Comments on: Begging for Higher Taxes http://www.secretsofthecity.com/mnspeak/9324 Minneapolis + St. Paul Sun, 22 Nov 2009 08:23:37 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: EvilDemocratz http://www.secretsofthecity.com/mnspeak/9324#comment-41820 EvilDemocratz Fri, 07 Jul 2006 13:59:07 +0000 #comment-41820 "the whole key is to cut back on stuff that does not directly benefit white, right wing Christians"<br /> <br /> Imagine inserting "jew" for "christian", or "black" for "white" and you'd have people all over this person for being a bigot.<br /> <br /> I don't have to imagine. People with comments like that are bigots, just lefty politically correct ones. “the whole key is to cut back on stuff that does not directly benefit white, right wing Christians”

Imagine inserting “jew” for “christian”, or “black” for “white” and you’d have people all over this person for being a bigot.

I don’t have to imagine. People with comments like that are bigots, just lefty politically correct ones.

]]> By: tmayhem http://www.secretsofthecity.com/mnspeak/9324#comment-41019 tmayhem Fri, 23 Jun 2006 18:04:03 +0000 #comment-41019 Also the disproportionate spending vs. taxes paid in outstate is just like how on the national level the 'blue states,' if you will, get less in return for their taxes at the federal level than 'red states,' which actually get <i>more</i> money back from the feds than they pay in.<br /> <br /> So yeah, cities tend to generate most of the wealth but continually get shafted. Story of the last 50+ years. Probably not changing anytime soon, unfortunately. Also the disproportionate spending vs. taxes paid in outstate is just like how on the national level the ‘blue states,’ if you will, get less in return for their taxes at the federal level than ‘red states,’ which actually get more money back from the feds than they pay in.

So yeah, cities tend to generate most of the wealth but continually get shafted. Story of the last 50+ years. Probably not changing anytime soon, unfortunately.

]]> By: tmayhem http://www.secretsofthecity.com/mnspeak/9324#comment-41016 tmayhem Fri, 23 Jun 2006 17:57:25 +0000 #comment-41016 The 'tax revenues are up!' argument is completely bogus. Tax revenues are ALWAYS up, even if you cut taxes, because the population grows and inflations guaruntees there's more of it. Unfortunately inflation also means the money is worth less, not to mention you now have higher costs because of the larger number of people. If your revenue doesn't increase as fast as your costs then you've got a problem. That's exactly what's happened here because the tax cuts took a lot of steam out of the revenue increases we would have seen that could have kept up with rising costs (although probably not the ridiculous war spending).<br /> <br /> It's like getting a 2% raise when the inflation rate for a year was 5-6%. You have less real spending power than before even if you make more cash money. The ‘tax revenues are up!’ argument is completely bogus. Tax revenues are ALWAYS up, even if you cut taxes, because the population grows and inflations guaruntees there’s more of it. Unfortunately inflation also means the money is worth less, not to mention you now have higher costs because of the larger number of people. If your revenue doesn’t increase as fast as your costs then you’ve got a problem. That’s exactly what’s happened here because the tax cuts took a lot of steam out of the revenue increases we would have seen that could have kept up with rising costs (although probably not the ridiculous war spending).

It’s like getting a 2% raise when the inflation rate for a year was 5-6%. You have less real spending power than before even if you make more cash money.

]]> By: tmayhem http://www.secretsofthecity.com/mnspeak/9324#comment-41017 tmayhem Fri, 23 Jun 2006 17:57:25 +0000 #comment-41017 The 'tax revenues are up!' argument is completely bogus. Tax revenues are ALWAYS up, even if you cut taxes, because the population grows and inflations guaruntees there's more of it. Unfortunately inflation also means the money is worth less, not to mention you now have higher costs because of the larger number of people. If your revenue doesn't increase as fast as your costs then you've got a problem. That's exactly what's happened here because the tax cuts took a lot of steam out of the revenue increases we would have seen that could have kept up with rising costs (although probably not the ridiculous war spending).<br /> <br /> It's like getting a 2% raise when the inflation rate for a year was 5-6%. You have less real spending power than before even if you make more cash money. The ‘tax revenues are up!’ argument is completely bogus. Tax revenues are ALWAYS up, even if you cut taxes, because the population grows and inflations guaruntees there’s more of it. Unfortunately inflation also means the money is worth less, not to mention you now have higher costs because of the larger number of people. If your revenue doesn’t increase as fast as your costs then you’ve got a problem. That’s exactly what’s happened here because the tax cuts took a lot of steam out of the revenue increases we would have seen that could have kept up with rising costs (although probably not the ridiculous war spending).

