4 ms·

Why is "unpaid overtime is robbing from state taxes" a better argument than "unpaid overtime is robbing from workers"?

phkahler 7y ago
To get someone (the government in this case) to care (change rules) it sometimes helps to frame a problem in a way that affects them. Maybe?
- merpnderp 7y ago
  That's sad that a government wouldn't see its citizens being robbed as a problem that affects them, as governments are directly responsible for the regulatory environment in which we all do business.
  - mars4rp 7y ago
    In US, government is more run like a business, could we collect more revenue? yes? it's a good idea!!!
    - justaguyhere 7y ago
      To be fair to the US, it is the same in many other countries too.
  - megablast 7y ago
    If people allow themselves to be robbed, and millions do everyday, there is nothing the government can do about it, just as if they are robbed by a mugger. If people aren't reporting it, then nothing will change.
deleted 7y ago
[deleted]
hrktb 7y ago
Feels less selfish, and also undermines any kind of “look at XX, heroically giving his time for the success of the company” retort
tomatocracy 7y ago
Sounds a bit like an old ‘legal fiction’ in England - person A claimed that they were unable to pay their taxes because person B owed them money so sued them in the Court of Exchequer (which was not supposed to hear disputes between two subjects but could hear disputes between people who owed the Crown money and the Crown). As the court was a bit more efficient at the time than some of the alternatives and everyone wanted a speedy resolution to the dispute, no one challenged the (non-existent) debt to the Crown.
narag 7y ago
Because the government (we call it "The State" here) can make a law to fuck everyone while we workers are powerless.
Agathos 7y ago
A few possible reasons come to mind. The government may not have standing to sue on the worker's behalf. The agency that prosecutes tax fraud may be larger and better funded than the agency that protects workers. One tax evasion charge may combine the cases of thousands of affected workers into one case, where the individual cases are too small and time consuming to pursue. The penalties for tax evasion may be more severe than the penalties for wage theft.
commandlinefan 7y ago
Because then the government actually pays attention.

To get someone (the government in this case) to care (change rules) it sometimes helps to frame a problem in a way that affects them. Maybe?

merpnderp 7y ago
That's sad that a government wouldn't see its citizens being robbed as a problem that affects them, as governments are directly responsible for the regulatory environment in which we all do business.
- mars4rp 7y ago
  In US, government is more run like a business, could we collect more revenue? yes? it's a good idea!!!
  - justaguyhere 7y ago
    To be fair to the US, it is the same in many other countries too.
- megablast 7y ago
  If people allow themselves to be robbed, and millions do everyday, there is nothing the government can do about it, just as if they are robbed by a mugger. If people aren't reporting it, then nothing will change.

deleted 7y ago

[deleted]

hrktb 7y ago

Feels less selfish, and also undermines any kind of “look at XX, heroically giving his time for the success of the company” retort

tomatocracy 7y ago

Sounds a bit like an old ‘legal fiction’ in England - person A claimed that they were unable to pay their taxes because person B owed them money so sued them in the Court of Exchequer (which was not supposed to hear disputes between two subjects but could hear disputes between people who owed the Crown money and the Crown). As the court was a bit more efficient at the time than some of the alternatives and everyone wanted a speedy resolution to the dispute, no one challenged the (non-existent) debt to the Crown.

narag 7y ago

Because the government (we call it "The State" here) can make a law to fuck everyone while we workers are powerless.

Agathos 7y ago

A few possible reasons come to mind. The government may not have standing to sue on the worker's behalf. The agency that prosecutes tax fraud may be larger and better funded than the agency that protects workers. One tax evasion charge may combine the cases of thousands of affected workers into one case, where the individual cases are too small and time consuming to pursue. The penalties for tax evasion may be more severe than the penalties for wage theft.

commandlinefan 7y ago

Because then the government actually pays attention.