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What if we were to have an amendment to the Constitution such that income taxes for each income group would have to be approved by a plebiscite of those actuall
by pmdulaney 8y ago
What if we were to have an amendment to the Constitution such that income taxes for each income group would have to be approved by a plebiscite of those actually IN that income group? I wouldn't feel nearly so uneasy about taxing the ultra-rich at 70% if the majority of them were in favor of it.
- loeg 8y agoMight as well just amend the Constitution to forbid raising income taxes.
- berbec 8y agoDidn't work so well for California.
- dragonwriter 8y agoAs much as I dislike the supermajority tax rule in CA, it actually hasn't been that much of a practical problem (the supermajority budget rule was, but that was dumped.) Of course, it's not an actual block on tax increases, and there's a straight-to-the-ballot bypass available.
- berbec 8y agoI was referencing the property tax freeze, but I take your point as well.
- dragonwriter 8y ago> What if we were to have an amendment to the Constitution such that income taxes for each income group would have to be approved by a plebiscite of those actually IN that income group? Similarly, we should also require that regulations on industry be approved by the regulated industry, and that criminal punishments be ratified by those who are guilty of the specific crime.
- pmdulaney 8y agoWell, I think if we can impose 70% taxes on the ultra-rich, perhaps we should pass a law that Asians have to pay 50% more than other groups; I believe we still can outvote them.
- dragonwriter 8y agoThat would be a clever slippery slope, but for Bolling v. Sharpe.
- tracker1 8y agoI know you're probably trolling/joking, but I've thought that we should have something like this for non-citizen workers combined with more open borders for migrant workers and H1B floors for pay.
- pmdulaney 8y agoWell, I would say it is neither trolling nor joking, but rather a kind of thought experiment. Isn't soaking the rich (if I'm not rich) very similar to placing exorbitant taxes on the Asians (if I'm not Asian)? It's really just a matter of how far you think we can take the notion of the tyranny of the majority until it becomes morally repugnant.
- tracker1 8y agoI, honestly think that taxes are all around too high, and spending more so. I'm in favor of flat taxes. I would suggest that higher non-citizen taxes as well as a pay floor (must be at least X) for h1b visa workers. Those would be mainly to offset immigration. I'm not against immigration, however drawing too many people will create resource constraints on one side, and depression of income and lifestyle on the other.
- LyndsySimon 8y agoAre you really comparing "earning over $x in a year" with "guilty of a specific crime"?
- deleted 8y ago[deleted]