Private City in Honduras Will Have Minimal Taxes, Government

[erowe1]

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2012/09/11/private-city-in-honduras-will-have-minimal-taxes-government/


Small government and free-market capitalism are about to get put to the test in Honduras, where the government has agreed to let an investment group build an experimental city with no taxes on income, capital gains or sales.
Proponents say the tiny, as-yet unnamed town will become a Central American beacon of job creation and investment, by combining secure property rights with minimal government interference.
“Once we provide a sound legal system within which to do business, the whole job creation machine – the miracle of capitalism – will get going,” Michael Strong, CEO of the MKG Group, which will build the city and set its laws, told FoxNews.com.
Strong said that the agreement with the Honduran government states that the only tax will be on property.
“Our goal is to be the most economically free entity on Earth,” Strong said.


Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/world/2012/09/11/private-city-in-honduras-will-have-minimal-taxes-government/#ixzz27FVpoFOC

[Carehn]

What about other liberty's. How are they going to be on other issues. Will schools be private? Can I inject meth into my eyes while eating a 10 pound bag of salt off of a hookers ass???

These and many other questions need answered.

[ItsTime]

Yeah what about personal liberties? Wont be long before the CIA sends in teams to crap up the place.

[cindy25]

this is nothing new.

the British had privately run colonies (the British North Borneo company),as did the Portugeese

and Freeport Bahamas had similar beginnings

[TheTexan]

Can I inject meth into my eyes while eating a 10 pound bag of salt off of a hookers ass???

These and many other questions need answered.

I also would like to know

[Philhelm]

What about other liberty's. How are they going to be on other issues. Will schools be private? Can I inject meth into my eyes while eating a 10 pound bag of salt off of a hookers ass???

These and many other questions need answered.

Could I masturbate, while watching, in such a town?

[dbill27]

this is nothing new.

the British had privately run colonies (the British North Borneo company),as did the Portugeese

and Freeport Bahamas had similar beginnings


It's kind of new, it's not from hundreds of years ago.

[dbill27]

The terrorist are gonna bomb the shit out of this place.

[Keith and stuff]

The last coup in Honduras was in 2009. Apparently, these cities are being allowed because 1. the government is extremely poor and 2. the area is very dangerous with all of the drug gangs in the area. That is why the government is using eminent domain to steal this land and then sell it to private corporations. I would be afraid to visit the area unless the private city had guards with automatic rifles and tanks. It is a very dangerous area and the people whose land was stolen may be mad.

Since it is going to happen anyway, I want it to do well. Heck, that would end the argument that NH is too cold as people could just spend 2 months a year in 1 of these cities.

[Anti Federalist]

What about other liberty's. How are they going to be on other issues. Will schools be private? Can I inject meth into my eyes while eating a 10 pound bag of salt off of a hookers ass???

These and many other questions need answered.

Yes, yes they do.

[Anti Federalist]

The last coup in Honduras was in 2009. Apparently, these cities are being allowed because 1. the government is extremely poor and 2. the area is very dangerous with all of the drug gangs in the area. That is way the government is using eminent domain to steal this land and then sell it to private corporations. I would be afraid to visit the area unless the private city had guards with automatic rifles and tanks. It is a very dangerous area and the people whose land was stolen may be mad.

Since it is going to happen anyway, I want it to do well. Heck, that would end the argument that NH is too cold as people could just spend 2 months a year in 1 of these cities.

Ah, now the story becomes a little more clear.

[Tinnuhana]

I have a coin from an island where an individualtried the same thing: the Republic of Minerva. I think he went bankrupt.

[economics102]

This is an interesting development...

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2012/09/11/private-city-in-honduras-will-have-minimal-taxes-government/

[Czolgosz]

I am interest. Anybody have insight into Honduras?

[GunnyFreedom]

"and once all the freethinkers on planet Earth were corralled into four cities, Honduras took a $5 Trillion payout from the world community to let America nuke those four cities." :-p

[FSP-Rebel]

Michael Strong is the CEO of MGK Group, the outfit that is attempting to build autonomous cities in Honduras. You can listen to a recent interview he did with FTL where he answers lots of questions about how the operation is going and other things of interest pertaining to the feasibility of this unique movement. http://www.freetalklive.com/guests/michael_strong - 51 mins. I thought it was pretty interesting and I will continue to monitor the progression of things if for nothing else but intrigue.

