The Broken Idea of Land Ownership in the US

As we move towards a new revolution, I like to collect ideas of the thoughts from people on here as to issues in these United States. One major issue that plagues these states is the idea of land ownership. I would say not so much the "idea" of it, but the disparaging divide of land ownership amongst the people. Of all the land available in the United States, very large portions of it are owned by very small chunks of wealthy people. Families can scarcely afford an acre of land when conglomerates are in possession of thousands, sometimes for no real purpose.

I don't believe in land zoning or land permits that we have in the US today. It is messy and it steps upon freedom in the highest capacity. If the United States divided land equally between all people 18 years and older, there would be enough land to give each voting age adult 10 acres. Now, not all of this land would be completely livable, not everyone would want that entirety, and some people would want more for things such as agriculture and what not.

So I have devised a system of land ownership that may or may not be without flaws, and may lead some to believe it borderlines on socialism, but with a modern populated world with a population that is ever growing, I believe that it just may work and solve the problem of land ownership in these United States. I believe, before anything else, land ownership should be one of the few managed government institutions in the land.

1. First of all, for it to work all non-agricultural land has to be removed from large land owners possessions. This can be achieved through eminent domain and each person will be left with 10 chosen acres per eligible voter in the family that resides on said acreage. The owners will be compensated by government market value for their land.

2. Upon voter registration at 18 years of age (or older) a person may also file for a Petition for Land from the United States. They will be able to choose 3 preferred states where they would like their land, and acreage up to 10 acres. They will have to provide a use for that land and the land will be given to said people upon availability. Land uses can range from a variety of reasons, just so long as a person is not hording land for no specific reason. Land use will also determine the type of land one might receive.

3. For the people who do not wish to have land such as city dwellers and the like, the my choose to forfeit their land at time of registration in exchange for a monetary compensation. All forfeit land will go back to the government. People who wish to have additional land will be able to purchase it from the government from the pool of available land.

4. Agricultural land permits will work a little differently. If you plan on using agricultural land to farm or raise livestock, there will be a much higher limitation on land so long as the land is used in accordance with what is proposed.

5. In the end, private selling of land would be available, but only through filing a Use of Land form for the new ownership stating what the land will be used for (Residential, Commercial, Farming, Hunting, Nothing?)




So, I'd like to know people's thoughts on a system like this. Before anyone jumps the gun and thinks "oh great, more government power", in my future America, the federal government has little to no power. This would be one of the few powers, in addition to travel safety, border control, foreign protection, and monetary policy, that the federal government would have.

Give me some input and some other ideas as I would like to know what the average American, and ever people from other countries feel about such an idea.

or.. you could kindly ask the US Government to share some of the 650 million acres or more of the land they hold.. roughly 30% of the US land mass.

www.foxnews.com...

reply to post by TheNewRevolution

1. First of all, for it to work all non-agricultural land has to be removed from large land owners possessions. This can be achieved through eminent domain and each person will be left with 10 chosen acres per eligible voter in the family that resides on said acreage. The owners will be compensated by government market value for their land.

NO compensated by "government" means taking money from everyone what some people call wealth redistribution.

2. Upon voter registration at 18 years of age (or older) a person may also file for a Petition for Land from the United States. They will be able to choose 3 preferred states where they would like their land, and acreage up to 10 acres. They will have to provide a use for that land and the land will be given to said people upon availability. Land uses can range from a variety of reasons, just so long as a person is not hording land for no specific reason. Land use will also determine the type of land one might receive.

No because "land ownership" is not federal even to begin with look up property taxes people are under the illusion they own land they don't never have.

Want to do something for the little people?

Abolish property taxes instead

reply to post by TheNewRevolution


For starters, I'd have to say "be careful what you ask for, you just may get it."

I currently "own" 10 acres of land and my state & local property taxes run around $2,600.00 per year. In other words, you never really "own" land in America. You just rent it via your tax payments until you sell the land or until you die, in either case someone else moves in and takes over the payments. If you don't believe me, just quit paying those property taxes and see what happens. They'll sell your property on the courthouse steps to the highest bidder.

Also, the idea of saving land for no commercial purpose should not be abandoned, without it we would not have our national parks and game preserves.

Is there any problem that an authoritarian/totalitarian government cannot fix? This has worked so well in the past, hasn't it?

Why some demand a government rule over us with such absolute power is a curiosity. Imagine, to welcome and embrace such an iron fist into our everyday lives reducing us to mere livestock by the ruling class.

And what perfect, incorruptible humans could be trusted with such power? Our founding fathers knew all too well the answer to that; No one. Ever.

No such government could ever be as interested in the outcome of your life as you are. That's simply not the point of any government.

Sounds like a great idea, to me. Although I think it would be good if we still had national parks and what not full of undeveloped forests and lands for wildlife and enjoyment. People have a tendency to turn the place into a dump when they own it.

Do I own the mineral rights on said land.

Who gets to own the oil producing land?
Ground water?
Gold?
Limestone?

Do I get to pass my land to my family when I die?
No, obviously not, if land is givin to every 18 year old.

Revolution? What revolution?
So the intellectuals are already planning what everybody gets and doesn't get.
And how much they get.
And what they can do with it.

What is the first plank of the 10 planks of communism?

Text1. Abolition of private property and the application of all rents of land to public purposes. Americans do these with actions such as the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution (1868), and various zoning, school & property taxes. Also the Bureau of Land Management (Zoning laws are the first step to government property ownership)

Take your Marxist clap trap out of my country, and leave me alone.

