This is What’s Up radio broadcasting from big, beautiful clear-channel WALTZ. I’m Tuck Avery. My co-conspirator is Buzz Belton. Today, we’re gonna kick around the notion that liberty isn’t possible without land. I’m sure everybody out there has an opinion.
Buzz: I have an opinion. Who cares about some egghead connection between land & liberty. Who even thinks that way? Nobody’s gonna call in.
Tuck: I think the audience will disagree. In fact we already have a call from the Westside Retirement Center. Hello Lydia, you’re on the air.
Lydia: The linkage of property to liberty was brought up at the founding of our Nation. John Adams thought the primary purpose of government was to protect private property, as did Alexander Hamilton, and George Washington. All three were motivated by John Locke’s definition of the rights of man: Life, liberty, and Property. Thomas Jefferson, in the Declaration of Independence, changed “Property” to “Happiness”. Every argument since about property rights is because of Jefferson’s fuddling word switch. Property is exact. Happiness is vague. I think Locke was right about citizen control of their own property.
Buzz: Wow Lydia that’s deep. How come you know all that?
Lydia: I was a professor of government studies at Westside college for 45 years before I retired to civilian life.
Tuck: Dave from Masalit Falls has something to add.
Dave: Lydia knows what she’s talkin’ about. I found out I didn’t own my own property when the government took my land because I got a little behind in paying the damned Property Tax. I thought a man’s home was his castle. I thought my rights to my home was protected by the government. I had no idea the government could steal my house.
Buzz: Jimmy from Arora disagrees.
Jimmy: Dave and Lydia sound like extremist nutjobs. The role of government is to provide the greatest good for the greatest number of people. Property Tax pays for schools. You own property, you gotta pay. Dave should be ashamed he didn’t.
Tuck: This is getting heated. We’re gonna switch to a party line for the three of them.
Buzz: All set. Lydia, Dave, and Jimmy are now set-up for a conference line.
Lydia: I’ve never been an extremist anything. I only pointed out that the quarrel over right-to-property has historical roots. Dave: Yeah, and a lotta states, like Texas, don’t even have a Property Tax, and they don’t have any problem paying for their schools. Property Tax should be declared unconstitutional. Jimmy: Your both wrong. You should move to Texas.
Buzz: Maybe we should switch back to single line format. Carl from Kirbyville is mad.
Carl: I don’t know about all that historical stuff, but I sure don’t think I should be paying for something I already own. I thought when I paid off the mortgage my house was free and clear. Now the County sticks me with a payment every year for what I already paid off. I’ll never be free and clear, and every year they want more and more.
Tuck: I think Buzz was wrong about this being a boring question. Seems like a lot of folks have strong opinions on the subject.
Buzz: Guess you’re right. Grace from Fairview wants to talk about the unending cost.
Grace: I’m a poor widow with only my Social Security check to pay for everything. That’s not much money, and what with prices rising on nearly everything, I don’t think I’ll be able to go on much longer . . . and the Property Tax goes up every year. If they take my house, I don’t know where I’ll end up.
Tuck: Sorry to hear that Grace. Nina from Ravenna has an idea.
Nina: I’m in the same fix as Grace. Old folks on fixed income like me and grace shouldn’t have to pay any Property Tax at all. We’ve already made our contributions to society. Now we should be left in peace.
Buzz: Councilman, Clifford, from Harper’s Landing sympathizes - but. . .
Clifford: I have elderly constituents with the same problem as Grace and Nina. I tell them I’d help if I could, but I can’t. The County sets Property Tax rates. City Councilmen can’t. A lot of unfairness in government isn’t deliberate, it’s just that so many laws are entangled with so many other laws. I’m not sure the County Commissioners even have much say in the matter.
Tuck: What’s the solution? Live on the street and beg for crumbs?
Buzz: A lot of people doin’ that right now. Wait up, Lydia’s back on the line.
Lydia: That what John Locke and the founding fathers worried about. If the government can take away your land without your permission, you don’t own the land. People without land aren’t citizens, they’re serfs. People who own their own land see themselves as citizens coequal with all the other landholders. Their wealth is tied to the commonwealth by the ground beneath their feet. They care about the Country because they are the Country.
Tuck: Tyler from Midville says, ‘Damn right”!
Tyler: Guaranteed ownership is good even if you don’t own anything right now. It means when you do get land, the government will protect it instead of stealing it. Just now, I’m living in an apartment but I’m saving money to buy a house. I hope I’ll be able to actually own it. We should get rid of Property Tax. There’s too much tax on everything. We should put the greedy government on a budget.
Buzz: Councilman, Clifford, from Harper’s Landing is back on the line.
Clifford: This talk is getting crazy. Government is already on a budget. Without taxes there would be no way to provide Public Services.
Tuck: Clifford’s got a point there. No taxes, no government.
Buzz: Tyler’s got a reply to Clifford’s point.
Tyler: I wasn’t talkin’ about, no taxes. I was talkin’ about sensible taxes, fair taxes. There’s nothing fair or sensible about Property Tax. Besides that, Government keeps inventing new public Services the public never wanted. They should stick to basic services, and keep those at the fewest possible.
Tuck: I think Tyler has said what a lot of people think. If Lydia’s still listening, I’d love to hear what the Founding Father’s had to say.
Lydia: Thanks Tuck. The Founding Father’s never intended government to be the behemoth it has become. They envisioned the new nation as a land of self-sufficient land owners in charge of their own destiny. They saw the role of government limited to defense against foreign aggression, modestly regulating commerce between the states, and little else. They couldn’t have imagined the current overweening social services in their worst nightmare.
Buzz: Whoops, I hear the music. Lydia’s got the last word.
Tuck: Thanks to everyone for calling in. We’ll be here tomorrow for yet another session of What’s Up radio. Please call in. We’re listening.
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Tuck: Well that was lively.
Buzz: Yeah, lively. Maybe tomorrow we could talk about something more down to earth. like the sports, or new cars.
Tuck: Maybe, or maybe the unnoticed legacy of the Renaissance.
Buzz: Humph, blah, blah, blah . . .