Comments on: Desertion http://www.ralree.com/2008/09/15/desertion/ Malicious enjoyment derived from observing someone else's misfortune Thu, 04 Feb 2010 20:29:52 +0000 hourly 1 By: Zach http://www.ralree.com/2008/09/15/desertion/comment-page-1/#comment-1140 Zach Mon, 15 Sep 2008 02:06:00 +0000 http://www.ralree.info/2008/09/17/desertion#comment-1140 Do you honestly believe that people that make over 2.85 million will leave the country if their taxes are increased? You have to think about the places they will go. Even if their taxes are increased, compared to tax rates in other western countries their taxes in the US would be low. Also you have to think about the issue of citizenship, and the fact that these people see themselves as American and will not just give that up for reduced taxes. My bigger issue with this is the idea of trickle down economics. I think the result of the last few days shown that this system has not worked, and now a president that viewed himself a de-regulator is responsible for the largest bailout in history. One final point, I contest this, "low-income housing, which has created crime-ridden neighborhoods for years". To say this I feel show a disregard for the actual causes of crime. Making homes available for those who can least afford it does not in it self cause crime. Would you prefer that these people had no home? Also, the majority of these crimes are associated with drugs. Legalization of drugs would do more to stop crime then anything. Eric, I ask you to vote with the mindset of your current socio-economic status, not the one you want to be in. When you are rich you can vote like it. Until then remember where people like myself, and you are. We are in that bottom 90%. Do you honestly believe that people that make over 2.85 million will leave the country if their taxes are increased? You have to think about the places they will go. Even if their taxes are increased, compared to tax rates in other western countries their taxes in the US would be low. Also you have to think about the issue of citizenship, and the fact that these people see themselves as American and will not just give that up for reduced taxes.
My bigger issue with this is the idea of trickle down economics. I think the result of the last few days shown that this system has not worked, and now a president that viewed himself a de-regulator is responsible for the largest bailout in history.
One final point, I contest this, "low-income housing, which has created crime-ridden neighborhoods for years". To say this I feel show a disregard for the actual causes of crime. Making homes available for those who can least afford it does not in it self cause crime. Would you prefer that these people had no home? Also, the majority of these crimes are associated with drugs. Legalization of drugs would do more to stop crime then anything.
Eric, I ask you to vote with the mindset of your current socio-economic status, not the one you want to be in. When you are rich you can vote like it. Until then remember where people like myself, and you are. We are in that bottom 90%.

]]> By: Hank http://www.ralree.com/2008/09/15/desertion/comment-page-1/#comment-1141 Hank Mon, 15 Sep 2008 02:06:00 +0000 http://www.ralree.info/2008/09/17/desertion#comment-1141 Zach, I agree that there will probably be very few people who will leave immediately if their taxes are only increased a little, but the idea of continuing to increase taxes on the rich will not hold forever. The claim that most other western countries have higher taxes is false - right now it's 35% federal and around 5% state for most of the people in question, so 40%. If this increases to more like 55% or 60%, these people will be seeing more income tax than almost any other western country. See [this]([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tax_rates_around_the_world). The real problem in the housing market is the fact that there is no responsibility given to the banks that actually write the mortgages. Instead of increasing regulation on the banks or on Fannie and Freddie, we should just eliminate Fannie and Freddie and let banks hold their mortgages or sell them to individual investors. Concentrating the risk federally was extremely stupid, and punishes everyone, as we're seeing. Low-income housing was meant to get poor people on their feet, but it creates neighborhoods of people who are much more desperate than most. This is where the bad connotation of the "projects" comes from. The illegality of drugs is not the cause either, but it is the chosen method of many desperate people to make fast money. Of course I do not prefer that these people had no home, but why should we build them a slum to live in that ends up costing us dearly to police it, in lives and dollars? It would be much better for them, and for us in the long run, to have them live in better communities and subsidize their rent. Now, you know me, I'm all about eliminating the black market of drugs. Yet, would drug dealers, losing their profits to the industry, really just go back to factory work or McDonalds? No - they'll find something else that makes them fast money for having questionable morals and disregard for the law, such as armed robbery, arms trading, organized crime, racketeering, hawking prescription drugs, etc. To reiterate, clustering/segregating the poor and possibly desperate is a bad idea, as has been shown famously in multiple cities in America, and removes all communal responsibility from the rich and middle-class since they don't have to deal with it on a daily basis. Also, I plan not to endorse either side in this election, and will probably abstain from voting out of principle and reality. Maryland is bluer than the sky this year. Zach,
I agree that there will probably be very few people who will leave immediately if their taxes are only increased a little, but the idea of continuing to increase taxes on the rich will not hold forever. The claim that most other western countries have higher taxes is false – right now it’s 35% federal and around 5% state for most of the people in question, so 40%. If this increases to more like 55% or 60%, these people will be seeing more income tax than almost any other western country. See [this]([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tax_rates_around_the_world).

The real problem in the housing market is the fact that there is no responsibility given to the banks that actually write the mortgages. Instead of increasing regulation on the banks or on Fannie and Freddie, we should just eliminate Fannie and Freddie and let banks hold their mortgages or sell them to individual investors. Concentrating the risk federally was extremely stupid, and punishes everyone, as we’re seeing.

Low-income housing was meant to get poor people on their feet, but it creates neighborhoods of people who are much more desperate than most. This is where the bad connotation of the "projects" comes from. The illegality of drugs is not the cause either, but it is the chosen method of many desperate people to make fast money. Of course I do not prefer that these people had no home, but why should we build them a slum to live in that ends up costing us dearly to police it, in lives and dollars? It would be much better for them, and for us in the long run, to have them live in better communities and subsidize their rent.

Now, you know me, I’m all about eliminating the black market of drugs. Yet, would drug dealers, losing their profits to the industry, really just go back to factory work or McDonalds? No – they’ll find something else that makes them fast money for having questionable morals and disregard for the law, such as armed robbery, arms trading, organized crime, racketeering, hawking prescription drugs, etc. To reiterate, clustering/segregating the poor and possibly desperate is a bad idea, as has been shown famously in multiple cities in America, and removes all communal responsibility from the rich and middle-class since they don’t have to deal with it on a daily basis.

Also, I plan not to endorse either side in this election, and will probably abstain from voting out of principle and reality. Maryland is bluer than the sky this year.

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