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From: John B. <slocombjb@gmail.com>
Newsgroups: rec.bicycles.tech
Subject: Re: Montana: "Let's make stupidity mandatory!"
Date: Fri, 17 Jan 2025 09:01:19 +0700
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On Thu, 16 Jan 2025 08:25:04 -0600, AMuzi <am@yellowjersey.org> wrote:

>On 1/16/2025 3:39 AM, Catrike Ryder wrote:
>> On Wed, 15 Jan 2025 21:28:08 -0500, Frank Krygowski
>> <frkrygow@sbcglobal.net> wrote:
>> 
>>> On 1/15/2025 6:43 PM, AMuzi wrote:
>>>> On 1/15/2025 5:24 PM, Frank Krygowski wrote:
>>>>> On 1/15/2025 3:00 PM, AMuzi wrote:
>>>>>> On 1/15/2025 1:02 PM, Shadow wrote:
>>>>>>> On Wed, 15 Jan 2025 16:57:39 GMT, cyclintom <cyclintom@yahoo.com>
>>>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> <about who is responsible for running over cyclists>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> This is especially common among illegals here in California with these
>>>>>>>> assholes laying on the horn even when yoyu're nowhere near them.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>      The only solution is to raise taxes the rich pay. Then you
>>>>>>> could fund essential services like the police, and any unlawful
>>>>>>> extraterrestrial will be promptly arrested for driving without a
>>>>>>> license. And shuttled back to Mars or whatever.
>>>>>>>      Problem solved. Plus there might even be some money left to
>>>>>>> pay for medical services, education and your welfare checks.
>>>>>>>      []'s
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Without regard to this argument per se, isn't your preferred solution
>>>>>> to everything "Tax the rich" ?
>>>>>
>>>>> It's a good one. How much money do Musk, Bezos, etc. really need? For
>>>>> what?
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>> You've written that previously.
>>>>
>>>> I've noted previously that the top 10% of earners represent over half of
>>>> income tax revenue:
>>>>
>>>> https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/MPowG/5/
>>>>
>>>> In California where policy is closer to your tastes, the problem of
>>>> collecting revenues shows the complex mix of factors:
>>>>
>>>> https://finance.yahoo.com/news/leaving-rich-americans-ditching-
>>>> california-163000441.html
>>>>
>>>> Note in link, "Ultra-wealthy Californians, the top 1%, typically pay
>>>> between 40-50% of the state’s personal income tax revenue."
>>>
>>> I'd say the solution is for the competing states to raise their upper
>>> level tax rates.
>>>
>>>> I ask again, how much is enough? What's the limiting principle?
>>>
>>> How much personal wealth is enough? Why is there no limit?
>> 
>> Wow! A limit on how much a person can have?  and then what? A wealth
>> tax?
>> 
>>> I'm reminded about a parable about a poor widow contributing two tiny
>>> coins, a trivial amount, but “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put
>>> more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their
>>> wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to
>>> live on.”
>> 
>> So she starved? WTF? Are you really OK with that?
>> 
>> I am reminded of wealthy TV "preachers" enticing poor people to send
>> them money, with "call this number and I'll pray for you."
>> 
>> For what it's worth. I have no issues with religion itself, nor with
>> the study and education of it, but doesn't it say somewhere in the
>> Bible that you should go off by yourself to pray instead of having
>> somebody in a robe and/or a collar stand you up, tell you to bow your
>> head, and listen while he/she speaks for you?
>> 
>> That never worked for me.
>> 
>>> Taxing the wealthy and super-wealthy means they may have to put off
>>> buying their hundredth bottle of Chateau Lafite Rothschild (whose taste
>>> they probably can't reliably distinguish anyway). Taxing the poorer
>>> people means they have to put off buying a can of soup.
>>>
>>> So let's emulate the tax structures of prosperous countries with far,
>>> far less income disparity. I believe those policies contribute to much
>>> better social services, much lower crime and unrest, better paved roads,
>>> free medical care, etc.
>> 
>> Thankfully, the plans for more collectivist policies in the USA got
>> shot down pretty seriously last November. I don't know if the USA can
>> ever move back toward individualism, but at least, the movement away
>> from it got impaired.
>> 
>> --
>> C'est bon
>> Soloman
>
>Nice thought.
>
>But from what I see, individualism and small government have 
>been abandoned by both parties. We're seeing a large shift 
>on many _issues_ but not on reckless spending- it's just 
>going slightly elsewhere (not fully elsewhere).  This shift 
>seems to be on a few specific practical points but both 
>parties have abandoned principle.


As I've said, the best way to win an election is to say, "When elected
I will give you...."
(Or, I'll make America Great again :-)
-- 
Cheers,

John B.