[angelatc]

I don't know about 2011 / 2012, but the author (Max Lott) supported Ron Paul in 2007/2008.

[RonRules]

Sounded good until I read this:
"Strong said. However, businesses in the city will be required to employ a minimum proportion of native Hondurans – a requirement imposed at the outset by the Honduran government to ensure that the city’s benefits largely go to Hondurans."

""In collaboration with the [Honduran] government, we will then create the city’s government system and the security, and 3 to 6 months after that we will build the first factories.”

Doesn't look like freedom to me.

[FSP-Rebel]

Sounded good until I read this:
"Strong said. However, businesses in the city will be required to employ a minimum proportion of native Hondurans – a requirement imposed at the outset by the Honduran government to ensure that the city’s benefits largely go to Hondurans."

""In collaboration with the [Honduran] government, we will then create the city’s government system and the security, and 3 to 6 months after that we will build the first factories.”

Doesn't look like freedom to me.
Well, it's not like some of the areas where these cities will be created are completely free of local Honduran residents so it's hardly a big deal if a small proportion are queued up for work. And, in order for these so-called factories to turn profits for this autonomous city thing to work, you'd have to have local workers because it remains to be seen how many random people from wherever are gonna come there to work in a factory. I just wonder about how the drug war would function if these areas could be safe haven for gangs and the like.

[RonRules]

Well, it's not like some of the areas where these cities will be created are completely free of local Honduran residents so it's hardly a big deal if a small proportion are queued up for work.

I'm not saying that they should not hire local talent, in fact this would be anti-freedom as well.

If the place is free, there should not have laws restricting or forcing employers who they should hire.

I'm sure local employers will be eager to hire local people for a variety of reasons like language, not having to relocate them, etc.

[matt0611]

Sounded good until I read this:
"Strong said. However, businesses in the city will be required to employ a minimum proportion of native Hondurans – a requirement imposed at the outset by the Honduran government to ensure that the city’s benefits largely go to Hondurans."

""In collaboration with the [Honduran] government, we will then create the city’s government system and the security, and 3 to 6 months after that we will build the first factories.”

Doesn't look like freedom to me.

Sucks, hopefully that minimum level is low enough that it won't matter much.

Its no surprise that the Honduran government would want it that way though. Not much you can do about it I guess.

[belian78]

"and once all the freethinkers on planet Earth were corralled into four cities, Honduras took a $5 Trillion payout from the world community to let America nuke those four cities." :-p
Not that I think the gov is going to nuke NH, but this is why I can't support people's calls to migrate to NH for the FSP. Why the hell would we want to sequester ourselves to just one corner of the country? Create FSP in every state would be a better tact.

[1000-points-of-fright]

Sounded good until I read this:
"Strong said. However, businesses in the city will be required to employ a minimum proportion of native Hondurans – a requirement imposed at the outset by the Honduran government to ensure that the city’s benefits largely go to Hondurans."

""In collaboration with the [Honduran] government, we will then create the city’s government system and the security, and 3 to 6 months after that we will build the first factories.”

Doesn't look like freedom to me.

Unless you can figure out a way to create land out of thin air, I think you're going to have to make some concessions to whoever is allowing you to use their land. Besides, nobody said anything about freedom. All they said was low regulation and low taxes.

[Czolgosz]

Hong Kong was already referenced.


These are pilot projects, as is FSP. Show success and others like it will pop up.


Freedom is a minority., America 200+ years ago, a fluke.

[Keith and stuff]

Not that I think the gov is going to nuke NH, but this is why I can't support people's calls to migrate to NH for the FSP. Why the hell would we want to sequester ourselves to just one corner of the country? Create FSP in every state would be a better tact.

