4 ms·
The issue is that America funds cities poorly. There is a federal subsidy from cities that goes to rural areas. Red areas get more back in services than they p
by mhneu 8y ago
The issue is that America funds cities poorly. There is a federal subsidy from cities that goes to rural areas. Red areas get more back in services than they pay in taxes, and blue areas pay out more in taxes than they get back.
So cities have to raise funding somehow.
(This is also a problem with the way America funds schools. The US needs to figure out how to distribute tax dollars more equally - or at least figure out how to keep most of the country out of poverty while still building infrastructure that keeps city housing costs down.)
- neap24 8y agoMeg McArdle recently wrote a piece with some pretty convincing evidence that this is just factually untrue on a per capita basis. https://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2018-02-05/think-carefully-before-cutting-off-subsidies-to-red-states https://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2018-02-05/think-car...
- mhneu 8y agoMegan McArdle has an agenda. I've never found she generates much insight for that reason. I apply the Two Papers Rule to her, and to B Stephens: https://twitter.com/Noahpinion/status/1017590957984735232 https://twitter.com/Noahpinion/status/1017590957984735232 There are some worth reading, like Will Wilkinson, J Rubin, and T Nichols. But they're few and far between.