Over on this thread, there is a discussion on whether the elimination of the property tax deduction would be a good thing. Any time the subject of property taxes comes up my hackles raise, my blood pressure skyrockets, and my wife flees the room so she doesn’t have to listen to the tirade again.

When the state levies property taxes you never truly own your home. Since private property is often considered a fundamental principle of a free society, this is a serious problem for me. My wife and I “own” our home. The state of Texas only charged us $325 per month to live in it this year, but that amount is expected to go up every year for the rest of my life. It does not matter whether I make $30k per year or $130k per year, it still costs me $325 per month to keep what I supposedly already own.