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> From someone outside the US, I'm amazed that states vary their income tax so much, I would have thought it's a magnet for fraud and corruption. It is. Roads

> From someone outside the US, I'm amazed that states vary their income tax so much, I would have thought it's a magnet for fraud and corruption. It is. Roads in the Bay Area are among the worst in the country, despite this region producing enormous corporate profits. Nearly all the companies here operate in an eternal tragedy of the commons, whereby nobody will pay local taxes because nobody else does. All the companies in California are actually Delaware companies, and the income inequality and quality-of-life disparity is a direct result of this kind of corruption.

ringaroundthetx 9y ago
> All the companies in California are actually Delaware companies, and the income inequality and quality-of-life disparity is a direct result of this kind of corruption. Why would you call that corruption? Corruption from whose perspective? How much impact do you think that has on roads being maintained or not (or more generally, local/state funding and budget management)?
- cryptoz 9y ago
  Look at the corruption like gerrymandering. Systematic wealth collection by mega corporations and individuals, structured to increase their wealth and the expense of the poor. A structure that allows for this is a corrupt structure. To answer your question, I would say this has has high impact on the quality of life here, including the roads, education systems, policing, safety, and everything else in society. Everything is interconnected, and our society's structures are built with the assumption of no corruption. But there is a lot, it's pervasive and defining, and it has numerous consequences like poor quality of life for a lot of people in a high-expense area.
  - ringaroundthetx 9y ago
    > Look at the corruption like gerrymandering. > Systematic wealth collection by mega corporations and individuals, structured to increase their wealth and the expense of the poor. What do these have to do with different income tax rates in separate states? Its like you had a google alert on "corruption" and had all those responses on your clipboard regardless of the context.
  - briandear 9y ago
    The Bay Area has some of the best schools in the country. Cupertino public schools for example. As far as roads, I don’t think you’ve ever driven in New Jersey: they have really high taxes and really terrible roads. Driving through Jersey City was like driving through Beirut – despite extremely high property taxes. Road quality has nothing to do with Delaware corporations.
briandear 9y ago
How does that cause income inequality? Taxes ought having nothing to do with income equality. The purpose of taxes is to pay for the operation of government, not to “solve” income inequality. Taxes are meant to pay for government. The United States isn’t socialist. I also don’t think you understand how corporate taxes work. A Delaware company operating in California does pay California taxes.
- ringaroundthetx 9y ago
  No idea how you got downvoted. My approach was to ask OP for elaboration just for the comedy of watching their argument fall apart, but with the opportunity that they had a sound clarification or new information I hadn't considered. Today we got comedy.
ryanwaggoner 9y ago
All the companies in California are actually Delaware companies, and the income inequality and quality-of-life disparity is a direct result of this kind of corruption. From my understanding, being a Delaware company saves you $0 in taxes. All of those corporations are registered as foreign corps in CA and paying taxes just as if they were CA-based corporations. Taxes aren't why you do DE.

ringaroundthetx 9y ago

> All the companies in California are actually Delaware companies, and the income inequality and quality-of-life disparity is a direct result of this kind of corruption. Why would you call that corruption? Corruption from whose perspective? How much impact do you think that has on roads being maintained or not (or more generally, local/state funding and budget management)?

cryptoz 9y ago
Look at the corruption like gerrymandering. Systematic wealth collection by mega corporations and individuals, structured to increase their wealth and the expense of the poor. A structure that allows for this is a corrupt structure. To answer your question, I would say this has has high impact on the quality of life here, including the roads, education systems, policing, safety, and everything else in society. Everything is interconnected, and our society's structures are built with the assumption of no corruption. But there is a lot, it's pervasive and defining, and it has numerous consequences like poor quality of life for a lot of people in a high-expense area.
- ringaroundthetx 9y ago
  > Look at the corruption like gerrymandering. > Systematic wealth collection by mega corporations and individuals, structured to increase their wealth and the expense of the poor. What do these have to do with different income tax rates in separate states? Its like you had a google alert on "corruption" and had all those responses on your clipboard regardless of the context.
- briandear 9y ago
  The Bay Area has some of the best schools in the country. Cupertino public schools for example. As far as roads, I don’t think you’ve ever driven in New Jersey: they have really high taxes and really terrible roads. Driving through Jersey City was like driving through Beirut – despite extremely high property taxes. Road quality has nothing to do with Delaware corporations.

briandear 9y ago

How does that cause income inequality? Taxes ought having nothing to do with income equality. The purpose of taxes is to pay for the operation of government, not to “solve” income inequality. Taxes are meant to pay for government. The United States isn’t socialist. I also don’t think you understand how corporate taxes work. A Delaware company operating in California does pay California taxes.

ringaroundthetx 9y ago
No idea how you got downvoted. My approach was to ask OP for elaboration just for the comedy of watching their argument fall apart, but with the opportunity that they had a sound clarification or new information I hadn't considered. Today we got comedy.

ryanwaggoner 9y ago

All the companies in California are actually Delaware companies, and the income inequality and quality-of-life disparity is a direct result of this kind of corruption. From my understanding, being a Delaware company saves you $0 in taxes. All of those corporations are registered as foreign corps in CA and paying taxes just as if they were CA-based corporations. Taxes aren't why you do DE.