'California is so broken that we must look at every bold proposal out there, no matter how daring or radical -- including the idea of a flat tax."
-- Arnold Schwarzenegger, June 11, 2009
How about a simple and wise proposal for fixing California's revenue and housing and job and other problems:
- GET RID OF PROPOSITION 13
- Shift taxes off jobs, off houses and buildings, off sales.
- Shift taxes onto land value.
These three steps will go a long way to solving many of California's problems. They will create jobs, raise wages, reduce land speculation, motivate the private sector to produce housing for all who need it, reduce sprawl, produce the density which promotes walkable cities and effective public transportation systems.
Other than that, this proposal has only equity and efficiency to recommend it.
Flat tax? No. Smart tax: See below about what we ought to tax, and what we ought not to tax -- and why.
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