Thank you for this in-depth step-by-step LVT Shift presentation. I think it was partially in response to my attempt to average lot land values and calculate a LVT minus taxes on improvements that would replace all other taxes in the NYC budget of $112b in a revenue-neutral way. But of course, it's good you presented it here so anyone could try it.
Except...I fear it's so complex and time-consuming that maybe 10 Georgists/non-Georgists could currently do it in the entire world.
I remember when the late Lindy Davies queried the NYC Independent Budget Office annually for lot data, funneled that into a Lotus Symphony (does that app even exist anymore) spreadsheet that could be queried and used to create reports. I had it on my old Windows-compatible laptop and used it often in my pitches for LVT and other advocacy work. But that went away when Lindy did.
I also took Josh Vincent's class on LVT twice, but most of it went over my head, or maybe if I'm being honest, I just lost my zeal for grudging, detailed coding (I used to be a dBase/Foxpro database coder for 20+ years at a major university) after 15+ years of advocacy.
Is there a way to do this for a city the size of NYC, which at least has good data?
Is there a turnkey app that doesn't involve going through Github, direct coding, or does every city have to be a custom job?
Is there a way to use AI to do the grunt work?
I think the actual application of LVT is a persistent bottleneck to getting it implemented.
The reason I posted this here and open-sourced my code is so that now anyone can do it with relative ease, presuming they know a little bit of Python. With AI around nowadays, learning to use code is much easier.
This codebase I have could be used to turn into a software such that a lay-person can upload their counties data, or a link to it, and then input their settings and get results out. Perhaps some day I will have time to create that.
NYC should be relatively easy to plug into this code and get all the results out. If I have time in the coming weeks, I can do that.
I am happy to walk anyone through how to use the code base so that many many more people can create the reports I have created!
Yes, let us know if you can program for NYC, though of course, the data changes annually - actually much more given the turnover in America's largest city, but that's how often it's officially updated.
I'd also be curious if the LVT to replace the tax in the $112b budget is higher or lower than the 4% of LV calculated by Grok AI (an alternate scenario retains the money the city gets from the state and federal government but just raises the portion raised from NYC taxpayers. That was ~2.5%). My guess, from what you wrote to me offline, is that it'll be higher after all the exemptions, but by how much?
If you were happy to get the results for an LVT shift using tax data from 2022, I could probably prepare those for you with relative ease. Let me know if you'd like to collaborate on this. Also feel free to reach out via email: shoskins@progressandpovertyinstitute.org.
Thank you for this in-depth step-by-step LVT Shift presentation. I think it was partially in response to my attempt to average lot land values and calculate a LVT minus taxes on improvements that would replace all other taxes in the NYC budget of $112b in a revenue-neutral way. But of course, it's good you presented it here so anyone could try it.
Except...I fear it's so complex and time-consuming that maybe 10 Georgists/non-Georgists could currently do it in the entire world.
I remember when the late Lindy Davies queried the NYC Independent Budget Office annually for lot data, funneled that into a Lotus Symphony (does that app even exist anymore) spreadsheet that could be queried and used to create reports. I had it on my old Windows-compatible laptop and used it often in my pitches for LVT and other advocacy work. But that went away when Lindy did.
I also took Josh Vincent's class on LVT twice, but most of it went over my head, or maybe if I'm being honest, I just lost my zeal for grudging, detailed coding (I used to be a dBase/Foxpro database coder for 20+ years at a major university) after 15+ years of advocacy.
Is there a way to do this for a city the size of NYC, which at least has good data?
Is there a turnkey app that doesn't involve going through Github, direct coding, or does every city have to be a custom job?
Is there a way to use AI to do the grunt work?
I think the actual application of LVT is a persistent bottleneck to getting it implemented.
Thanks Scott.
The reason I posted this here and open-sourced my code is so that now anyone can do it with relative ease, presuming they know a little bit of Python. With AI around nowadays, learning to use code is much easier.
This codebase I have could be used to turn into a software such that a lay-person can upload their counties data, or a link to it, and then input their settings and get results out. Perhaps some day I will have time to create that.
NYC should be relatively easy to plug into this code and get all the results out. If I have time in the coming weeks, I can do that.
I am happy to walk anyone through how to use the code base so that many many more people can create the reports I have created!
Thanks Greg.
Yes, let us know if you can program for NYC, though of course, the data changes annually - actually much more given the turnover in America's largest city, but that's how often it's officially updated.
I'd also be curious if the LVT to replace the tax in the $112b budget is higher or lower than the 4% of LV calculated by Grok AI (an alternate scenario retains the money the city gets from the state and federal government but just raises the portion raised from NYC taxpayers. That was ~2.5%). My guess, from what you wrote to me offline, is that it'll be higher after all the exemptions, but by how much?
Hi Scott, about a year ago I full-replicated NYC's property tax calculations at the level of individual parcels (for the purposes of publishing this report: https://www.cssny.org/publications/entry/footing-the-bill-fifty-years-of-nyc-property-tax-tenants-towers-low-income-communities-color).
If you were happy to get the results for an LVT shift using tax data from 2022, I could probably prepare those for you with relative ease. Let me know if you'd like to collaborate on this. Also feel free to reach out via email: shoskins@progressandpovertyinstitute.org.
All states mandate that ad valorem taxes shall be a function of the market value of the property.