business 10 minutes after it opened, informing Nathan it was in the city's commercial district where food carts not connected to downtown brick-and-motor restaurants are prohibited. The Mackinac Center's coverage of the issue has drawn national attention."

Unintended or otherwise, it is considered normal nowadays for government to hamper the opportunities of some, to favor others. A pretend scenario is certainly unnecessary for this family.

I wrote a response and posted it here titled "The Adventures of Huckleberry Gillman"  It was a way to nip back at those who were trying to silence my questions about WHY a charity would have as a part of its program, the growth of government.  Essentially the intent of my questioning was to root out the lefties in that organization, and have the locals at least take a second look at who was responsible for changing their mission from a charity, to a government facilitator.

I believe some things tend to reveal themselves given time.

Especially when dual roles are played by parties who influence such things as "sustainable growth," "visioning" etc.

A movement is afoot. Smoking ban opponents, bar and restaurant owners are fighting back. In a different way. Having the anti-property rights smoking ban in effect has hurt many businesses throughout the state, causing some to close, and further blurring the line between what are still recognized rights by government. The owners of establishments in Michigan who are unwilling to accept as legitimate the nanny state ban on smokers in their own environments have another way of making their point.

By making trespassers out of state legislators.

Until the smoking ban is repealed, there are 500 places in Michigan which will have on hand pictures and names of 86'd patrons that come from a select group in Lansing.  Our state legislators.

What a wonderful way to drive home a point.

Bar owner:

"Sir? But I am going to have to ask you to leave."

State Legislator

"Say what? But I am here with my family ... "

Bar owner:

"I'm sorry, this is private property, and you are trespassing."

That simple.

The nature of the way that government is influenced is becoming incredibly complicated.

For the average person, it is often nearly too complicated to correctly know what certain groups represent, or WHY they wish to advance government in a particular direction, other than what might be stated as a flowery and appealing descriptive.  Positive reflections of outcomes wished for detailed in descriptive titles.

Grand Visions. Sustainable Growth.  Smart Growth.  Regional Collaboration. Visioning.

How could anything be wrong with that?  No one wants "bleak Visions," "corrosive growth," or stupid growth," or even "regional disagreement," right?  The descriptive labels can be misleading.  The method for deciding what growth is "smart," or who's vision we shall follow, is unfortunately-too-often a bit of a travel through the socialist myopic lens. One that means that we must all collaborate on what our neighbors should be allowed to do. Control of our community resources so that all (including our generational beneficiaries) may equally benefit, no matter their contribution.  Excluding those of course, who cannot survive the onslaught of new limits to their own plans.

Its sometimes hard to explain all the ways in which this happens, so that people understand the insidious nature in which their best participatory intentions are twisted into a socialist Utopian tool.

It requires a step back and an arms length review of the elements in play.