The Political Discussion Thread

[Annoyed]

Where do you think the federal government makes it's money?

Federal income tax. Each level of govt. can levy. So, we have federal income tax, state income tax, and localities such as NY City can levy income taxes too.

The tax reform plan changed the FEDERAL rules only.

[Gatefan1976]

Federal income tax. Each level of govt. can levy. So, we have federal income tax, state income tax, and localities such as NY City can levy income taxes too.

The tax reform plan changed the FEDERAL rules only.

God you are special aren't you.
The Federal government charges the STATES as well as having local taxes.
Who the **** do you think they make the most money from?
The people on 5 bucks an hour for all their lives living in middle America red states, or the people pulling in 15-20 bucks an hour?
Oh, and they you go ahead and cheer for the people pulling in 5000-10000 A MINUTE to get a tax break???
WTF is wrong with you?
How can you not see what you are doing??

[Annoyed]

God you are special aren't you.
The Federal government charges the STATES as well as having local taxes.
Who the **** do you think they make the most money from?
The people on 5 bucks an hour for all their lives living in middle America red states, or the people pulling in 15-20 bucks an hour?
Oh, and they you go ahead and cheer for the people pulling in 5000-10000 A MINUTE to get a tax break???
WTF is wrong with you?
How can you not see what you are doing??

To paraphrase Sarek in ST IV "The Voyage Home",
"It is difficult to participate in a discussion when you don't understand the ground rules."

The Federal government charges the STATES as well as having local taxes.

The feds cannot charge the individual states taxes. Nor can it charge for the states, I don't know what exactly, but you don't have our tax structure right.

PS: I hope you're not involved in the fires I've been seeing in the news.

[Gatefan1976]

To paraphrase Sarek in ST IV "The Voyage Home",
"It is difficult to participate in a discussion when you don't understand the ground rules."

The feds cannot charge the individual states taxes. Nor can it charge for the states, I don't know what exactly, but you don't have our tax structure right.

How do you think you figure out you GDP. How do you think you actually PAY for things?

PS: I hope you're not involved in the fires I've been seeing in the news.

No, but I am in the "ring of fire" around Sydney, and now they have spread to Melbourne over new years costing 4 people (including a firefighter) their lives.
(We were even considering cancelling the fireworks show for new years)
I don't want to devolve your nice comment into a debate, but WE SEE the results of climate change.
This did not happen when I was a kid, and I doubt it happened when you were.

[Annoyed]

How do you think you figure out you GDP. How do you think you actually PAY for things?

No, but I am in the "ring of fire" around Sydney, and now they have spread to Melbourne over new years costing 4 people (including a firefighter) their lives.
(We were even considering cancelling the fireworks show for new years)
I don't want to devolve your nice comment into a debate, but WE SEE the results of climate change.
This did not happen when I was a kid, and I doubt it happened when you were.

Ok, fair 'nuff. Hands off the environmental topic for this discussion.

Moving to main topic. What the heck does the GDP have to do with taxes levied by various jurisdictions?

[Gatefan1976]

Ok, fair 'nuff. Hands off the environmental topic for this discussion.

Moving to main topic. What the heck does the GDP have to do with taxes levied by various jurisdictions?

Do you think it is only "the people" who get a federal tax bill?
If you do, you are sadly mistaken.
States get them as well, and without the more prosperous states, the various poorer ones would be left behind.

[Annoyed]

Do you think it is only "the people" who get a federal tax bill?
If you do, you are sadly mistaken.
States get them as well, and without the more prosperous states, the various poorer ones would be left behind.

Examples? I'm not aware of and federal taxation of the states.

[LtColCarter]

Do you think it is only "the people" who get a federal tax bill?
If you do, you are sadly mistaken.
States get them as well, and without the more prosperous states, the various poorer ones would be left behind.

As a resident of the United States for 49 years...I've never heard of states receiving a Federal tax "bill." I did my own research. I found a lot of information about residents of states paying Federal taxes...but nothing about states paying Federal taxes. So, I inquired with a teacher who teaches government and economics on the campus where I teach. She said that states do not pay Federal taxes...the residents do.

So...stop the world from spinnin'...but I have to agree with Annoying on this one.

[mad_gater]

As a resident of the United States for 49 years...I've never heard of states receiving a Federal tax "bill." I did my own research. I found a lot of information about residents of states paying Federal taxes...but nothing about states paying Federal taxes. So, I inquired with a teacher who teaches government and economics on the campus where I teach. She said that states do not pay Federal taxes...the residents do.

