Is this the future of America? City of Scranton lowers wage for all city workers to minimum wage
Comments
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IMO
When people learn HOW to manage there monies & not spend beyond there means,then maybe the picture will change for the better? Keeping things simple isn't all that complicated,but of course some people are always gonna want to ignore that reality and live in la la land & then complain about what they haven't got & how the system is trying to break them.
Being in debt, in and of itself is bad enough - but to just keep on keeping on with the same mindset is SO STUPID & legalizing marijuana WILL NEVER address this problem -- IMO if educated people et al can't manage there funds, HOW the ? are they gonna do it all stoned. Just what this nation needs another generation of ? heads - ? !! How about we have a leader that instills some REAL hope in people instead of one who wants to transform America into HIS vision of what America should be - DAMN egotistical ideologue!! practically everything he does turns to ? or goes bankrupt & he has NO regrets - WOW! -
The problem is we need stuff. The dream is to own a home but working normal jobs it cant be afforded. We need to break some things down to wants and needs.
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American economics is turned on its head already.
Being frugal and responsible with money isn't taught or encouraged in this culture. Too many people are encouraged to get loans for things and to get credit cards and very few people understand what interest rates and all that ? is and how its manipulated or enforced.
Until we can get some solid economics education and training people will always fall into the traps.
I saw on TV where a union boss said that people should stop spending money, he was called an economic terrorist by FOX News. I saw where people where closing their accounts en masse at banks and the tellers started having people arrested.
That's how America works now I guess. Its completely wrong to tell people that consumers hold the power in a consumer culture and that the people hold the power over government but both schools of thought are frowned upon by the media and politicians alike. -
well, i would argue it's not so much socialism for the wealthy and rich as much as socialism for whoever the person doling it out feels most like looking out for, but there's problems either way, yeahkingblaze84 wrote: »On both points you're right but my point really is that the govts of the world seem to have big time socialism for the wealthy and rich, and crumbs for everyone else.
i won't dispute that it's easier for the rich to save, especially in times like now when the economy is not doing well. however, the poor and middle class aren't going to save enough when times are good either. the sad fact is there's blame to go around on that issue (whereas when it comes to the current economy, i don't think we're going to blame the poor and/or middle class).kingblaze84 wrote: »That's a big problem when the poor and middle class often can't save enough to begin with, and the rich can already.
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Cook, Coke, ? ...
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The problem is we need stuff. The dream is to own a home but working normal jobs it cant be afforded. We need to break some things down to wants and needs.
Well that's part of the problem right there, American society these days has the needs almost as expensive as the wants these days. Many people are spending more than half their paychecks on rent and the mortgage, which is bad cuz the cost of utilities and healthcare is high now too. For many people, healthcare costs won't go down even after the law, so it's gonna be a wild time for many in the next few months and years -
IMO
When people learn HOW to manage there monies & not spend beyond there means,then maybe the picture will change for the better? Keeping things simple isn't all that complicated,but of course some people are always gonna want to ignore that reality and live in la la land & then complain about what they haven't got & how the system is trying to break them.
Being in debt, in and of itself is bad enough - but to just keep on keeping on with the same mindset is SO STUPID & legalizing marijuana WILL NEVER address this problem -- IMO if educated people et al can't manage there funds, HOW the ? are they gonna do it all stoned. Just what this nation needs another generation of ? heads - ? !! How about we have a leader that instills some REAL hope in people instead of one who wants to transform America into HIS vision of what America should be - DAMN egotistical ideologue!! practically everything he does turns to ? or goes bankrupt & he has NO regrets - WOW!
Legalizing marijuana is a bad idea for you to raise revenue, ok cool.....what's your idea to grow the economy? If you even dare to say extend tax cuts for the rich..... -
kingblaze84 wrote: »IMO
When people learn HOW to manage there monies & not spend beyond there means,then maybe the picture will change for the better? Keeping things simple isn't all that complicated,but of course some people are always gonna want to ignore that reality and live in la la land & then complain about what they haven't got & how the system is trying to break them.
Being in debt, in and of itself is bad enough - but to just keep on keeping on with the same mindset is SO STUPID & legalizing marijuana WILL NEVER address this problem -- IMO if educated people et al can't manage there funds, HOW the ? are they gonna do it all stoned. Just what this nation needs another generation of ? heads - ? !! How about we have a leader that instills some REAL hope in people instead of one who wants to transform America into HIS vision of what America should be - DAMN egotistical ideologue!! practically everything he does turns to ? or goes bankrupt & he has NO regrets - WOW!
