Reply #81: Thank you for your explainations...

[phantom power]

I wonder if the "auctioning" method might provide a way to evaluate land-depletion in a very general way. If I'm a farmer, or a miner, or for that matter anybody, each time various land titles are auctioned, I'm assessed for the difference between the previous auction value and the new one.

So, if I'm a farmer who used land for ten years, and left the soil more depleted than when I got it, that should be reflected in the new auction value. It will take a lower price at the latest auction. Suppose that 10 years ago it auctioned for $100K, and now it auctions for $50K. Then I am taxed for removing $50K of value from that land. That could be problematic for title holders, since they might be charged a hefty tax at the end of their tenancy. On the other hand, it would mean they would be highly motivated to avoid reducing value of land, so that they can avoid that tax. Or, at the very least, if they know they are irretrievably reducing land value (like mining), then they had better plan on paying that tax. For that matter, we could allow pre-payment of such taxes, similar in spirit to quarterly IRS payments, to smooth out the finances.