Scott Adams: How to Tax the Rich • Hacker News Board

Re: Scott Adams: How to Tax the Rich

#61

Post by yummyfajitas » Sat, Jan 29, 2011, 6:28 PM UTC

megaman821 wrote: post #53

I think the best solution would be to get rid of income taxes and just have sales and property taxes. Taxing the rich a higher rate is always going to seem unfair to them because the only way those taxes can be lessened is by making less money. Taxing $2 million house at a special rate is a different story, it seems fair because if you don't want to pay the tax you live in a more modest house. Luxury cars, fur coats,…

This is considered by many to be unfair because consumption inequality is not as large as income inequality.

Peter Thiel may be 10,000-100,000x richer than me, but I'd be very surprised if he consumes even 1000x more than I do.

Re: Scott Adams: How to Tax the Rich

#62

Post by steveklabnik » Sat, Jan 29, 2011, 6:29 PM UTC

mgkimsal wrote: post #49

His idea about a 10% cut across the board is so common-sense - I've heard it before - yet we never ever hear this from anyone in Washington (not that I've heard, anyway). Why not? 10% may seem extreme - fair enough - but why not 2%? Could we try one year where every federal department has 2% less to spend than they did the year before? 2% isn't a lot, and would go a long way toward each dept rooting out their own 'wa…

> Why not?

You're asking the people who are receiving the money to make the rules that they get less of it.

I think it's fairly obvious.

Re: Scott Adams: How to Tax the Rich

#63

Post by estel » Sat, Jan 29, 2011, 6:31 PM UTC

kanamekun wrote: post #32

The US Government could give out badges for every $1m in taxes you pay... then the rich could level up every April 15th.

An achievements system for taxes, you say? Do I get Gamerscore? :D

Re: Scott Adams: How to Tax the Rich

#64

Post by z2amiller » Sat, Jan 29, 2011, 6:31 PM UTC

bluedevil2k wrote: post #2

I like the "rich" driving lane idea - put up X licenses for auction in each city, let people bid up the price, let the market decide how much time is worth.

This already exists in California to some degree. The state offered a limited number of stickers to hybrid cars that allows them access to the carpool lanes with a single driver. The stickers were quickly exhausted and now cars that have the sticker sell at a significant premium. (see http://www.greencarreports.com/blog/1021405_california-hov-l...)

The value of these stickers has probably declined significantly since that article was written, as the stickers are only valid until July 1, 2011.

A few years ago, my boss (CEO) at my last company bought a Prius at a premium for this reason so he could use the carpool lanes during rush hour. The populist/progressive in me thinks that it isn't "fair" that the rich can pay for faster commutes, but the truth is that he probably created many times more wealth than the several thousand dollar sticker premium by having an extra 30-60 minutes of productive work every day.

Re: Scott Adams: How to Tax the Rich

#65

Post by burgerbrain » Sat, Jan 29, 2011, 6:32 PM UTC

teamonkey wrote: post #42

burgerbrain wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Do you similarly decry the people who spend extra money at amusement parks to skip lines? Seems like exactly the same thing as this. You pay more: you get more.

By skipping the lines at amusement parks, those who don't pay extra have to wait even longer for their turn than they would if that system wasn't in place. So in effect, those who pay more benefit and simultaneously penalise those who do not.

That wasn't my question. My question was do you similarly decry those people for being "a bunch of babies"?

Re: Scott Adams: How to Tax the Rich

#66

Post by burgerbrain » Sat, Jan 29, 2011, 6:34 PM UTC

ugh wrote: post #37

burgerbrain wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"I spent some time working in the television industry, and I learned a technique that writers use. It's called "the bad version." When you feel that a plot solution exists, but you can't yet imagine it, you describe instead a bad version that has no purpose other than stimulating the other writers to imagine a better version." "With that technique in mind, I will describe some bad versions of how society might go abo…

That’s disclaimer to protect himself from any and all attacks on his positions.

Regardless of why he said it, it's the stated premise. Anything else is you making assumptions and accusations.

Re: Scott Adams: How to Tax the Rich

#67

Post by 100k » Sat, Jan 29, 2011, 6:35 PM UTC

te_platt wrote: post #55

Eliminate all federal taxes and print the money needed for government operations. Effectively this becomes an inflation tax. Automatically it affects the wealthy in direct proportion to their wealth as opposed to their most recent earnings. No loopholes, no games, no misallocation of resources for tax breaks.

Interesting idea, but already the reason we are so concerned about government debt when inflation is so low and the economy is so bad is that inflation hurts the rich, and they control the discourse. I do not think they would go for a superinflation senario like this.

Re: Scott Adams: How to Tax the Rich

#68

Post by yummyfajitas » Sat, Jan 29, 2011, 6:36 PM UTC

Alex3917 wrote: post #9

ry0ohki wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

These were kind of proposed in DC (I think they may actually exist in San Diego or somewhere), where you pay a variable rate to use the carpool lanes based on demand. So during rush hour it would cost $6 and 11am on a saturday it would cost $.50. People didn't like the idea because they would be "Lexus lanes" giving special privileges to the rich. Scott Adams is right that if we really want to solve the budge problem…

"we may need to accept that the people who can help the most may need some sort of special privileges." Because no-bid contracts, not going to jail when they commit crimes, real education for their kids, not living in crime zones, food that isn't poison, actual health care, living an extra three years, etc. aren't enough already.

no bid contracts, not going to jail when they commit crimes

I'd speculate that the vast majority of these benefits are given to government workers, not to the rich. Any government worker with a union has a no-bid contract (it's illegal for competitors to underbid him), and you can find plenty of videos on youtube of cops committing crimes they get away with [1].

[1] Occasionally they are disciplined with a paid vacation.

Re: Scott Adams: How to Tax the Rich

#69

Post by 100k » Sat, Jan 29, 2011, 6:38 PM UTC

bluedevil2k wrote: post #2

I like the "rich" driving lane idea - put up X licenses for auction in each city, let people bid up the price, let the market decide how much time is worth.

This is pretty much the idea behind congestion charges (for example in London). New York City tried to institute them, but the State Assembly stopped them (basically suburban interests trumped city interests). It would have made a big difference in commute times by lowering traffic congestion and the nice thing is that those that benefit pay.

Re: Scott Adams: How to Tax the Rich

#70

Post by teamonkey » Sat, Jan 29, 2011, 6:40 PM UTC

burgerbrain wrote: post #65

teamonkey wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

By skipping the lines at amusement parks, those who don't pay extra have to wait even longer for their turn than they would if that system wasn't in place. So in effect, those who pay more benefit and simultaneously penalise those who do not.

That wasn't my question. My question was do you similarly decry those people for being "a bunch of babies"?

If there was no fast pass system and people were saying "I'm rich, I'm entitled to a system where people like me get to the front of the queue," then yes, suck it up.