Legalizing marijuana is a bad idea for you to raise revenue, ok cool.....what's your idea to grow the economy? If you even dare to say extend tax cuts for the rich.....
Like I said above - instill some REAL hope in people - MORE than 50% of the country has LOST its direction because they never know what THIS administration is gonna do next - the job creators and those who have already created jobs are burdened with new and troublesome regulations and fines for not insuring there employess - this President has destroyed the aspirations of many and disillusioned others from wanting to help themselves - ? any tax cuts for the really wealthy - this man HAS GOT TO GO...period. BTW get ready for all the new taxes and its gonna hurt those middle class folks - President Obama has really got so many fooled & he claimed otherwise for so damn long.
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Watch this, then tell me about hope and change - btw federal taxes are going up for folks who make less than 250/200 thousand --- don't forget about those who don't pay any federal taxes whatsoever.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4d_5IrQSok -
@heyslick, i guess your broke ass is safe
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FuriousOne wrote: »@heyslick, i guess your broke ass is safe
As long as I watch out for idiot drivers my broke ass will always be safe - btw money can't buy true happiness & this man of meager means is content with his position in life - don't be jealous now. IMO if you/one doesn't have there health then really what good will money do for you?
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Being jealous of you position of meagerness would be a strange sort of jealousy. Like I'm jealous cause you broke. Strange concept. But the point was, why are you worrying about others not being able to eat off they 200,000 after increased taxes when it's not even going to affect you and your social security benefits and medicare that you're on currently.
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FuriousOne wrote: »Being jealous of you position of meagerness would be a strange sort of jealousy. Like I'm jealous cause you broke. Strange concept. But the point was, why are you worrying about others not being able to eat off they 200,000 after increased taxes when it's not even going to affect you and your social security benefits and medicare that you're on currently.
There you go AGAIN! again & again IE thinkin' you got me pegged - LMAO what next? you gonna claim we white people all act and look alike - NOW I'm really LMAO! I'm an Lean/ Mean? fat burning machine. - NOW don't be jealous of what you can't buy & I was born with.
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kingblaze84 wrote: »IMO
When people learn HOW to manage there monies & not spend beyond there means,then maybe the picture will change for the better? Keeping things simple isn't all that complicated,but of course some people are always gonna want to ignore that reality and live in la la land & then complain about what they haven't got & how the system is trying to break them.
Being in debt, in and of itself is bad enough - but to just keep on keeping on with the same mindset is SO STUPID & legalizing marijuana WILL NEVER address this problem -- IMO if educated people et al can't manage there funds, HOW the ? are they gonna do it all stoned. Just what this nation needs another generation of ? heads - ? !! How about we have a leader that instills some REAL hope in people instead of one who wants to transform America into HIS vision of what America should be - DAMN egotistical ideologue!! practically everything he does turns to ? or goes bankrupt & he has NO regrets - WOW!
Legalizing marijuana is a bad idea for you to raise revenue, ok cool.....what's your idea to grow the economy? If you even dare to say extend tax cuts for the rich.....
Iuno bout that fam..... you're not worried that if Mary Jane becomes legal corporations will go out of their way to pollute Mary Jane and fill her mind with all sorts of chemicals and ? that will probably make you need her ? You're not worried that ? will be like a cancer growing and tearing you apart ??
Simple economics, people will gravitate toward the companies with the purest weed, or at least I would hope so. If tobacco companies start selling weed, people will find out which companies are tainting weed or not. So this is nothing to worry about, as companies that sell tainted weed will be ostracized. And if anything, make street weed still popular. Marijuana in Colorado and California dispensaries now, when their not being raided by the federal govt, sell some of the best weed in the world. This is all something that should be happening now -
kingblaze84 wrote: »IMO
When people learn HOW to manage there monies & not spend beyond there means,then maybe the picture will change for the better? Keeping things simple isn't all that complicated,but of course some people are always gonna want to ignore that reality and live in la la land & then complain about what they haven't got & how the system is trying to break them.
