Updates

Land Values and Public Transportation: An Essential Link

Land Value Capture as a process to fund public transportation has been used for years and is rapidly gaining adherents.

Philadelphia's Slice of the Economic Pie

What Philadelphia does have are pockets of viable communities, anchors: a few Fortune 500 companies such as, Comcast, CIGNA, Aramark, Sunoco, Crown Holdings, Lincoln National Corp., and the 4th highest nationally rated higher education institution – the University of Pennsylvania. Temple University like the University of Pennsylvania did make the national listing, ranking as a 3rd tier higher education institution. Thomas Jefferson, Drexel, etc. did not make the national listing yet their regional rankings are meaningful. Philadelphia’s piece of the economic pie can expand, has potential and, more than most Pennsylvania cities, can build to increase our portion. Yet current tax policies in this city relative to property, wage and business taxes, and substandard elementary, middle and high school public education institutions hinder substantial growth.

Economic Stability - Upcoming Events

Speaking Events and Programs - Increasing public awareness If you know of, or are involved with, an organization devoted to community planning, economic development, and policy makers concerned with land use and economic development we hope to meet with you at...

Our Efforts in the U.K.

At a time when U.S. government is facing a federal deficit of nearly $1.4 trillion, Britain’s annual budget deficit stands at $225 billion for 2009-2010. Gordon Brown’s resignation as prime minister brought a close the Labour Party led government providing a new political reality – David Cameron’s Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats led by Nick Clegg – the U.K.’s first coalition government. An effective and economically stable land tax policy is needed and our colleagues in the U.K. are working tirelessly, just as HGFA/CSE are doing in the U.S., to ensure the proper remedy is applied.

HGFA's Remedy to Philadelphia City Council budget woes

The economically just and responsible option that would assist Philadelphia now and before next year's similar budget debate would be to enactment LVT.

Center for the Study of Economics proposes several policy adaptations to Act 47

Recommendation 1: Change the tax structure, Recommendation 2: Require frequent revaluations, Recommendation 3: Allow innovative restructuring of the real property tax, Recommendation 4: Reduce the amount of tax-exempt property

Philadelphia Media Efforts: "The Tax That Saves: Council Needs to Try LVT"

 

CSE to launch appeal to Philadelphia City Council members on Monday, April 5, 2010

 

Philadelphia Budget Gap Solution

According to KYW’s Mike Dunn’s report this past Thursday Councilman DiCicco has proposed a 12-percent real estate tax in lieu of the Mayor’s $300 flat rate trash tax. Property tax is a common staple. A soda “sin” tax, flat rate trash tax that penalizes the poorest in this city, or real estate tax that protects all those already Abated Properties, slumlords, and speculators while levying heavy burdens on others is not a solution in a city that is experiencing a 10.6 percent unemployment rate. We at the Henry George Foundation of America do not support band-aid, scotch tape tax policy. Instead, we propose a remedy, a fair, concrete tool that penalizes speculators, encourages healthier communities and combats sprawl.

Henry George School of Social Science Free Courses SPRING 2010

Afternoon and Evening Classes begin the week of April 12th, 2010 Once a Week for Ten Weeks. Part I:FUNDAMENTAL ECONOMICS, Part II:Applied Economics and Part III:Economic Science. Free Friday Films: 04/16 MONEY AS DEBT, 05/07 BLUE GOLD: WORLD WATER WARS , 06/11 MANUFACTURING CONSENT

Fixing Property Tax Accounting Issues

The accounting now used for valuing real property contains a fixable flaw, a flaw that has severely undermined our Common Wealth communities for decades. By devaluing land use, thereby placing emphasis on the structures placed on that land, we have encouraged rent-seekers whose “contribution” of vacant lots/blighted neighborhood areas are consuming city funds that could be used to build up as opposed to tear down this city.

Philadelphia 2011 Budget

What will happen his year?

Now, more than ever LVT

Land values becoming the basis of the property tax system right now will serve as a fairer transition towards and after adoption to new values. Remember, it was November 2002 that 80% of voters in Philadelphia approved (through ballot) creation of the Tax Reform Commission, which recommended implementation of LVT.

Fixing a Hole Where the Rain Gets In

On an individual house-by-house basis, the City will provide: 1. Homebuyer Incentives, 2. Purchase and Renovation, 3. Gap-Financing for Market-Catalyzing Anchor Developments Our Common Wealth’s Big Concern: the Taxes. The firms that do the work will pay the same high business privilege taxes. The materials to build the houses will pay an 8% sales tax (assuming the contractors buy in Philadelphia instead of Delaware). Presuming that these homes will be on the tax rolls, does this not consign each and every rescued home to a higher assessment, and therefore a higher tax bill?

Free Community Workshops

 

The Foreclosures of Philadelphia: A daunting challenge

To reside in Philadelphia means paying a flat and regressive wage tax, a punitive 8% sales tax on many essential items, and then, homeowners must meet a mortgage obligation in a city with a property tax policy that penalizes the homeowner for maintaining their home. Land value tax/AXI is a remedy - With a simple shift in rates to a heaver tax on land values, in the first year, one actual homeowner facing foreclosure could save 10% on their annual tax bill.

HGFA Trustee on the Airwaves

Massachusetts needs revenue and HGFA Trustee, Al Hartheimer spent time with Steve D'Agostino of WICN Public Radio in New England to explain how LVT could be the solution. Take a moment to listen to the podcast ...

LVT Jurisdictions and Rates

In Harrisburg, the tax on improvements is only one sixth the tax on land -- many economists credit the "Renaissance" of Pittsburgh over the last two decades to Pittsburgh's shift to Land Value Taxation in 1978. Towns as small as Steelton (pop.2,500) to as large as Allentown (pop. 105,000) have used LVT successfully in Pennsylvania.

Lets Make the Best Deal on Tax Reform

Why are so many Philadelphians struggling with back taxes? Could it be they're carrying an unfair burden to begin with?

Last Round of Community Meetings Ends