Blog - Land Value Tax Campaign

Renting one’s kicking skills

Written on 2 April 2011. Posted in History.

In an article in the FT last Wednesday, economist John Kay corrected the widespread misconception that the Law of Rent was discovered by David Ricardo, noting that the phenomenon was first noted by a Scottish gentleman farmer and scholar, James Anderson, 50 years earlier. John Kay then went on, as many economists do, to extend the term “economic rent” to the rent of talent, referring...

Revealing find at London School of Economics

Written on 31 March 2011. Posted in History.

On March 8th the Times published a letter from Lord Kalms saying that around 1991 he offered the London School of Economics a grant to set up a Chair of Business Ethics. The faculty rejected the offer as it saw no correlation between ethics and economics. By pure chance a Latvian cleaner at the LSE found what we take as a draft or copy of the rejection letter behind a cupboard. Although we cannot...

Not the Property Ladder again

Written on 26 March 2011. Posted in Home-Owner-Ism.

Oh no! Not the Property Ladder again! You would have thought that the property ladder was the last thing George Osborne would mention in his budget speech on Wednesday. But no – despite the untold damage and misery the property boom has caused throughout the world, the property ladder is to be dusted down and given a lick of paint to encourage ‘first time buyers’ to climb onto...

Woodland grab – the Great British Land Heist continues

Written on 24 March 2011. Posted in General.

Peter Smith of the Wildwood Trust writes, “The recent political turmoil provoked by the Government proposal to sell the nation’s woodland was a travesty of public policy. Unfortunately even though the Government has now ‘U turned,’ the sad fact is it will continue to sell off public woodland, but just at a slower pace. The historical trend of the loss of public land will...

Grin and bear it

Written on 11 March 2011. Posted in General.

There’s no money for this And we can’t afford that We have to work harder for longer for less. Do not shirk Get some work! Don’t relax Pay your tax!

Big Society humbug

Written on 15 February 2011. Posted in General.

by Henry Law If “Big Society” sounds like a phrase dreamed up by a posh West End advertising agency, that is because it almost certainly is. Eventually we shall find out which one. I am all for voluntary work, community groups and the domestic economy. The value of their work probably far exceeds that of the formal economy. But the money economy was invented to facilitate the exchange...

Jordbeskatning fremfor indkomstbeskatning

Written on 5 February 2011. Posted in Non-English.

Jordbeskatning fremfor indkomstbeskatning

The Hero of G Zero

Written on 27 January 2011. Posted in General.

It was reported on Thursday that Nouriel Roubini, professor of economics at New York University, said in advance of the G20 annual Davos meeting “There is complete disagreement and disarray. There is no agreement on anything. We are in a world where there is no leadership.” In other words, G20 has become G Zero. In recognition of his honesty we make the following offering: Nobody Knows It...

Crossrail funding moves a step closer

Written on 26 January 2011. Posted in Public Transport.

The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, has published proposals for consultation that would, through the planning system, seek contributions from most new developments in the capital towards the costs of delivering Crossrail. These will form part of London’s share of the funding package for the project agreed between the Mayor and ministers. Crossrail, will, it is claimed, bring significant benefits...

Curses! Romania’s witches forced to pay income tax

Written on 22 January 2011. Posted in General.

Romanian witches angry about having to pay up for the first time are planning to use cat excrement and dead dogs to cast spells on the president and government. Superstitions are no laughing matter in Romania — the land of the medieval ruler who inspired the “Dracula” tale — and have been part of its culture for centuries. President Traian Basescu and his aides have been...

You are here: