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I don't necessarily disagree with the premise, but big screen TVs are relatively cheap these days. $350 (about half the cost of the new iPhone) will get you a new 50" 1080P.
For all the people (as it is rampant across the internet, not just here) who talk about poorer people wasting money on big screen TVs and having their priorities out of order, they might want to change the narrative to fancy iPhones or something of that sort. On an enjoyment per dollar perspective, that TV probably does not owe them any money.
I tend to agree. Some stuff is a bit overstated.
Larger concern to me is the lack of basic economic education within public schools.
People make egregious personal finance mistakes and spend a very long time trying to recover from the impacts.
I'm still waiting for a good response as to how improved transit options in Wake County will encourage sprawl. WITHOUT mentioning new roads, as that's a red herring.
I have lived in Raleigh a lot longer than 30 years, and I can assure all present that it was a delightful place 30 years ago, 40 years ago, and 50 years ago. If anything, a person with normal interests would have found Raleigh to be a more pleasant place then than now.
Not sure what is meant by "normal interests". Gardening, perhaps. Aside from that, I suppose Raleigh was as good as a southern city of 100,000 people with a decaying downtown and a third-world airport could possibly be. (I was raised in a city just like that.) Or as my employer's HR department said when they told us that our group was relocating to Raleigh, we'll be three hours from the beach (no I-40 then!), four hours from the mountains, or five hours from DC. In other words, hours from anywhere we'd actually want to be.
I don't necessarily disagree with the premise, but big screen TVs are relatively cheap these days. $350 (about half the cost of the new iPhone) will get you a new 50" 1080P.
For all the people (as it is rampant across the internet, not just here) who talk about poorer people wasting money on big screen TVs and having their priorities out of order, they might want to change the narrative to fancy iPhones or something of that sort. On an enjoyment per dollar perspective, that TV probably does not owe them any money.
Very true. Given that I deal with low-income folk as my work tends to put me frequently "in the hood" I do see quite a bit of nice iPhones and game systems that they can't seem to put down even though I'm talking to them trying to explain what is wrong and how an improvement in simple choices would have great benefits to their life. So great point!
Quote:
Originally Posted by wheelsup
We have been quite poor in years past. I didn't have a fancy phone but it cost more than a smart phone does today. I had a bottom barrel cell plan but it cost more than I pay today. We didn't have a big TV but it cost more than a 40" plasma does today. One time I remember having $12 in our checking account at the end of the month. We needed every penny we could get and increasing sales tax on us would've really been felt.
You definitely would've felt the increase if the income tax wasn't eliminated. But given the income and property tax would be eliminated and a credit issued for essential purchases those who make smart spending decisions would come out ahead.
I'm still waiting for a good response as to how improved transit options in Wake County will encourage sprawl. WITHOUT mentioning new roads, as that's a red herring.
"Red Herring" is a major no-carb food group, right?
You definitely would've felt the increase if the income tax wasn't eliminated. But given the income and property tax would be eliminated and a credit issued for essential purchases those who make smart spending decisions would come out ahead.
Oh I would love that plan.
I do question the plan however. It would be a boon to higher income folks because they don't spend nearly what they make. It would hit the middle the hardest. By far. The poor and low middle would come out mostly even like now because they don't share much of the tax burden.
I could maybe get behind a hybrid. Sales taxes on the low end and if your income is above a certain range, you'd pay a 15%-20% flat tax on it.
The other issue is with the 'underground' economy. With a 23% rate I would imagine quite a few folks will be paying cash for pretty much everything. Under the table of course.
Also, after a puny 0.25% decrease in income tax, many more items such as auto repairs are now subject to the most regressive of taxes, sales tax.
More robbing the poor to benefit the rich. Higher paid taxpayers got their state income tax reduced by 2.5%.
This plan benefits the rich more? Where do you get that?
Is tripling the amount of bus service really benefiting the wealthy who wouldn't ride on a bus if you paid them?
Is dramatically increasing the number of hours per day the bus runs going to benefit the rich, or is it actually going to help people people who work irregular hours and/or shift work get to and from their jobs and potentially have more job opportunities?
I just don't see that logic. At all.
Additionally, I think we need to recognize that this plan isn't just for Raleigh (though most of the improvements are going to be there, but that's where the most people are...) but that it provides service to all towns in Wake County along with a mechanism for those towns to provide additional service of their choosing so they can select the services they feel will benefit their citizens the most. People in those communities who are low income and never had the option or opportunities to seek employment in different areas because they either depend on borrowing a car, getting a ride from family or making a car payment they just can't afford. Why are we not talking about the benefits to those people?
Not sure what is meant by "normal interests". Gardening, perhaps. Aside from that, I suppose Raleigh was as good as a southern city of 100,000 people with a decaying downtown and a third-world airport could possibly be. (I was raised in a city just like that.) Or as my employer's HR department said when they told us that our group was relocating to Raleigh, we'll be three hours from the beach (no I-40 then!), four hours from the mountains, or five hours from DC. In other words, hours from anywhere we'd actually want to be.
Raleigh has come a long way since then.
Ah, yes, now I see. Another transplant. Plus ca change, plus c'est la meme chose . . .
Is tripling the amount of bus service really benefiting the wealthy who wouldn't ride on a bus if you paid them?
Absolutely yes. Now they can get more cheap labor to their doorstep to exploit.
Kind of tongue in cheek, my comment, but kind of true also. The poor people will be able to get job now, with the new bus service, but if nothing else changes, they'll work 2 jobs for around 70+ hours per week, they'll still live in poverty, and they'll still be blamed for being lazy, while Mr. Business owner can have more workers to choose from, create more of a buyers (employers) market for labor, and create more of a gap between the ultra-rich, and everyone else. Being that we are a right-to-work state, the results will be exaggerated.
While others may benefit in small ways, you'd have a hard time convincing me that diverting money to new bus service doesn't ultimately benefit the Walton family the most....
(Now y'all can go ahead and bash me for my wrong way of thinking....)
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