It’s like getting a 2% raise when the inflation rate for a year was 5-6%. You have less real spending power than before even if you make more cash money.

]]> By: DouglasG http://www.secretsofthecity.com/mnspeak/9324#comment-41014 DouglasG Fri, 23 Jun 2006 17:20:59 +0000 #comment-41014 tublecane: The problem with your analogy is its basic assumption. It is assumed that by lowering the price, that will automagically lead to more people buying. There is a risk involved. The number of people who wish to have such a DVD could be fixed and raising or lowering the price of it will have no effect except on revenue. A link between fixed number of individuals is much more analogous to state government taxation.<br /> <br /> While tax burden may have some impact on where companies place their factories, offices, etc. This can be greatly offset by investing in schools, transit, etc. A company will see an educated workforce, and make that their primary factor. If they want low taxes and an uneducated workforce, they can go to those states that invest far less on these things. tublecane: The problem with your analogy is its basic assumption. It is assumed that by lowering the price, that will automagically lead to more people buying. There is a risk involved. The number of people who wish to have such a DVD could be fixed and raising or lowering the price of it will have no effect except on revenue. A link between fixed number of individuals is much more analogous to state government taxation.

While tax burden may have some impact on where companies place their factories, offices, etc. This can be greatly offset by investing in schools, transit, etc. A company will see an educated workforce, and make that their primary factor. If they want low taxes and an uneducated workforce, they can go to those states that invest far less on these things.

]]> By: TBartel http://www.secretsofthecity.com/mnspeak/9324#comment-41013 TBartel Fri, 23 Jun 2006 17:14:17 +0000 #comment-41013 Tuble: the reason the libraries didn't close: politics. Do you want to be the city council person in the ward that closed the library?<br /> <br /> The solution to the government problem is a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philosopher_king" target="_blank">philosopher king</a>. What we currently have are philistine kings. Tuble: the reason the libraries didn’t close: politics. Do you want to be the city council person in the ward that closed the library?

The solution to the government problem is a philosopher king. What we currently have are philistine kings.

]]> By: Mpls Simpleton http://www.secretsofthecity.com/mnspeak/9324#comment-41010 Mpls Simpleton Fri, 23 Jun 2006 17:02:37 +0000 #comment-41010 Forgot the associated <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/06/22/AR2006062201763_pf.html" target="_blank">link...</a> Forgot the associated link…

]]> By: tublecane http://www.secretsofthecity.com/mnspeak/9324#comment-41011 tublecane Fri, 23 Jun 2006 17:00:24 +0000 #comment-41011 TBartel: Registering wouldn't avoid the confusion, it wasn't about posting here . It was about a post made by some other person in 2002 on another forum. I'm not that worried about it I just thought it was kind of funny and also didn't want to take credit/be associated with a post by someone else. TBartel: Registering wouldn’t avoid the confusion, it wasn’t about posting here . It was about a post made by some other person in 2002 on another forum. I’m not that worried about it I just thought it was kind of funny and also didn’t want to take credit/be associated with a post by someone else.

]]> By: Mpls Simpleton http://www.secretsofthecity.com/mnspeak/9324#comment-41009 Mpls Simpleton Fri, 23 Jun 2006 16:59:21 +0000 #comment-41009 I think that internet is attractive to people that talk about politics constantly because everyone else they know has stopped calling.<br /> <br /> I think that internet is attractive to people that talk about politics constantly because everyone else they know has stopped calling.

]]> By: TBartel http://www.secretsofthecity.com/mnspeak/9324#comment-41006 TBartel Fri, 23 Jun 2006 16:54:13 +0000 #comment-41006 tublecane, Here's how you can avoid confusion: register. tublecane, Here’s how you can avoid confusion: register.

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