Being in debt, in and of itself is bad enough - but to just keep on keeping on with the same mindset is SO STUPID & legalizing marijuana WILL NEVER address this problem -- IMO if educated people et al can't manage there funds, HOW the ? are they gonna do it all stoned. Just what this nation needs another generation of ? heads - ? !! How about we have a leader that instills some REAL hope in people instead of one who wants to transform America into HIS vision of what America should be - DAMN egotistical ideologue!! practically everything he does turns to ? or goes bankrupt & he has NO regrets - WOW!
Legalizing marijuana is a bad idea for you to raise revenue, ok cool.....what's your idea to grow the economy? If you even dare to say extend tax cuts for the rich.....
Like I said above - instill some REAL hope in people - MORE than 50% of the country has LOST its direction because they never know what THIS administration is gonna do next - the job creators and those who have already created jobs are burdened with new and troublesome regulations and fines for not insuring there employess - this President has destroyed the aspirations of many and disillusioned others from wanting to help themselves - ? any tax cuts for the really wealthy - this man HAS GOT TO GO...period. BTW get ready for all the new taxes and its gonna hurt those middle class folks - President Obama has really got so many fooled & he claimed otherwise for so damn long.
Obama is a failed president in several ways true, but it's not because of taxes. These "burdensome" regulations have still seen an increase in jobs over the last 12 plus months, and while job growth is slow, it's still an improvement from 2008 when we were losing 300k a month. And have you forgotten about the high job growth under Bill Clinton's 39% tax on the rich? How do you explain that?? -
American economics is turned on its head already.
Being frugal and responsible with money isn't taught or encouraged in this culture. Too many people are encouraged to get loans for things and to get credit cards and very few people understand what interest rates and all that ? is and how its manipulated or enforced.
Until we can get some solid economics education and training people will always fall into the traps.
I saw on TV where a union boss said that people should stop spending money, he was called an economic terrorist by FOX News. I saw where people where closing their accounts en masse at banks and the tellers started having people arrested.
That's how America works now I guess. Its completely wrong to tell people that consumers hold the power in a consumer culture and that the people hold the power over government but both schools of thought are frowned upon by the media and politicians alike.
Yeah sad what a police state America is now in so many ways, and also sad in how a country that's sold it's own people out to the bankers and debt continues to bail out the rich and leave everyone else behind. Not much real leadership in DC, none that satisfy me at least -
kingblaze84 wrote: »kingblaze84 wrote: »IMO
When people learn HOW to manage there monies & not spend beyond there means,then maybe the picture will change for the better? Keeping things simple isn't all that complicated,but of course some people are always gonna want to ignore that reality and live in la la land & then complain about what they haven't got & how the system is trying to break them.
Being in debt, in and of itself is bad enough - but to just keep on keeping on with the same mindset is SO STUPID & legalizing marijuana WILL NEVER address this problem -- IMO if educated people et al can't manage there funds, HOW the ? are they gonna do it all stoned. Just what this nation needs another generation of ? heads - ? !! How about we have a leader that instills some REAL hope in people instead of one who wants to transform America into HIS vision of what America should be - DAMN egotistical ideologue!! practically everything he does turns to ? or goes bankrupt & he has NO regrets - WOW!
Legalizing marijuana is a bad idea for you to raise revenue, ok cool.....what's your idea to grow the economy? If you even dare to say extend tax cuts for the rich.....
Like I said above - instill some REAL hope in people - MORE than 50% of the country has LOST its direction because they never know what THIS administration is gonna do next - the job creators and those who have already created jobs are burdened with new and troublesome regulations and fines for not insuring there employess - this President has destroyed the aspirations of many and disillusioned others from wanting to help themselves - ? any tax cuts for the really wealthy - this man HAS GOT TO GO...period. BTW get ready for all the new taxes and its gonna hurt those middle class folks - President Obama has really got so many fooled & he claimed otherwise for so damn long.
Obama is a failed president in several ways true, but it's not because of taxes. These "burdensome" regulations have still seen an increase in jobs over the last 12 plus months, and while job growth is slow, it's still an improvement from 2008 when we were losing 300k a month. And have you forgotten about the high job growth under Bill Clinton's 39% tax on the rich? How do you explain that??
