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No One Goes There Anymore

noonegoesthereanymore.blogspot.com

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Re: No One Goes There Anymore

#91

Post by bryanrasmussen »

ccktlmazeltov wrote: post #41
magicalhippo wrote: post #30

When I see about half my paycheck going to taxes it feels a bit rough. But then I think of stories like this, and how easily it could have been me with an illness requiring expensive medical treatment and possibly preventing me from working regular jobs. And so I pay my tax with pleasure, knowing that if something were to happen to me or my fellow citizen, at least there wouldn't be millions of dollars in hospital bi…

If half your paycheck is going to taxes you must have a bunch of $$$, I personally make around 300k/year and I feel like I'm not paying that much taxes. I could be paying much more and still live pretty comfortable, it's pretty outrageous.

Well, if half your payments is going to taxes it might very mean you have a bunch of €€€ instead of $$$, that bunch being calculated relative to median income of your country - what I'm saying is that while I don't know what country you're from tax rates are also calculated differently in different countries, in Denmark where I live it isn't impossible for a software developer to hit the top tax rate.

Re: No One Goes There Anymore

#92

Post by bryanrasmussen »

411111111111111 wrote: post #89
gfxgirl wrote: post #86

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There's an assumption there that more money to government = make things better but there are plenty of examples where the government makes things worse. Some people believe that giving less = actually make things better because it will limit the bad things a government can do.

Some people believe that the earth is flat as well.

Is there a venn diagram of Randians and flat-earthers somewhere?

on edit: changed libertarians to Randians.

Re: No One Goes There Anymore

#93

Post by mettamage »

411111111111111 wrote: post #89
gfxgirl wrote: post #86

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There's an assumption there that more money to government = make things better but there are plenty of examples where the government makes things worse. Some people believe that giving less = actually make things better because it will limit the bad things a government can do.

Some people believe that the earth is flat as well.

411111111111111: substantiate what you're trying to say. For a reminder, read the community guidelines.

The way I read this is as an attack on the parent. You might not agree with the parent, but that doesn't mean you write a comment that reads like an unsubstantiated attack.

The reason it reads as an attack to me is because HN's core persona seems to be a science-minded person (perhaps debatable, it's how I see it). Likening someone in any way shape or form to flat earth believer ridicules their argument, without you adding anything of substance as it goes directly against the core persona of a person on HN. Implicitly, it seems that you're calling the parent stupid.

I don't know if that was your intention or if you thought about it differently, but this is one of the reasons why one should substantiate their comments. This seems to be less the case when someone is being nice, but when someone is being controversial, then substantiating your comment is the only way in which you can guide a reader's interpretation (I'm saying this from quite a bit of experience).

FWIW I flagged your comment. I'd recommend you to read the HN community guidelines [1].

In particular you violated (IMO):

Be kind. Don't be snarky. Have curious conversation; don't cross-examine. Comments should get more thoughtful and substantive, not less, as a topic gets more divisive.

When disagreeing, please reply to the argument instead of calling names. "That is idiotic; 1 + 1 is 2, not 3" can be shortened to "1 + 1 is 2, not 3."

Please don't post shallow dismissals, especially of other people's work. A good critical comment teaches us something.

[1] https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html

Re: No One Goes There Anymore

#94

Post by [deleted] »

onemoresoop wrote: post #8
GEBBL wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Oh so there is a paywall? That sucks

There is a need to put food on a table. I just made my contribution and not to pass the paywall, Im lucky I still have a job and DoreenMichelle could use some support in these times. HackerNewsers, if there is a time to support others, this is the time! Help anyone you can. Or help Doreen like I did. Anything can help, even words of encouragement if one can’t afford to make any donnation

[deleted]

Re: No One Goes There Anymore

#95

Post by sandworm101 »

rayiner wrote: post #65
ccktlmazeltov wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If half your paycheck is going to taxes you must have a bunch of $$$, I personally make around 300k/year and I feel like I'm not paying that much taxes. I could be paying much more and still live pretty comfortable, it's pretty outrageous.

Economists calculate taxes using the “tax wedge”—i.e. what you pay in taxes versus what you cost your employer. According to: https://smartasset.com/taxes/california-tax-calculator#WP4gh... , take home on $300,000 in California is $185,000. But including employer side payroll taxes but excluding benefits, you actually cost your employer $313,000. So your tax wedge is about 41%. Then add in the sales and property taxe…

If we are making international comparisons, I would add the cost of health insurance in california as a "tax". That's the only way to reasonably compare western countries.

I had a friend try to adopt a baby from china many years ago (1990s). He was rejected. The Chinese thought he didn't earn enough to safely raise a kid. They were using a means test designed for US applicants. My friend lobbied to explain all the things he gets in Canada for free, health care being the big ticket item. The Chinese authorities relented and he was allowed to adopt.

