4 ms·

Why not tax the merely rich too? I'm probably going to be one of them in a few years. I want to pay more tax to help benefit the society that let me get to wher

Why not tax the merely rich too? I'm probably going to be one of them in a few years. I want to pay more tax to help benefit the society that let me get to where I'm going, but I absolutely want everyone else in my position to pay too. Anyway, I agree with your idea about the south east. As the article points out, Thatcher's policies focused on the south east and ignored the "North" (part of the problem being no one can agree where the North starts or ends). Ideas like HS2 pushed by the new Tories are also just making it possible to live in the north and yet still work in London, not solving any problem.

goodcanadian 7y ago
Ideas like HS2 pushed by the new Tories are also just making it possible to live in the north and yet still work in London . . . I would also argue that it allows businesses and industry to operate in the north without the location penalty. In other words, it effectively brings the areas served closer together. I won't argue whether it is the best solution, but it isn't as harebrained as some of the detractors try to imply.
- sleavey 7y ago
  I don't get this "location penalty" idea. We have the internet. Businesses already operate globally without the need to constantly fly upper management around the world. The problem is that the talent live in the south east because that's where the jobs are. It's not about the transport links between the south and the north, it's the lack of well compensated jobs in the north to attract business there because of all the other reasons.
  - goatinaboat 7y ago
    And the only way to break the cycle is to stop building more houses in the South East.
  - goodcanadian 7y ago
    Why does ycombinator want applicants to move to the Bay area? Whether it makes sense or not, the location effect is real. Improving transport links increases the size of the "local" area allowing the network effects to reach farther.
goatinaboat 7y ago
I want to pay more tax to help benefit the society that let me get to where I'm going Well, you can do that anytime you like. Just make a donation to your local hospital, they’ll be more than happy to accept it.
- distances 7y ago
  Like the parent, I'm also in favour of proper taxation. And as they said, it needs to be a policy. Nobody is striving to place themselves alone in disadvantaged position, as you surely understand. The rhetoric of it being possible to donate one's money is utterly unhelpful.
- sleavey 7y ago
  I specifically said I want to pay more as long as everyone else in my position also pays more. I also don't want hospitals to have to rely on altruism, they should rely on tax.

goodcanadian 7y ago

Ideas like HS2 pushed by the new Tories are also just making it possible to live in the north and yet still work in London . . . I would also argue that it allows businesses and industry to operate in the north without the location penalty. In other words, it effectively brings the areas served closer together. I won't argue whether it is the best solution, but it isn't as harebrained as some of the detractors try to imply.

sleavey 7y ago
I don't get this "location penalty" idea. We have the internet. Businesses already operate globally without the need to constantly fly upper management around the world. The problem is that the talent live in the south east because that's where the jobs are. It's not about the transport links between the south and the north, it's the lack of well compensated jobs in the north to attract business there because of all the other reasons.
- goatinaboat 7y ago
  And the only way to break the cycle is to stop building more houses in the South East.
- goodcanadian 7y ago
  Why does ycombinator want applicants to move to the Bay area? Whether it makes sense or not, the location effect is real. Improving transport links increases the size of the "local" area allowing the network effects to reach farther.

goatinaboat 7y ago

I want to pay more tax to help benefit the society that let me get to where I'm going Well, you can do that anytime you like. Just make a donation to your local hospital, they’ll be more than happy to accept it.

distances 7y ago
Like the parent, I'm also in favour of proper taxation. And as they said, it needs to be a policy. Nobody is striving to place themselves alone in disadvantaged position, as you surely understand. The rhetoric of it being possible to donate one's money is utterly unhelpful.
sleavey 7y ago
I specifically said I want to pay more as long as everyone else in my position also pays more. I also don't want hospitals to have to rely on altruism, they should rely on tax.