So...stop the world from spinnin'...but I have to agree with Annoying on this one.

although states can RECEIVE Federal funds for various things.....some of it necessary and some of it not....most notably FEMA disaster relief as a necessity as many state budgets could never cover a full-blown disaster but like Annoyed I think that states should be largely left to manage their own affairs with minimal Federal oversight as the Founding Fathers intended

[Falcon Horus]

But drug costs overall are a huge problem here.

Did a little digging to see what my brand of generic Ritalin drug costs in the USA compared to my part of the world.

The main ingredient in my medication is methylphenidate hydrochloride, and I pay 6,42€ (7,17$) per box of 30 (10mg), which adds up to 57,78€ (64,52$) for 9 boxes.

The same kind of medication (10mg) in the USA goes for 30$ a month -- and that's the cheaper version cause other brands go from 170 to 215 dollars a month.

[Annoyed]

Did a little digging to see what my brand of generic Ritalin drug costs in the USA compared to my part of the world.

The main ingredient in my medication is methylphenidate hydrochloride, and I pay 6,42€ (7,17$) per box of 30 (10mg), which adds up to 57,78€ (64,52$) for 9 boxes.

The same kind of medication (10mg) in the USA goes for 30$ a month -- and that's the cheaper version cause other brands go from 170 to 215 dollars a month.

So, if I understood you correctly, you pay $7.17 for a month supply, while we pay $30.00 for that same month supply.

That's exactly my point. The US market pays far more for most drugs than other nations do, thereby we are subsidizing the cost for other markets.

It *should* cost the same no matter what nation its marketed in.

[Gatefan1976]

So, if I understood you correctly, you pay $7.17 for a month supply, while we pay $30.00 for that same month supply.

That's exactly my point. The US market pays far more for most drugs than other nations do, thereby we are subsidizing the cost for other markets.

It *should* cost the same no matter what nation its marketed in.

Who's fault is that?
Free market economy baby, charge what they can afford and damn the rest.

[Gatefan1976]

[Annoyed]

Ok, Enviros.. Meet the real world.

Who do you think is going to scream the loudest about this situation?

https://arstechnica.com/cars/2020/01...-for-road-use/

As a result, some states are starting to grapple with the problem of how to get drivers to pay for the roads they use in cars that use less or even no gas per mile. At the start of this year, Utah has begun a pilot Road Usage Charge program, coupled to an increase in registration fees for alternative fuel vehicles. Assuming a state gas tax of 30c/gallon and 15,542 miles/year driven, Utah says it collects $777 a year from a 6mpg heavy truck, $311 from a pickup getting 15mpg, $187 from a 25mpg sedan, $93 from a 50mpg hybrid, and nothing from anyone driving a battery EV.

So in 2020, Utah is increasing vehicle registration fees. In 2019, registering a BEV in Utah would cost $60; in 2020 that will be $90, increasing to $120 in 2021. PHEV fees were $26 in 2019, increasing to $39 this year and $52 in 2021, and not-plug-in hybrid fees have gone from $10 to $15, increasing to $20 next year. An extra $30 a year—or even $60 a year—is pretty small in the grand scheme of things, particularly considering how much cheaper an EV is to run.

But Utahns with EVs have an alternative. Instead of paying that flat fee, they can enroll in the pilot program that involves fitting a telematics device to the car. The device tracks the actual number of miles driven on Utah's roads. These are billed at a rate of 1.5c/mile, but only until the total equals whatever that year's registration fee for the vehicle would have been; participating in the pilot means you could pay less than you would otherwise, but Utah's Department of Transportation says that participants would not ever be charged more than that year's registration fee. The data will be collected by a contractor called Emovis, which operates toll roads around the US.

"This is just one of the avenues we’re investigating for the future because with all the alternative-fuel vehicles, there is going to come a time when the gas tax is not going to be able to fund transportation like it has for the past 100 years," said UDOT spokesperson John Gleason.

[Falcon Horus]

So, if I understood you correctly, you pay $7.17 for a month supply, while we pay $30.00 for that same month supply.

That's exactly my point. The US market pays far more for most drugs than other nations do, thereby we are subsidizing the cost for other markets.

It *should* cost the same no matter what nation its marketed in.

Indeed, and in theory it should cose the same.

Ok, Enviros.. Meet the real world.

Color me surprised but why wouldn't there be a roadtax in the first place?

I've been paying road tax for as long as I can remember.