I really don't think the US government is going to Nuke the greater Boston area. It is the biggest college area in the US. It is #2 in high tech in the US. This is where MIT and Harvard are located. There are many 1000s of weapons workers in the area. There are military bases in the area. NH extends beyond the greater Boston area. It shares a border with Canada. I don't think Canada would like it if it was nuked.

When has the government ever nuked anywhere because it was free? The bombs dropped on Japan were because the US and Japan had been in a long war. It had nothing to do with Japan being free. In fact, Japan was much less free than the US at the time.

As for creating a FSP in every state. I love the idea. That was part of the original plan back in the 1600s. That's what some people were trying to do. The plan was less and less effective in most years. Look where we are now after 400 years of trying to create a bunch of free states. None of the states are free. We could continue to work to create 50 free states but the US gets less free every year. Continuing that plan is insane. Anyone that calls for actively doing that is either ignorant of it not working for 100s of years (in fact, the plan is backfiring because not only is it not working, but we are losing freedom), has some type of special hope in something I am unable to understand or is insane.

Since the 50 free state plan is a complete failure, the 1 state plan was created. Some people see it someday becoming so successful that it spreads freedom back to the other 49 states and the rest of the world. My goal is to free NH. For freedom in NH to be so effective and successful that people in other states and other nations adopt it.

I don't know the future but I know our efforts in NH are already getting pro-liberty laws passed in other states, not too mention keeping taxes down in other states. This may sound crazy, but by just 20,000 liberty activists focused on freeing NH, it will more likely bring about increased freedom in other states than if 20,000 liberty activists focused on freeing all 50 states at the same time.

It is OK if moving to NH and being a serious liberty activist there isn't for you. You can do great good where you currently live by telling everyone you know about the FSP. People have to hear about the FSP (and often several times from several different sources) before they are willing to actually make the move to NH and try to bring about freedom.

[VoluntaryAmerican]

Economic freedom zones...

So why not just do it for the whole country if it works?

It's as if they think the rest of the population has to be slaves. Can't have too much freedom.

Ridiculous logic.

[PeaceRequiresAnarchy]

I bet that these new "minimal governments" will grow into leviathans as usual, but hopefully it doesn't happen for a while.

[acptulsa]

""In collaboration with the [Honduran] government, we will then create the city’s government system and the security, and 3 to 6 months after that we will build the first factories.”

Doesn't look like freedom to me.

And either depending on Honduras for defense, or setting yourself up to be taken back over by the cartels, is freedom?


When has the government ever nuked anywhere because it was free?

I freely admit they didn't nuke that little compound outside Waco. I have to commend Clinton for his restraint. Killing everyone and burning the place to the ground certainly did make enough of an 'example' of them to make the 'message' clear. No other mafia could have done better. Even so, you know that if it had been up to Cheney...

[DGambler]

The terrorist are gonna bomb the shit out of this place.

You forgot the quotes around the word terrorist. :p

[Keith and stuff]

I freely admit they didn't nuke that little compound outside Waco. I have to commend Clinton for his restraint. Killing everyone and burning the place to the ground certainly did make enough of an 'example' of them to make the 'message' clear. No other mafia could have done better. Even so, you know that if it had been up to Cheney...

The people of Waco weren't killed because they were free. They weren't killed because they helped the US government. NH does that. If there was more freedom in NH, NH would do that even more. Anyway, that was 1 piece of property. NH is an entire state.

[specsaregood]

The rules for immigrating to the city have yet to be finalized, but are expected to be loose.

“It will be designed to be very welcoming to those with a minimum threshold of skills or capital,” Strong said. However, businesses in the city will be required to employ a minimum proportion of native Hondurans – a requirement imposed at the outset by the Honduran government to ensure that the city’s benefits largely go to Hondurans.


Sounds promising, invite people with skills and money. I'll certainly be keeping an eye out for news on the project.

[acptulsa]

Anyway, that was 1 piece of property. NH is an entire state.

They haven't nuked Somalia, either--yet.

And Somalia isn't even a particularly good example of what freedom can do for you.

[CaptainAmerica]

when do the slave labor camps begin?

