And here we thought CA was loony... welcome NY

[faceking]

18% tax on soda, iPod tax, movie theater tax, sporting event tax, taxi tax, bus tax, limo tax, cable TV tax, radio tax, clothing tax...

What goes oft unasked, is during boom years, where is the surplus... well, surplus goes to big government at the state level.

I look at San Francisco, that operated on budgets of current years, but enjoyed real estate booms and assessments of 30%+ yearly... much less unprecedented commercial/industrial growth, and now the city is bankrupt.

Love the post...

Dear New Yorkers please stay where you are. If many of you are like Californians you elect greedy incompetent politicians who tax, tax, tax while delivering less, less, less, then you despair and move down here. Alas when you arrive you start demanding the same policies from similar greedy incompetent politicians to transform down here (The Southwest) into the same messy nightmare you fled. Stay there enjoy what you voted for.

Let me guess where Steve Jobs flies in on this one.... will be interesting how "socially cool" Apple is with Barrah, yet not so cool on taxing iTunes ;-)

 

[2322]

New York was fucked-up long before California became a state. It has always been fucked-up.

 

[faceking]

New York was fucked-up long before California became a state. It has always been fucked-up.

Doesn't excuse it.

Was a time, not too long ago, that the Californian Constitution was the 2nd longest constitution in the world... 2nd only to the Soviet Socialsts States Republic, and that's only because the Ruskies couldn't reference a minor/inferior body of legislation, it was all drawn out. So don't credit NY with this emeritus-like status...

Regardless... you can't keep squeezing blood out of the most productive turnips.

 

[D_Juan Tootree]

Especially in states like these (CA and NY), where the top 1% pays 40 to 50% of all taxes. You are squeezing those people so dry, that their departure is inevitable. And what happens when they get fed up with it and leave and go to a different state? You lose jobs, and you lose the people that were paying a majority of taxes... setting yourself up for economic disaster.

 

[2322]

Doesn't excuse it.

I didn't say that it did.

 

[B_VinylBoy]

As long as they're not taxing night clubs, I don't care. Quite frankly, I don't drink soda, can download movies, and live in Chelsea so I barely ever need a taxi. All of this is stuff being proposed to help pay off the deficit in our state anyhow, and for most these are all luxury items. A little crazy, yes... but then we are talking about a city that forces night establishments to have a cabaret license so people can dance.

But hey, we have Broadway, Christopher Street and the largest, concentrated area of Book stores & Glory Holes this side of the Mason/Dixon Line! Actually, I don't know if the last bit is true. Alas, nobody moves to New York if they're looking for normalcy. :wink:

 

[D_Juan Tootree]

As long as they're not taxing night clubs, I don't care. Quite frankly, I don't drink soda, can download movies, and live in Chelsea so I barely ever need a taxi. All of this is stuff being proposed to help pay off the deficit in our state anyhow, and for most these are all luxury items.

Taxing more is never going to solve the deficit problem because it doesn't get at the root of the problem... state and federal governments total inability to spend within its means. Taxing every possible luxury item only actually takes more spending money away from people, and keeps them from redistributing it into an ailing economy that badly needs it. Outrageous taxation at a time of economic recession is a recipe for depression, and you are just denying the problem and making up excuses.

Vote D for deficit, vote D for Depression, vote D for Democrat! woooo!:biggrin1:

 

[Industrialsize]

Taxing more is never going to solve the deficit problem because it doesn't get at the root of the problem... state and federal governments total inability to spend within its means. Taxing every possible luxury item only actually takes more spending money away from people, and keeps them from redistributing it into an ailing economy that badly needs it. Outrageous taxation at a time of economic recession is a recipe for depression, and you are just denying the problem and making up excuses.

Vote D for deficit, vote D for Depression, vote D for Democrat! woooo!:biggrin1:

I thought it was under the "R" Bush administration that the deficit exploded?

 

[B_Nick8]

I pay taxes in both Massachusetts and New York so I suppose I'm twice screwed.

 

[faceking]

I thought it was under the "R" Bush administration that the deficit exploded?

States can certainly run their own budgets, regardless of the federal. Yes there's an impact, but there's a mountain of evidence that shows an inverse correlation for some states during federal budgetary 'swings'.

 

[B_starinvestor]

As long as they're not taxing night clubs, I don't care. Quite frankly, I don't drink soda, can download movies, and live in Chelsea so I barely ever need a taxi. All of this is stuff being proposed to help pay off the deficit in our state anyhow, and for most these are all luxury items. A little crazy, yes... but then we are talking about a city that forces night establishments to have a cabaret license so people can dance.

But hey, we have Broadway, Christopher Street and the largest, concentrated area of Book stores & Glory Holes this side of the Mason/Dixon Line! Actually, I don't know if the last bit is true. Alas, nobody moves to New York if they're looking for normalcy. :wink:

With the implosion of Wall Street NYC is up the River....big time. The corporate and individual tax base that just went up in smoke ran that city. Oh, and social services/charities recieved 90% of their funding from Wall Street-related concerns...so they are skeeeroowed too.

Real estate owners sucking wind with bankrupted tenants, taking losses - no more taxes....capital gains taxes....kiss them goodby for 5 years.

I can't imagine any city being hit as hard as the Big Apple in this f'ed up financial nuke bomb.

Oh, Cali...a geographical bug-light for kookie/insane/paranoid/full-on wacko politicians. I visit S.F. couple x's per year...sneak in under cover of night, incognito, wallet strapped to thigh with duct tape and don't buy anything save for a few Gin/tonics.

 

[B_VinylBoy]

Taxing more is never going to solve the deficit problem because it doesn't get at the root of the problem... state and federal governments total inability to spend within its means. Taxing every possible luxury item only actually takes more spending money away from people, and keeps them from redistributing it into an ailing economy that badly needs it. Outrageous taxation at a time of economic recession is a recipe for depression, and you are just denying the problem and making up excuses.

I disagree...
Luxury items are wanted items, not necessities. I admit that the taxing is a little extreme, however, at one point does a state or country become responsible enough to take care of their own debts? Are we to borrow more money to take care of it? Hell, we all know what excessive borrowing lead to in this country! I like soda like anyone else. But I don't need it. Water and juice is fine. I also like to catch cabs. But I can rely on public transportation. And I live in the middle of Manhattan so I can walk just about anywhere. If anything, this allows some level of recoupment for our deficit. And it forces people to be more financially responsible for their daily needs. Unless you're not a responsible person who overly depends on these luxuries, none of these higher taxes mean the end of the world.

Responsible adults know that the next 8 years is gonna be tough. We should stop looking for every chance to complain because EVERYTHING is going to be affected. If we're ever going to get back on track in this country, be prepared for the shit to hit the fan and man up.

Vote D for deficit, vote D for Depression, vote D for Democrat! woooo!:biggrin1:

And vote "R" for recession. While we're at it, vote "C" for corruption as well. The game of tired rhetoric goes both ways, dude. Can the melodrama already.

 

[Hockeytiger]

It may seem loony, but at least they are attempting to balance their budget, unlike California and the Feds.