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My point was not the H. L. Hunt proposal to allocate votes by the amount of taxes paid, but just to say that tax and appropriations bills should originate in a House of Taxpayers elected only by taxpayers. A constitutional amendment would say what is meant by a "taxpayer." One taxpayer, one vote. The idea is to keep people from voting themselves money. Ordinary laws unrelated to taxation and spending would be passed by a House of Commons elected by everyone.
What would stop homeowners from voting extra taxes on rental property - as they have done in most states? And how would renters stop them if renters couldn't vote?
Well, that was the intent of the founders of our country.
White, male property owners.
Actually, no. The broad truth was that only taxpayers could vote.
Property ownership was always taxed, so property owner=taxpayer=voter.
But there were many businessmen--particularly in the cities--who did not own the property their businesses were on, but they were taxed for their businesses, and those businessmen also voted. Businessowner=taxpayer=voter.
It was an early debate whether a woman who owned a business--and paid taxes--should be allowed to vote, and that remained a debate (probably because it didn't occur frequently enough) until women were generally granted the right to vote.
I don't know about limiting to property owners, but it would be nice if voting were limited to people who were interested enough to make an effort. Also, if the vote were limited to citizens and perhaps Nationals.
In Oregon, you get automatically registered to vote when you get a driver's license. Your ballot comes in the mail. Undocumented aliens can get a driver's license, so they get registered to vote. Ballots are mailed so no one checks to see who is filling them out. Voter registration can also be done on line, no id check, no signature.
See any possibilities for voting fraud in the situation?
What would stop homeowners from voting extra taxes on rental property - as they have done in most states? And how would renters stop them if renters couldn't vote?
I think every individual should be able to vote but taxes should be proportional.
Proportional as in 1 person in the house = 1 unit. 5 people in the house = 5 units.
I had quite the liberal streak until I bought a house and paid more than anyone on my street in property taxes. I was a single guy and they were all families with multiple children.
I think every individual should be able to vote but taxes should be proportional.
Proportional as in 1 person in the house = 1 unit. 5 people in the house = 5 units.
I had quite the liberal streak until I bought a house and paid more than anyone on my street in property taxes. I was a single guy and they were all families with multiple children.
Please explain how their children made a difference in property taxes?
The main reason property or tax-paying qualifiers to vote would not work is because they've been tried before and failed.
The framers of the Constitution indeed did NOT want the general population to be able to vote. Their point of reference was the French Revolution which they saw as a tragedy of democracy. So they put in restrictions. Within 25 years or ratification in 1789, there were movements to relax those restrictions. At the local & state level most restrictions were removed by 1828. By 1836, only South Carolina still had property qualifications for federal-level voting.
Any restrictions would not be tolerated for more than 10-15 years at most. Longer than that and you've have to enforce them violently.
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