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Seattle is considering a head tax on big tech firms that have made housing unaffordable there. It could raise millions for affordable housing but even more importantly it could apply the brakes on the high paying tech jobs that cause higher rents and home prices (and traffic). Those new jobs won’t die but will simply go to other cities that have plenty of housing but need more good paying jobs.
I say a National property tax on all rental units.
But aren't housing valuations supposed to rise exponentially by the hour
Not possible w/o amending the Constitution*. Exactly like we had to for the income tax (16th amendment):The Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes on incomes, from whatever source derived, without apportionment among the several States, and without regard to any census or enumeration.
* Well, possible but not practical both in collecting it or politically. Congress can impose such a tax, but must do so according to the Apportionment Clause. This is because a property tax is a Direct Tax. So is the Income Tax, but as you read in the above, the 16th amendment carves out an exemption for the Apportionment Clause to apply for that particular direct tax.
They can just as easily move hq1
Seattle is considering a head tax on big tech firms that have made housing unaffordable there. It could raise millions for affordable housing but even more importantly it could apply the brakes on the high paying tech jobs that cause higher rents and home prices (and traffic). Those new jobs won’t die but will simply go to other cities that have plenty of housing but need more good paying jobs.