4 ms·

I would gladly pay the extra tax to opt out.

by calvertdw 8y ago

JamesCoyne 8y ago
The USPS is not directly funded by taxes.
- chrisseaton 8y ago
  Forbes says that they're effectively funded by tax payers to the tune of $18 billion a year. http://fortune.com/2015/03/27/us-postal-service/ http://fortune.com/2015/03/27/us-postal-service/
  - spaceflunky 8y ago
    That’s adding the value of supposeded benefits from congress but not actual dollars. Also congress mandates crazy shit that the usps must do so any benefits are probably wiped out by them.
    - chrisseaton 8y ago
      I think giving someone a tax break or low-interest rate is basically the same thing as giving someone the dollars to pay that tax or interest. Calling that a 'supposed' benefit is silly. Forbes' assessment is the effective value is $18 billion.
      - Nasrudith 8y ago
        The loan being a benefit I'll call somewhat fair (the money lent to them could potentially get better returns elsewhere making it an opportunity cost) but tax benefits are just reaching as is the supposed value of their exclusivity. They're a government agency - under that logic the IRS should tax itself - not all of its individual agents paying taxes which is fair but that the agency itself being taxed as a corporation. That would just be frankly an exercise in masturbatory paperwork generation when there is real work of value that could be performed instead. Take a simple halting problem approach - if there is no even potential value to the exercise in any form (even including entertainment) just stop. Meanwhile the exclusivity isn't something that should be valued in because it would be stupid to actually sell it to anyone. Tax-farming (selling the right to collect taxes to a third party in exchange for an upfront sum) is a terrible practice which breeds abuse and corruption. One can argue if the purpose is valid but accounting for something which should never be solid is asinine - it would be like trying to account for your value if sold into slavery in your net worth while slavery is illegal.
MiddleEndian 8y ago
I went three or four months without checking my mail and eventually they gave up and stopped delivering my mail entirely, which was a welcome surprise. Unfortunately the 0.1% of mail that is useful forced me to rectify the issue.

I would gladly pay the extra tax to opt out.

JamesCoyne 8y ago

The USPS is not directly funded by taxes.

chrisseaton 8y ago
Forbes says that they're effectively funded by tax payers to the tune of $18 billion a year. http://fortune.com/2015/03/27/us-postal-service/ http://fortune.com/2015/03/27/us-postal-service/
- spaceflunky 8y ago
  That’s adding the value of supposeded benefits from congress but not actual dollars. Also congress mandates crazy shit that the usps must do so any benefits are probably wiped out by them.
  - chrisseaton 8y ago
    I think giving someone a tax break or low-interest rate is basically the same thing as giving someone the dollars to pay that tax or interest. Calling that a 'supposed' benefit is silly. Forbes' assessment is the effective value is $18 billion.
    - Nasrudith 8y ago
      The loan being a benefit I'll call somewhat fair (the money lent to them could potentially get better returns elsewhere making it an opportunity cost) but tax benefits are just reaching as is the supposed value of their exclusivity. They're a government agency - under that logic the IRS should tax itself - not all of its individual agents paying taxes which is fair but that the agency itself being taxed as a corporation. That would just be frankly an exercise in masturbatory paperwork generation when there is real work of value that could be performed instead. Take a simple halting problem approach - if there is no even potential value to the exercise in any form (even including entertainment) just stop. Meanwhile the exclusivity isn't something that should be valued in because it would be stupid to actually sell it to anyone. Tax-farming (selling the right to collect taxes to a third party in exchange for an upfront sum) is a terrible practice which breeds abuse and corruption. One can argue if the purpose is valid but accounting for something which should never be solid is asinine - it would be like trying to account for your value if sold into slavery in your net worth while slavery is illegal.

MiddleEndian 8y ago

I went three or four months without checking my mail and eventually they gave up and stopped delivering my mail entirely, which was a welcome surprise. Unfortunately the 0.1% of mail that is useful forced me to rectify the issue.