[Henry Rogue]

when do the slave labor camps begin?
You maybe right. Free market money is important to success. In the past mining companys payed workers with company money, then over charging the workers at the company store. affectively creating slaves. Hence the song another day older and deeper in debt.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jIfu2A0ezq0&feature=player_detailpage talk about fiat money.

[Inny Binny]

Pretty sure I'd rather a city be organically built by the actual people who want to live there, not some rich central planner. WTF this has to do with freedom is beyond me.

[KMX]

Free State Project in New Hampshire is doing something like this. I am joining in the spring.

[Keith and stuff]

The Supreme Court ruled 13-1 that this was against the law. However, don't worry, it may still happen, depending on how much the Honduran Army wants to take resources from private people from around the world. The government of Honduras is very unstable and the country has the highest murder rate in the world. The last coup in the country was in 2009 when the Army threw the President out. If the Army really wants these cities to happen, it can just throw the Supreme Court out.

1st a panel on the Supreme Court struck the cities idea down 4-1. That triggered a vote by the full Supreme Court which ruled 13-1 against the idea.

The 13-1 vote http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-19999536
The 4-1 vote http://reason.com/blog/2012/10/04/honduran-private-city-plan-shot-down-by

[tttppp]

The Supreme Court ruled 13-1 that this was against the law. However, don't worry, it may still happen, depending on how much the Honduran Army wants to take resources from private people from around the world. The government of Honduras is very unstable and the country has the highest murder rate in the world. The last coup in the country was in 2009 when the Army threw the President out. If the Army really wants these cities to happen, it can just throw the Supreme Court out.

1st a panel on the Supreme Court struck the cities idea down 4-1. That triggered a vote by the full Supreme Court which ruled 13-1 against the idea.

The 13-1 vote http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-19999536
The 4-1 vote http://reason.com/blog/2012/10/04/honduran-private-city-plan-shot-down-by

I'm all for the army throwing the Supreme Court out. They got my vote.

[Keith and stuff]

I'm all for the army throwing the Supreme Court out. They got my vote.

Sounds good to me. Why not just kill as many people in the region as possible and then start from scratch? It's the European model for North America :rolleyes: I'm sure nothing could go wrong in the unstable country with the highest murder rate in the world :confused: Killing millions of people and bringing in billions in foreign investments would surely be better for the world.

[tttppp]

Sounds good to me. Why not just kill as many people in the region as possible and then start from scratch? It's the European model for North America :rolleyes: I'm sure nothing could go wrong in the unstable country with the highest murder rate in the world :confused: Killing millions of people and bringing in billions in foreign investments would surely be better for the world.

You are putting words in my mouth. I said for them to over rule an idiotic court ruling. NOT to kill a bunch of people.

[Keith and stuff]

You are putting words in my mouth. I said for them to over rule an idiotic court ruling. NOT to kill a bunch of people.

It was sarcasm. I hinted to what happened in 2009 when the military took over the government in a coup where the President was removed from office, among other things.

You replied, "I'm all for the army throwing the Supreme Court out. They got my vote."

I'm trying to help people understand the seriousness of the situation. I don't recommend people even visit Honduras, it isn't safe to visit.

Generally, I don't support a military taking over a government. It already happened in Honduras in 2009. It is true that Honduras is highly unstable and it might not take much to spark another fascist or socialist revolution there, but hopefully the people of Honduras get a little breather before the next coup or revolution.

[tttppp]

It was sarcasm. I hinted to what happened in 2009 when the military took over the government in a coup where the President was removed from office, among other things.

You replied, "I'm all for the army throwing the Supreme Court out. They got my vote."

I'm trying to help people understand the seriousness of the situation. I don't recommend people even visit Honduras, it isn't safe to visit.

Generally, I don't support a military taking over a government. It already happened in Honduras in 2009. It is true that Honduras is highly unstable and it might not take much to spark another fascist or socialist revolution there, but hopefully the people of Honduras get a little breather before the next coup or revolution.

Something doesn't sound right when almost every politician is actually agreeing on something, then some judges who don't understand economics and probably don't have to worry about being reelected, put down the decision.