How about you earn your property, instead of taking it by force.

Originally posted by bjax9er
Do I own the mineral rights on said land.

Who gets to own the oil producing land?
Ground water?
Gold?
Limestone?

Do I get to pass my land to my family when I die?
No, obviously not, if land is givin to every 18 year old.

Revolution? What revolution?
So the intellectuals are already planning what everybody gets and doesn't get.
And how much they get.
And what they can do with it.

What is the first plank of the 10 planks of communism?

Text1. Abolition of private property and the application of all rents of land to public purposes. Americans do these with actions such as the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution (1868), and various zoning, school & property taxes. Also the Bureau of Land Management (Zoning laws are the first step to government property ownership)

Take your Marxist clap trap out of my country, and leave me alone.

How about you earn your property, instead of taking it by force.

You hit the nail on the head! That's exactly what the Native Americans were thinking!

reply to post by TheNewRevolution


at the start of ww2 - the US population was 115 million , in 2010 it was 295 million - please tell me how many acres a citizen born in 2062 will recieve - please take into consideration the fact that you plan to award citizens born in 1995 , 10 acres

as the USA is not expanding signifiantly - how are you going to balance the books ?

reply to post by neo96


I should add, I don't believe in property taxes. They are unfounded and ridiculous in my book. Should have made that more clear. However, abolishing property taxes would not stop multimillionaires from buying up thousands of tracts of acreage, doing absolutely nothing with it, and meanwhile have the "problem" of there not being enough land in this country to support the growing population...

... when in reality there is enough land in this country to provide land for the entire world population, let alone the American population, if it weren't for the philosophy of greed when it comes to land ownership;



reply to post by Flatfish


I realize what the system is like now. I don't like it. It is a terrible and unfair system. I believe in true ownership, I just believe as the government as a mediator in the entire ordeal since obviously - the people en masse are either not responsible enough or have been swindled so bitterly that the scales have been adjusted so far against the underprivileged that at this point, there is no coming back from it without radical change.




reply to post by TheWrightWing


Did you stop reading before the end of my post? Go back and read again. I believe in the SMALLEST of governments. The belief in no government regulation is called anarchy. That doesn't work either. When it comes to a world populated by 8 billion people, and a country populated by over 300 million, when you have limited land and resources there is no such thing as infinite free reign over everything. As populations grow resources become limited. There has to be some sort of regulation in place to prevent the land and all resources being consumed by the 1% wealthiest in the country. There is currently nothing in place and we have the wealth disparagement that we have today. It is wrong.




reply to post by bjax9er



Who owns the oil, gold, limestone, groundwater, ect. now? Is it private citizens. NOPE. It was all bought out long ago by the wealthiest in this country alongside the government and then when the government no longer needed for themselves, they sold it to more wealthy patrons. Out of all the KNOWN resources available in the land in our country, less than 1% of them are owned by private landowners. The rest are all corporate and business entities.

So is there some kind of difference? You want to act like the current system is sunshine and daisies when whatever you just attempted to throw at me has just been thrown back in your face. My idea is a step away from the currently completely government regulated system in which you are told flat out what you can and can't do with land in certain areas. I added that I wish to do away with zoning with the exception of agricultural zones. I also mentioned the private ownership and selling would be available with confirmation.

These are all things that are currently, UNAVAILABLE in the modern system and would make land ownership more free and accessible to those who are not part of the current 1% of the wealthiest class of Americans.

As for "what revolution?" the one that has been building up for the last 6 years as people become more fed up and openly outspoken about their government, and this government continues to be more open about their usurpation of rights from the people. If you haven't followed the times they you have no right to comment, if you have followed the social outlook over the American populace, or even here on ATS during that time, then you would know that where once the idea of revolution was mere whispered and laughed at, there are now topics talking about it everyday and there are now people on the street speaking of it as if it could happen any day. Should you refuse to notice such changes, then you refuse to notice the shift happening in front of your eyes.

That is the revolution I speak of.



reply to post by ignorant_ape


Well this is one reason I asked for some ideas and input. The numbers could change as the census changes to compensate for population. Growth is inevitable and as more people are born, there becomes less land to divide between them, whether regulated or not. This is just a reality of life.

This is the same rinse and repeat cycle.

I have been defending the idea of revolution for over 6 years. When confronted, the biggest argument against it from the nay sayers is simple. "What do you plan on doing when the revolution is done? Did you ever think about that?"

The answer is yes. I have. So have many others. We devise ideas, plans, radical changes that can be put into place that can not only solidify this country in the liberty that the Founding Fathers envisioned it to be, but to PREVENT this country from becoming what it has become today all over again.

However, every time an idea is presented that questions the "way things are" or that goes against "my liberty" (that nobody has at the current time) there are a handful of posts, no criticisms, no mass outcry of acceptance or denial - no nothing. Where are the people now who ask for the plans of action? Where were they in the past when countless plans have been provided yet few respond with input?

There is a reason people like me will be leaders of a revolution - because no one else will stand up and take sides when it matters. They stand behind and wait for the rest of the group to make their decisions, and if it is something they don't like they will complain and ultimately - accept it.

I give an open floor in what is supposed to be a republic for the people and by the people and few care to voice opinions. Don't worry, they will be quick to complain about what is WRONG with this nation, but never will they be there when the time comes to decide action to be taken to change it.