Taking Mooching to a New Level

When these motherfuckers bitch and moan about people using government services they don't pay for, do they ever look in the mirror?

Rick Perlstein in The Nation:

Check out what the loopy Ayn Randroids are up to now. In long-suffering Detroit, a libertarian real estate developer wants to buy a civic crown jewel, Belle Isle, the 982 acre park designed by Frederick Law Olmstead—think the Motor City's Central Park—and turn it into an independent nation, selling citizenships at $300,000 per. Not, mind you, out of any mercenary motives, says would-be founder Rodney Lockwood—but just "to provide an economic and social laboratory for a society which effectively addresses some of the most important problems of American, and the western world." (Sic.)

SNIP

Never let it be said Rod Lockwood (Perfect pornstar name? You be the judge) hasn't thought this thing through. The plan is foolproof: "Belle Isle is sold by the City of Detroit to a group of investors for $1 billion. The island is then developed into a city-state of 35,000 people, with its own laws, customs and currency, under United States supervision as a Commonwealth." Relations with neighboring, impoverished Detroit will be naught but copacetic, and not exploitative at all: "Plants will be built across the Detroit River....with the engineering and management functions on Belle Isle. Companies from all over the world will locate on Belle Isle, bringing in massive amounts of capital and GDP." (Because, you know, tax-dodging international financiers of the sort a scheme like this attracts are just desperate to open and operate factories.) Government will be limited to ten percent or less of GDP, "by constitutional dictate. The social safety net is operated charities, which are highly encouraged and supported by the government."

Let's see how many essential public services this asshole expects the city of Detroit, state of Michigan and U.S. governments to supply tax-free:

Drinking water: comes from the city of Detroit. I think $5,000 per faucet and toilet per year ought to cover it. Plus the same per-gallon charge Detroit residents pay.

Wastewater: goes to the city of Detroit. Don't even THINK about dumping it in the river, unless you plan to purchase Lake Huron. $10,000 per year per toilet and drain - treating wastewater is way more expensive than treating drinking water.

Trash: No, you can't burn it, unless you pay huge fines for pollution or build state-of-the-art and Michigan-regulated incinerators. Weekly trash pickup and removal to the mainland: $10,000 per cubic yard per year.

Transportation: for use of public waters, roads, bridges and airspace you do not own nor pay taxes to maintain the safety of, $10,000 for each exit from and return to Belle Isle.

Public safety: Your private security service is going to be understaffed and underpaid, so they won't be able to afford to live there, so you're going to need city and state firefighters and law enforcement.  $10,000 per person-hour of city or state employee time.

I'm sure there's lots more I haven't thought of, so I strongly encourage the City of Detroit, State of Michigan, and U.S. government to invoke the power of the free market to come up with monster charges for everything under the sun.

Pay up, motherfuckers.