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Home ownership and the “American Dream” are crushed by Real Estate Investment Trusts
A big economic division between renters and homeowners is apparent when looking at net worth: For homeowners, the median net worth of $231,400 is about 44 times the median net worth of renters, which is $5,200. Dr. Ken Chilton of Tennessee State University has studied the impact of Real Estate Investment Trusts on the housing […]
Commentary: Time for America return to 1980s can-do populism
The populist conservative movement known as the New Right enjoyed unprecedented growth in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Its greatest salesman was Ronald Reagan. It appealed to evangelical Christians, anti-tax crusaders, advocates of deregulation and smaller markets, advocates of a more powerful American presence abroad, disaffected white liberals, and defenders of an unrestricted free […]
Commentary: The case for property taxes
Property taxes are generally levied by cities, counties and other local-level administrative bodies. They are the primary source of revenue at these levels of government. These taxes pay the lion’s share of the expenses for basic services provided by a city or county: Local road maintenance/signs/lights Utilities infrastructure (water/wastewater/trash are typically city-administered; electrical and telecom […]