Re: No One Goes There Anymore

#96

Post by lifeformed »

rayiner wrote: post #88
newacct583 wrote: post #77

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You're quoting nominal rates and not effective taxation. The very wealthy don't pay their "marginal dollar" in "income tax" at a 37% federal bracket (plus state), they pay it in capital gains tax at 20%. If they pay it at all, given that in fact much income at these levels is sheltered from tax entirely via international tricks. There's plenty of analysis out there showing how the very wealthy in the US pay less effe…

Capital gains is 20% federal plus state (13% in California). Germany’s capital gains rate is 30.5%, lower than California and New York. Regardless, there is just not enough capital gains income for that to matter. For example, Biden’s plan to tax capital gains as ordinary income for taxpayers making over $1 million per year is expected to bring in less than $50 billion a year in revenues. Eliminating the capital gain…

I don't know why you say hundreds of billions of dollars isn't worth taking about, compared to trillions. $150B is 15% of $1T, a sizable chunk. And the total income of US billionaires being just $130B doesn't quite capture the complete picture, when their combined wealth is in the trillions, and their assets keep growing.

Re: No One Goes There Anymore

#97

Post by cortesoft »

gfxgirl wrote: post #86
cortesoft wrote: post #81

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This doesn't make sense. If I decide to give more money to the government, nothing will change because my money is a drop in the bucket. If everyone gives more money, we can actually make things better. I am willing to pay more taxes if it actually helps, which is why I will only give more when we make everyone give more.

There's an assumption there that more money to government = make things better but there are plenty of examples where the government makes things worse. Some people believe that giving less = actually make things better because it will limit the bad things a government can do.

I can accept that belief and argument. If you believe that, I understand.

I was just arguing against the idea of 'you just pay more taxes if you want to' being a solution.

Re: No One Goes There Anymore

#98

Post by landryraccoon »

gfxgirl wrote: post #86
cortesoft wrote: post #81

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This doesn't make sense. If I decide to give more money to the government, nothing will change because my money is a drop in the bucket. If everyone gives more money, we can actually make things better. I am willing to pay more taxes if it actually helps, which is why I will only give more when we make everyone give more.

There's an assumption there that more money to government = make things better but there are plenty of examples where the government makes things worse. Some people believe that giving less = actually make things better because it will limit the bad things a government can do.

More money or less money isn't the issue. I would have no problem with way paying much more to the government if it's for services that are beneficial, and I think we're paying too much for services that are not.

When it comes to healthcare, the vast weight of the evidence supports strong government intervention in healthcare. When examples of profit driven healthcare exist, the vast weight of the evidence would lead you to conclude that it is less efficient and more expensive, delivering worse outcomes for higher cost.

Re: No One Goes There Anymore

#99

Post by TedDoesntTalk »

rayiner wrote: post #88
newacct583 wrote: post #77

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You're quoting nominal rates and not effective taxation. The very wealthy don't pay their "marginal dollar" in "income tax" at a 37% federal bracket (plus state), they pay it in capital gains tax at 20%. If they pay it at all, given that in fact much income at these levels is sheltered from tax entirely via international tricks. There's plenty of analysis out there showing how the very wealthy in the US pay less effe…

Capital gains is 20% federal plus state (13% in California). Germany’s capital gains rate is 30.5%, lower than California and New York. Regardless, there is just not enough capital gains income for that to matter. For example, Biden’s plan to tax capital gains as ordinary income for taxpayers making over $1 million per year is expected to bring in less than $50 billion a year in revenues. Eliminating the capital gain…

I like your posts on this topic. Talk to wealthy EU citizens about their tax rates. They hate them. And bringing that model,here won't fund the social plans we are told we need.

Why? There just too few people in that echelon for higher taxes to make a dent.

So one might think these pushers of more social aid might realize, "ok we have to raise taxes on the middle class to get the funds we need... and introduce a national sales tax (VAT) that everyone, even the poor, must pay."

Do they say that? Do they come to that conclusion?

No, they imstead promulgate ideas such as wealth ceilings: anything you earn over 100 million is taxed 100%. There can be no billionaires.

Re: No One Goes There Anymore

#100

Post by mthoms »

exabrial wrote: post #66

> While homeless, my sons and I routinely tried to find out-of-the-way public tables. Food at restaurants is marked up thousands of percent to cover costs of buildings, rent, power, human capital. The raw materials to make your food are pennies and are available to the average consumer. This is straight BS. There -are- people that truly have issues that lead them to a homeless condition, but this person is not one of…

>There -are- people that truly have issues that lead them to a homeless condition, but this person is not one of them

Interesting that you determined all that from reading a single blog post and have no ideal what her diagnosis is. Very classy.

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