I started watching this AxMITax discussion and made it about 33 minutes in before needing to pause and push back. I was invited on by Russ to have a discussion on this and some other things Monday at 2pm. In taking some notes I figured, may as well support the podcast and give a them a shout out. I haven’t been paying much attention to the axmitax stuff and just began looking into it, those who are for it and those who are against it. After, watching this and a bunch of reading, here’s where I’m at.
First off: this is a Conservative issue—full stop. The notion that government can force you off your land if you can’t or won’t pay them for the privilege of living on it is un-American. This country was founded on the right to Life, Liberty, and Property—not the privilege. Property taxes aren’t just unjust; they’re tyrannical. They are enforced with the threat of government violence. That’s not liberty—that’s extortion.
On Volunteer Labor and Political Will
The claim that this petition somehow “distracts” from volunteer efforts is absurd. In fact, it may inspire more grassroots involvement, especially if candidates have the courage to back it. This tired mindset of “we can only do one thing at a time” is what keeps our communities stuck in the mud an organizations fighting amongst themselves.
Local Control? Let’s Talk About That
It’s said this petition threatens “local control.” But let me ask—why do local governments have control over our property in the first place? Why do we equate control with governance? The communities are already dying, a lot are already dead, what exactly are we protecting, the entity responsible for their demise?
I’ve lived in Michigan my whole life. It’s dead out here. Most towns close by 8pm, if not before. Our villages, once thriving, are now hollowed out. We didn’t get here because of too little government—we got here because of too much.
What Local Government Actually Funds
Local police? Fire? Drains? Libraries? Schools? Courts? Let’s break that down.
- Fire & Libraries: In rural counties like Hillsdale, these entities already rely on donations to stay operational and are mostly volunteer.
- Courts: They can and do fund themselves through fees. It’s expensive for a reason.
- Roads: They’re a disaster. That’s your argument for keeping the current system?
- Drains: Mostly paid by landowners, little gets done by government.
- Police & Schools: A small county sales tax could cover this. Better yet, let’s consolidate—fewer schools, fewer buildings, and more accountability. Schools are not as full as they used to be, this would also help the teacher and staff shortages.
Where’s the Money Going?
Weed. Gambling. Lottery. Sin taxes. Where is that revenue going? Why can’t it fund police and education? The idea that property taxes are the only option is false. Government has options—it just refuses to exercise restraint, responsibility and get dirty doing actually work in figuring out how best to govern.
The Math and the Message
The math is simple: consolidate. That’s what private businesses do. Government refuses. Maybe we don’t need ten schools—maybe six will do. Maybe we don’t need 20 police officers running speed traps—we need a few good ones who actually protect and serve. That cuts down on costs. When was the last time local government did this? Those are just a few examples!
On “Harming the Lower Class”
This “class” rhetoric is a smokescreen. If you have money, you don’t need government. If you don’t have much money, government takes what little you have and claims it’s “helping.” Where does government spend money better than private citizens can?
Show me one government program that outperforms its private alternative. You can’t, it doesn’t exist.
Government doesn’t empower—it controls. If people were taxed less, they could afford to invest in their communities directly—schools, security, services, etc, etc.
And by the way, you still get a bill when the fire department shows up. Rich or poor.
Emotional Arguments and Weak Premises
The opposition leans heavily on emotional arguments while claiming to reject emotionalism. Property taxes are “evil” so is income tax. So what? They all violate liberty, government uses force to steal your land. That’s evil, calling evil an emotional argument when in fact the act of stealing is considered a factual form of evil is dishonest at best.
Sales taxes don’t do that. Sin taxes don’t do that. Charging a fee for a service does not do that. Property taxes do. That’s the difference. That’s not emotional, that’s fact.
The whole Emotional argument about emotional arguments is emotional, not factual.
Comparing Michigan and Florida
Michigan sees roughly 130 million out-of-state visitors per year—nearly the same as Florida. The idea that we can’t shift away from resident-funded taxes like Florida is nonsense and a false premise.
Winter tourism in Michigan only drops 20%. With hunting, snowmobiling, and winter festivals, we remain a year-round destination. We can pivot—we just need leadership with vision.
Final Thoughts
Later in the video it’s actually alluded that schools are already beholden to the State—so how exactly is this petition handing control to Lansing? Another false premise exposed?
Here’s the truth: opponents of this petition are either misinformed, dishonest, or both. I have yet to hear a single fact-based, logical argument for how this petition harms communities or hands control over to the State. If anything, it liberates them.
Government should earn our trust—not extort our property. Good government is supported voluntarily. If the community wants services, they will fund them. If they don’t, then those services aren’t needed.
AxMITax is not a threat to local control—it’s a threat to local tyranny. And that’s exactly what we need.
Please support our Jackson friends and their Podcast. https://www.facebook.com/planpod
in Liberty,
Lance Lashaway
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