3 ms·
Well, in California specifically (and the Bay Area even more specifically), how do you think that would be fair for lower middle class service employees commuti
by eitally 11y ago
Well, in California specifically (and the Bay Area even more specifically), how do you think that would be fair for lower middle class service employees commuting 2hrs+ each direction every day to get to their jobs on the peninsula or in the city? In this case, a use tax just penalizes people who have already been marginalized due to decisions municipalities have made about RE development.
I'd be more in favor of increasing property taxes to cover more highway infrastructure than I would taxing the vehicles themselves. And for that matter, Prop 13 has to go.
- protomyth 11y agoProperty tax is more painful to low income people and already makes it so schools in low income districts suffer. Use taxes are much more fair and immediate so it doesn't require future budgeting.
- pmoriarty 11y agoProperty taxes could be progressive. The more your dwelling costs, the more (percentage-wise) you could pay.
- protomyth 11y agoand that is just more taxes without fixing how property taxes are used - we don't need more "progressive" taxes like that. Never mind the contractors and laborers who would be hurt by a lessening of new, more expensive homes. We tried that with luxury items and killed the yacht building industry in the US and put a lot of skilled craftspeople out of work.
- pmoriarty 11y agoSomehow I can't imagine luxury home building and luxury yacht building industries are going to get much sympathy from the vast majority of Americans, whose median family income is around $40k per year.
- protomyth 11y agoSo, we should only have jobs that build things that people who make $40K can afford? That is a pretty short-sighted way to make economic decisions. Well, Americans should have sympathy for the workers who spent lifetimes learning crafts that just disappeared at the stroke of a politicians pen.