I'm NO fan of draft dodgers. Clinton is a very charismatic type individual & they can get things done - btw you should do a little research to understand the real depth of what those type of individuals can do. Now back to reality, President Obama in my opinion is an egoistical maniac/radical ideologue & that doesn't inspire folks or make others wanna follow - this MAN HAS GOT TO GO...period!! I can't STAND blatant liars.
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kingblaze84 wrote: »kingblaze84 wrote: »IMO
When people learn HOW to manage there monies & not spend beyond there means,then maybe the picture will change for the better? Keeping things simple isn't all that complicated,but of course some people are always gonna want to ignore that reality and live in la la land & then complain about what they haven't got & how the system is trying to break them.
Being in debt, in and of itself is bad enough - but to just keep on keeping on with the same mindset is SO STUPID & legalizing marijuana WILL NEVER address this problem -- IMO if educated people et al can't manage there funds, HOW the ? are they gonna do it all stoned. Just what this nation needs another generation of ? heads - ? !! How about we have a leader that instills some REAL hope in people instead of one who wants to transform America into HIS vision of what America should be - DAMN egotistical ideologue!! practically everything he does turns to ? or goes bankrupt & he has NO regrets - WOW!
Legalizing marijuana is a bad idea for you to raise revenue, ok cool.....what's your idea to grow the economy? If you even dare to say extend tax cuts for the rich.....
Like I said above - instill some REAL hope in people - MORE than 50% of the country has LOST its direction because they never know what THIS administration is gonna do next - the job creators and those who have already created jobs are burdened with new and troublesome regulations and fines for not insuring there employess - this President has destroyed the aspirations of many and disillusioned others from wanting to help themselves - ? any tax cuts for the really wealthy - this man HAS GOT TO GO...period. BTW get ready for all the new taxes and its gonna hurt those middle class folks - President Obama has really got so many fooled & he claimed otherwise for so damn long.
Obama is a failed president in several ways true, but it's not because of taxes. These "burdensome" regulations have still seen an increase in jobs over the last 12 plus months, and while job growth is slow, it's still an improvement from 2008 when we were losing 300k a month. And have you forgotten about the high job growth under Bill Clinton's 39% tax on the rich? How do you explain that??
I'm NO fan of draft dodgers. Clinton is a very charismatic type individual & they can get things done - btw you should do a little research to understand the real depth of what those type of individuals can do. Now back to reality, President Obama in my opinion is an egoistical maniac/radical ideologue & that doesn't inspire folks or make others wanna follow - this MAN HAS GOT TO GO...period!! I can't STAND blatant liars.
You didn't really address my point though. Obama (supposedly) wants to raise taxes on the rich, which is a good thing. The govt needs the revenue to help pay down some debt and help bail out states that need the funds, why is that a bad thing? Clinton raised taxes on the rich and the economy boomed, much of it due to the increased revenue that helped create more govt jobs, jobs that also helped give the federal govt a SURPLUS of money. What's so bad about raising taxes now, as you think is so bad? I'm no fan of Obama by any means, I just wana know why raising taxes on the rich is so bad to you. Dwight Eisenhower had a 60% tax rate on the rich in the 1950s and guess what the unemployment rate was back than under his watch? 4%. -
because it's not going to accomplish much and so the unfairness factor can be argued to be relevantkingblaze84 wrote: »You didn't really address my point though. Obama (supposedly) wants to raise taxes on the rich, which is a good thing. The govt needs the revenue to help pay down some debt and help bail out states that need the funds, why is that a bad thing?
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because it's not going to accomplish much and so the unfairness factor can be argued to be relevantkingblaze84 wrote: »You didn't really address my point though. Obama (supposedly) wants to raise taxes on the rich, which is a good thing. The govt needs the revenue to help pay down some debt and help bail out states that need the funds, why is that a bad thing?
What makes you think raising taxes on the rich won't accomplish much? The last time America did that, America saw a budget surplus and an actual increase in revenue from taxes. Since when are these things NOT good for the country?? -
kingblaze84 wrote: »
because it's not going to accomplish much and so the unfairness factor can be argued to be relevantkingblaze84 wrote: »You didn't really address my point though. Obama (supposedly) wants to raise taxes on the rich, which is a good thing. The govt needs the revenue to help pay down some debt and help bail out states that need the funds, why is that a bad thing?
