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They've established "ticket quotas" for the cops. So, they scour the neighborhood looking to cite people for "open containers." They stop and frisk scores of young men of color, teaching them disrespect for the law.
I'm sure it suits those "police" who signed on for a nice civil service job. Not so much those who wanted to be real lawmen, busting bad guys. Not too long ago, the NYT ran a story about the 42nd in the Bronx. They had ticket quotas. Some obediently went along. Others did not. There were incidents where the good cops (by my lights) took the glorified meter maids lockers out into the shower room and soaked them with water. Not nice, I guess...you ever work a job where those who kissed the bosses behind got ahead, and those who simply worked hard got demoted?
Here's another example. They'll take away the public trash cans from a corner. Then, along come the sanitation police, citing the local businesses for accumulated trash...unsanitary conditions...yadda yadda. Like, they dumped all that crap themselves?
These are small business owners. Those fines are a mean hit on em. Often, they're serving the neighborhood by providing fresh veggies. So, they get fined? For something they're not responsible for?
And, the eminent domain abuse? NYU? Columbia? Willets Point? The list goes on.
Michael Bloomberg is not the worst guy in the world. I think he means well. But, he's a rich quillionaire and really doesn't relate to working class folk.
I have hopes that the Heir Apparent, Christine Quinn, will be better. I like her support of the living wage for workers on city subsidized projects...um, with some exceptions. What can you say? Politics is the art of the possible; the perfect is the enemy of the good.
That's what I feel, think, whatever. How about you all?
I can't wait for the guy to be outta office, and I really dislike Christine Quinn as a mayor. She has been nothing but an obedient lap dog for the Bloomberg administration.
Voting for her would be like giving the current mayor a 4th term.
I strongly encourage New Yorkers not do so.
I'm relatively new here and still unfamiliar with local politics, but I have NEVER heard anyone say anything nice about Bloomberg. So... Why is he mayor? Who are his constituents? Does he not have any opponents or do most people not vote in that race?
My vote goes for Ray Kelly if he were to run. Hope he does. Quinn, De Blasio, and Thomas all blow and would undo any progress Guilliani and Bloomberg have done.
What about the casino at Aqueduct? They are raking in $3 million a day. Mostly from the poor and split between the rich Oriental ruling class that developed the place, the rich racehorse owners, the city and the local ruling class oligarchy. This is a $3 million a day tax on the poor supported by both Bloomburg and ruling class puppet Cuomo.
I'm relatively new here and still unfamiliar with local politics, but I have NEVER heard anyone say anything nice about Bloomberg. So... Why is he mayor? Who are his constituents? Does he not have any opponents or do most people not vote in that race?
When you essentially own the media, and have endless funds to completely drown out any opposition when it comes to campaigning; you're gonna get the votes. People generally do what they're told if they see it enough, it's truly as simple as that.
Tax The Poor is the mantra of the USA since 1980. The taxes on the poor have been rising relative to income and the taxes on the very rich have been dropping dramatically.
97.5% of all the income taxes paid in the country are paid by only 50% of the population. those that complain the most pay the least or nothing at all.
those earning 33k or less accounted for 1/2 the population and 2.5% of all the income taxes paid.
to tell you the truth we need to tax everyone who lives here and they should pay something into the kitty even if its 100 bucks a year. they all have cable tv and cell phones ...
97.5% of all the income taxes paid in the country are paid by only 50% of the population. those that complain the most pay the least or nothing at all.
And that completely ignores the major taxes of the working poor, Social Security, Medicare and sundry others called EMPLOYMENT TAXES which are INDEED income taxes on then poor but the rich look better when these income taxes are ignored, as they they go about calculating the annual increase in their net worth. The POOR TAXES skew all the noble thinking of the rich, so when they talk about INCOME TAXES, they just ignore these taxes. Some poor sch muck working for dirt wages as his own emplolyer may make $10,000 and pay no "federal inome tax" (as the rich like to define it) but he pays $1,560 in TAXES, based on his INCOME, to the FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
When tax "pundits" talk about iuncome tax they count only the taxes THEY pay and ignore the taxes of the poor. (But the government spends it nevertheless.)
As far as ignoring margianl tax rates goes, that seems a bit silly when if is the only tax level on which decicions are/should be made.
Why should Warren Buffet's next dollar be taxed at a substantially lower rate lower rate than his secretery's last dollar.
Why should Mitt Romney's next dollar (most at only 15%) be taxed at less than half the rate off a guy's selling him peanuts on a street corner who pays more than 15% in Employment taxes alone...and THEN all the other income taxes are piled on. Why, in a system of progressive taxation, should sales taxes exist, Why should certain taxes STOP being charged to those who exceed a certain income? Why should certain high income taxes be deemed worthy of far less applied taxes? Why should tax progressivity increase to a certain level and then start to fall once enormous wealth levels are achieved?
Why, becasue the system is unfair to the median taxpayer and lavishly kind to the rich. The system was written by the rich, and for the rich. And their greed and ability to buy legislators grows by leaps and bounds every year.
Last edited by Kefir King; 04-28-2012 at 07:19 AM..
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$3 million in taxes a day
