Property Tax Corruption: “Taxation without Representation” in contemporary American government

If anything approaches “taxation without representation” in contemporary American government, it is property taxation. This is because as a practical matter voters – as property owners – have no say in the amount of property taxation they endure.

Harold Lasswell, a prominent U. of Chicago political science professor, once said that the country is made up of two groups: the political elites and the masses. The exploitation of the masses is now being achieved through property taxation.

Since political elites have, in most counties, complete control over issues of assessments and property taxes, they have the opportunity to exploit this power to achieve their own ends. This continues for the simple reason that the masses can’t stop them. Traditionally, the goals of corruption are to maintain political power and accumulate wealth.

This piece will use the City of Chicago, Cook County, and the state of Illinois as examples of how property taxation results in political corruption.

Chicago is located in the County of Cook. Its treasurer is Maria Pappas, who has been featured on local TV news exposés for forcing taxpayers to finance her lavish lifestyle. For example, she has a chauffeur paid $94,000 a year and paid an office employee $57,000 a year a clean her office. Both are so-called office workers paid for by taxpayers.

She also set up to have three homeowner exemptions on three different pieces of property, something that is against state and county law. She made this “mistake” for eight years until exposed by the IL Better Government Association. In spite of all these faux pas, she did not resign.

Probably the biggest part of the problem here is that non-landowners get to vote on levies that will impact landowners directly. Not only doesn’t a landowner not have representation in government, but they have adversaries in the general public as well.

Property taxes are unconstitutional because they allow the government to set any standard it wants, then confiscate your home for non payment, or even incomplete payment. Effectively negating your right to own property.

If you have a home in the flood zone, FEMA has pulled a bait and switch with flood insurance.

At first insurance rates were low so that tough building laws could be put in place. Now flood insurance rates at %1 per year, are actually a tax to live in the flood zone until the house is >%50 damaged! Then rebuilding while possible would be far more than you could ever sell for.

For better or worse and mainly worse, this is all part of the
faith and credit of the US. Our currency is backed by our
governments ability to tax it’s citizens directly and also
the ability to confiscate any and all wealth at any time
for any reason or none at all. Making manditory and having
a permanent number assigned to you (SS#) makes you property
of the state and you can be confiscated by the state and forced
to work for the state without compensation. Technically all
American citizens and all American soil and anything on it
belongs to the state.

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.