[Libloather]

a small group of amateur activists

Compared to the freeloaders - a small group of professional activists.

[Sir Napsalot]

Be prepared for an influx of citizens. No, make that a stamdpede.

[TurboZamboni]

Of course, all the public gubmint unions are opposed to this.

[EGPWS]

Will North Dakota be the first state to end property taxes?

Watch for a stampede because of a mass exodus from Minnesota.

[fish hawk]

Rush says they don’t have the balls. I agree.

[justa-hairyape]

North Dakota is part of the Spine of America. North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas.

[bkopto]

Ending property taxes? You mean, ending the rental payments on the property you think you own to local government?

If you don't pay up, force will be used against you to ensure that you do. In my book, this means you don't own the property.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

I'd bet they keep property taxes.
ND is a prairie populist kind of state...

[central_va]

a small group of amateur activists

For a second there I thought this might be a story about the Obama Administration.

[LibWhacker]

The property tax is often described as the least popular of the taxes that fund state and local government.

No wonder! Unless a person is super wealthy, it forces him either to become a working farmer or cattleman, so that he can afford the taxes on his spread. Or to forgo the dream of ever owning a spread in the first place and moving into some urban ghetto where the government and other busybodies can keep an eye on him. The dream that was America really died with the institution of the property tax. It makes everyone an indentured servant of the state.

[SampleMan]

I'm actually thinking that ending property taxes is a bad idea, as it takes away people having skin in the game.

Its much easier to raise someone else’s taxes than your own, and property taxation if flat and fair.

Lower the millage rates, but don't get rid of them.

[familyop]

"Will North Dakota be the first state to end property taxes?"

No. The overpaid government and government-linked parasites will be less politically active after the needed economic collapse. Then property taxes will probably be abolished in most other states.

Residential real estate will be declining for at least another 20 years. Good riddance to the legalized robberies from those rackets.

[xzins]

A continuing taxation of property is anti-ownership. In fact, one could argue that one can never truly own property when it is taxed at continuing intervals.

Tax it on purchase as a sales tax. I would understand that. Afterwards, though, it is the property of whomever has purchased it.

[Puckster]

Time to buy property there.

I grew up there in Bismarck til the 9th grade.

[ansel12]

I know this is a real challenge, but it must be done.

Paying eternal rent into perpetuity for your home, to never be able to own it, is too fundamentally wrong to not have to eliminate it.

[Sarajevo]

Debra Medina had that as a platform in her run against Perry for the Governors seat in Texas. Everyone labeled her a kook.

[sarasmom]

I'm curious about the mechanism they will use to pay for desirable local and county government services and employees?
It looks like North Dakota currently has the whole trifecta of property, sales and state income taxes.
I would think ditching the income tax would make more sence in the long run, but hey, it's their state, and they can do whatever they want!

Best of wishes for ND, either way they decide, from a Florida resident who will not be impacted in any way by their decision.