&gt; When you think about it&#x27;s the perfect tax: it&#x27;s regressive<p>Not really.  (Tax incidence is one of those things that trips people up if they&#x27;re not quite familiar with the subject.)  One of the attractions is that it is progressive, and very, very difficult to pass on.  Also note that we are talking about the value of the <i>land</i>, not the <i>buildings</i>, and that housing is only one of many uses land is put to.<p>As for J.S. Mill, you might be surprised; he wrote that:<p>&quot;Landlords grow rich in their sleep without working, risking or economizing. The increase in the value of land, arising as it does from the efforts of an entire community, should belong to the community and not to the individual who might hold title.&quot;<p>He and Henry George had many philosophical disagreements, but not about that.