What makes you think raising taxes on the rich won't accomplish much? The last time America did that, America saw a budget surplus and an actual increase in revenue from taxes. Since when are these things NOT good for the country??
Just keep on over taxing the job creators,then watch and see where all the jobs go. Even now many business owners are Leary/reluctant to hire because of the pending tax increases and the uncertainty in general about all the new policies coming down the pike.
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Just keep on over taxing the job creators,then watch and see where all the jobs go. Even now many business owners are Leary/reluctant to hire because of the pending tax increases and the uncertainty in general about all the new policies coming down the pike.
This is very slightly reminiscent of what happened to Japan at the tail end of high-flying 90's. They had the 2nd largest economy in the world for being such a small nation largely devoid of natural resources. The trifecta of tech, banking, and real estate bubbles crashed hard (sound familiar?). What did the Japanese govt do? Like what the US would do: increase govt transfers (medicaid, unemployment ben, cut taxes for middle/increase for wealthy) and accrue debt. They thought giving a little extra disposable income each pay cycle would lift them up from their recession. In addition to that, Japan began probably the largest public works projects in the last 1,000 years, spending $1.4 trillion to pave its way back to prosperity to prop up aggregate demand. High public sector debt has made that country go limbo for the last two decades with nonexistent growth. Even exhausting all their fiscal options, their govt used monetary policy to drive down their interest rates, all the way down to zero bound status. Didn't work.
Look, we are NEVER going to get some of our manufacturing jobs back. You want to thrive in the global economy, you better not major in some ? like history or multidisciplinary studies. The little startups that form in Harvard and Stanford dorms, Houston, Santa Clara County, some kid's basement somewhere: those are the ones that gonna drive this knowledge economy. They get bankrolled by other tech billionaire titans (Andreeson, etc). We will still need infrastructure like roads being built, but the companies of the future aren't going to be dreamt up by some kid who wants to work at a latex or textile factory when he grows up. Up your math skills up if you want to compete. ? yourself if you over 30 and can't at least do Precalc. My 16-year-old cousin is taking that ? now. Let me post that incomplete number of billionaires who were computer science or engineering majors.
Grahf wrote: »
...Bill Gates - studied computer science at Harvard (going to Harvard equivalent to graduating any state school) ....worth $59 billion
Sergey Brin - B.S. computer science at University of Maryland..Stanford PHD candidate...started Google...worth $16.7 billion
Larry Page - B.S. computer engineering University of Michigan...Stanford PHD candidate...started Google...worth $16.7 billion
Carlos Slim - world's richest man...studied engineering at National Autonomous University of Mexico...worth $63.3 billion
Larry Ellison - Studied computer engineering and design...founded Oracle...worth $33 billion
Charles Koch - B.S. engineering....Masters in mech engineering at MIT...worth $25 billion
David Koch - B.S. and Masters in chemical engineering at MIT....worth $22.5 billion
Jerry Yang - B.S. Standford in engineering...founded Yahoo!...worth $1.3 billion
Pierre Omidyar - B.S. computer science at Tufts....founded Ebay...worth $6.2 billion
Eric Schmidt - B.S. electrical engineer at Princeton University...worth $6.3 bilion
Michael Bloomberg - B.S. electrical engineering at Johns Hopkins worth $19.5 billion
Jeff Bezos - B.S. computer science....founded Amazon...worth $18.1 billion
Mark Zuckerberg - studied computer science at Harvard...founded Facebook....worth $17.5 billion
Paul Allen - studied computer engineering at Harvard....worth $13.2 billion
got some more...
Bernard Arnault - Europe's richest ? ...B.S. engineering at Ecole Polytechnique....worth $41 billion
Eike Batiista - studied metallurgical engineering at University of Aachen...worth $30 billion
Alexei Mordashov - studied engineering at Leningrad Engineering-Economical Institute...worth $18.5 billion
Mukesh Ambani - B.S. chemical engineering at Institute of Chemical Technology...worth $ 27 billion
Stefan Persson - MSc metal engineering at Siberian Metallurgic Institute....worth $24 billion
Vagit Alekperov - B.S. engineering at Azerbaijan State Oil Academy...worth $13.9 billion
Viktor Vekselberg - B.S. engineering at Moscow Transportation Engineering Institute...worth $13 billion
Azim Premji - Engineering at Stanford....worth $16.8 billion
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because we're not talking about raising taxes in general, we're talking about raising taxes on a specific segment of taxpayers, and everyone that crunches the numbers doesn't get much of a revenue increase from it, hence the common resort to the "this is about fairness" argument.kingblaze84 wrote: »What makes you think raising taxes on the rich won't accomplish much?
