Report: Income inequality growing in Metro Boston

[mephie]

When people talk about Europe in this context, which countries are they talking about? I assume not the UK, nor Switzerland. However, it includes France.

So what is the definition of "Europe"?

[Glasvegas]

Originally Posted by miu

True. Glasvegas is typical of most liberals who accuse the more conservatives as having negative stereotypes of the poor, then they are just as guilty of negative stereotypes about conservatives and those that are wealthy.

Actually, since I read elsewhere that you're Asian-American, I was giving your people props, but you react with ignorance and hostility. I tried to have a reasonable debate with you, but clearly your head is lodged so far up your own ass that you resort to resort to the nonsense above because you cannot respect anyone with a different opinion than your own.

[miu]

Eh. IMO there is nothing about this topic to "debate". Nothing that you or I post will ever improve the chronic poor's quality of life since it is up to them to make the right lifestyle changes... and people who don't use commonsense or their brains, or who don't have the patience to put in years of hard effort certainly aren't entitled to wealth or parts of other people's hard earned money.

Have a nice life!

[mephie]

At what point are people entitled to parts of other people's hard earned money?

[mdovell]

Originally Posted by mephie

At what point are people entitled to parts of other people's hard earned money?

This is where it gets to be a bit odd because it then dives into the idea that people have to pay for the luxury of established roads, bridges and other public goods.

I think the real answer to this isn't exactly taxation but rather what is being taxed. There's a interesting and overlooked concept of taxing land rather than sales or income.

The problem in taxing income is that what if income levels decline? And besides someone with a higher income can simply leave or just stop working.

The problem with a sales tax is there's so much of a underground economy that it cannot become fully efficient.

A land tax on ownership means that the only way to get out of it is to sell it. Selling land means maintaining it. NH has a bit of this concept but doesn't exactly acknowledge it

[mephie]

Originally Posted by mdovell

This is where it gets to be a bit odd because it then dives into the idea that people have to pay for the luxury of established roads, bridges and other public goods.

I think the real answer to this isn't exactly taxation but rather what is being taxed. There's a interesting and overlooked concept of taxing land rather than sales or income.

The problem in taxing income is that what if income levels decline? And besides someone with a higher income can simply leave or just stop working.

The problem with a sales tax is there's so much of a underground economy that it cannot become fully efficient.

A land tax on ownership means that the only way to get out of it is to sell it. Selling land means maintaining it. NH has a bit of this concept but doesn't exactly acknowledge it

Interesting. Do you have some type of research articles that I could read regarding this concept? Just give me a name and the title and I'll find it (I'm sure it's in JSTOR or another database).

[rranger]

Originally Posted by Glasvegas

Based on the replies to this thread, it shows that Boston is a very conservative city!

Let me help you with a couple of clarifications here. The inability of people in this country to be able to add two to two and get four is a national disease from what I've seen and is by no means limited to Boston. Clearly you are matching wits with a bevy of brainwashed Ayn Rand acolytes, so you get what you get! Please don't judge a four million person metro area by this forum.

Further, i don't know where the "North Shore" is, but if it's where i think it is, the irony of your comments is truly funny. I'm not sure you'd get a much better reception for your ideas (most of which I agree with, BTW) from people who vote for representatives like Peter King, and whose forebears literally ran from B'klyn and Queens the moment the complexion of their neighborhoods started to change.

[mdovell]

Originally Posted by mephie

Interesting. Do you have some type of research articles that I could read regarding this concept? Just give me a name and the title and I'll find it (I'm sure it's in JSTOR or another database).

The concept of taxing land ownership is largely under the writings of Henry George.

it is interesting you mention jstor because usually I end up invoking wikipedia not because I feel it is highly accurate (it isn't) but because not everyone has the time let alone the access for jstor.

Georgism - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

It is a interesting concept that can scare the heck out of some because there are those on the left and libertarian that tend to agree with it.
It would tend to be for a cap and trade system (which was oddly peddled by the right around 20 years ago) not so much as a form of taxation but a form of protection. But as a system it would be odd because if it is regressive in nature it would allow GE to pollute more than some mom and pop place. I think he would be for deposits on wastes to encourage lowering them.

There's also a book called Natural Capitalism that touches on the subject a tad.
http://www.amazon.com/Natural-Capita.../dp/0316353000

One could try to counter that if there is a long term cost of owning something that it would not be ownership. But then again local governments have property taxes..taxing income on a local level might not make sense. The concept of assessment can be controversial. Just look at the ramifications of Proposition 13 in California. The Mass version is prop 2 1/2 but isn't nearly as drastic.

here's one bit from jstor

JSTOR: An Error Occurred Setting Your User Cookie

I wouldn't argue that randists control the right. I think that there is a difference between economic and social issues. Eventually I think the right will have to kick out the social (sorry Santorum). The left often belittles the right due to them and frankly it has become a bit of a albatross.