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> So if those 5000 people are doing work that is not valuable, we should keep paying them to do worthless work? And > This is why we need a good social safety

by bb88 7y ago

> So if those 5000 people are doing work that is not valuable, we should keep paying them to do worthless work? And > This is why we need a good social safety net... If we raise corporate taxes to create that social net, companies will fire more employees. If we raise taxes on wealthy individuals, people will complain that we're stifling innovation -- which creates jobs. If we raise taxes on everyone else to make up the safety social net, the taxes will most likely hurt consumer spending power -- which drives the economy. So is it really so terrible to keep those people employed? 5000 people at 100,000k a piece is what? 500 million a year at their once prospective evaluation at $47 billion? It's not a drop in the bucket, but it would be better if the company shared some of the profits to make up for the personal shortfall. It seems to me they could give a years worth of salary and still be okay at a $47 billion dollar valuation.

cortesoft 7y ago
> If we raise taxes on everyone else to make up the safety social net, the taxes will most likely hurt consumer spending power -- which drives the economy. Except that the money is going back to people who are going to spend it, driving the economy. We aren't taking the money out of circulation.
- bb88 7y ago
  > Except that the money is going back to people who are going to spend it 1. People have disposable income. With higher taxes needed for the safety net, they will have a lot less of that. Less dinners, 2. One way to measure the success of the economy is to look at GDP. Another way to look at it is how much are people making from employment. GDP may still be the same, but actual employment may be lower. So yes, it can still drive the economy, but through the lack of jobs.
  - cortesoft 7y ago
    I would think both average quality of life and the quality of life of the worst off would be a better measure than "employment" Employment is not an intrinsic good, it is a means to an end.

by bb88 7y ago

cortesoft 7y ago

> If we raise taxes on everyone else to make up the safety social net, the taxes will most likely hurt consumer spending power -- which drives the economy. Except that the money is going back to people who are going to spend it, driving the economy. We aren't taking the money out of circulation.

bb88 7y ago
> Except that the money is going back to people who are going to spend it 1. People have disposable income. With higher taxes needed for the safety net, they will have a lot less of that. Less dinners, 2. One way to measure the success of the economy is to look at GDP. Another way to look at it is how much are people making from employment. GDP may still be the same, but actual employment may be lower. So yes, it can still drive the economy, but through the lack of jobs.
- cortesoft 7y ago
  I would think both average quality of life and the quality of life of the worst off would be a better measure than "employment" Employment is not an intrinsic good, it is a means to an end.