if we're talking about Clinton raising taxes on the rich as it being the last time, let's not pretend it CAUSED the budget surplus in the manner you seem to be.kingblaze84 wrote: »The last time America did that, America saw a budget surplus-
obviously raising ANY taxes results in an "actual increase in revenue from taxes." but if the amount of taxes brought in goes up $10, that ALSO would count as an "actual increase in revenue from taxes."kingblaze84 wrote: »-and an actual increase in revenue from taxes.
also, note that you're ditching the second half of my post: "because it's not going to accomplish much and so the unfairness factor can be argued to be relevant." if the revenue increase was INCREDIBLE, you could argue easily that it might be unfair, but it's necessary because blah blah blah. but if the revenue increase is negligible (which it would probably be) and you're already thinking too much money is being spent on something you don't think it should be (which is what the average guy who says raising taxes on the rich would claim), then you see the tax increase as a bad thing. you asked why, that's an answer. -
kingblaze84 wrote: »
because it's not going to accomplish much and so the unfairness factor can be argued to be relevantkingblaze84 wrote: »You didn't really address my point though. Obama (supposedly) wants to raise taxes on the rich, which is a good thing. The govt needs the revenue to help pay down some debt and help bail out states that need the funds, why is that a bad thing?
What makes you think raising taxes on the rich won't accomplish much? The last time America did that, America saw a budget surplus and an actual increase in revenue from taxes. Since when are these things NOT good for the country??
Just keep on over taxing the job creators,then watch and see where all the jobs go. Even now many business owners are Leary/reluctant to hire because of the pending tax increases and the uncertainty in general about all the new policies coming down the pike.
Huh??? I just told you that Clinton raised taxes on the rich, and we saw an INCREASE in jobs in the 1990s. Same with the 1950s under a Republican president, Eisenhower. The jobs are leaving the country now because of greed, plain and simple. Bush lowered taxes on the rich and guess what happened? Jobs STILL kept getting outsourced overseas. It's all about greed and partly, the lower power of the dollar here in America. Still though, the rich are doing very well, so this is mostly irrelevant to them, it's mostly about greed. Taxes have nothing to do with it. -
because we're not talking about raising taxes in general, we're talking about raising taxes on a specific segment of taxpayers, and everyone that crunches the numbers doesn't get much of a revenue increase from it, hence the common resort to the "this is about fairness" argument.kingblaze84 wrote: »What makes you think raising taxes on the rich won't accomplish much?
if we're talking about Clinton raising taxes on the rich as it being the last time, let's not pretend it CAUSED the budget surplus in the manner you seem to be.kingblaze84 wrote: »The last time America did that, America saw a budget surplus-
obviously raising ANY taxes results in an "actual increase in revenue from taxes." but if the amount of taxes brought in goes up $10, that ALSO would count as an "actual increase in revenue from taxes."kingblaze84 wrote: »-and an actual increase in revenue from taxes.
also, note that you're ditching the second half of my post: "because it's not going to accomplish much and so the unfairness factor can be argued to be relevant." if the revenue increase was INCREDIBLE, you could argue easily that it might be unfair, but it's necessary because blah blah blah. but if the revenue increase is negligible (which it would probably be) and you're already thinking too much money is being spent on something you don't think it should be (which is what the average guy who says raising taxes on the rich would claim), then you see the tax increase as a bad thing. you asked why, that's an answer.
Yes I'm aware that revenue from raising taxes on the rich won't be a whole lot, but I believe it is still in the tens of billions of dollars. It's better than nothing, considering states could use bailouts of one billion or more. Tens of billions of dollars would make a difference to any state needing help. Obviously, raising taxes on the rich is not the only way to get a budget surplus again in this day and age. Legalizing medical marijuana and ending the wars overseas would go a long way into generating and saving more money too......
My basic point is, raising taxes on the rich isn't a bad idea, and as the 90s and 50s prove, does not necessarily create a bad economy. But we must find new ideas for revenue, and I think my ideas are a good step.
