How can the government sell spectrum?

A thread on FreeRepublic brings up an interesting question[*1] :

What gives govt right to sell airwave spectrum. Why does it cost $6 billion and who gets the $6 billion?

Where did the idea of govt selling airwaves come from and is this good?

Why doesn’t the government institute vision tax. so, if you have a resort and it happens to be in a nice place, govt. charges vision tax for seeing pretty landscape.

Can someone enlighten me the provision of govt charging airwaves?

Thanks in advance..

This actually opens up an interesting philosophical discussion. The correct answer of course is “the police power of government.”  There is no more justification for the government selling off the spectrum as there was having the Government open up the American continent via the Homestead Act.  The government simply said “we own this,” drove off any competitors (i.e. Comanches, or pirate radio, or whatever) and then divvied it up according to its own perceived best interests.

Actually, this brings to my mind another, related point:  if you live in a state that has a property tax, do you actually “own” your property?  To determine the answer, consider what happens if you don’t pay your property tax.  The government takes it back, and “sells” it to somebody else.  By what authority?  Because they have more guns and more people ready to use them than you do.  You can dress it up any way that you want, but that’s the raw, naked truth.  It seems to me that nobody “owns” any property which is subject to a property tax.  You’re merely renting that property from the government.

Consider this when pulling the lever to vote for President McCain, Obama, your local Governor, Mayor, or anyone else . . .