If you raise taxes on "The Rich", why do you think "The Rich" will stay?
By ParaTed2k
@ParaTed2k (22940)
Sheboygan, Wisconsin
February 23, 2011 4:05pm CST
Class Warfare Warriors only seem to have one answer for any question about states balancing their budgets. That is, "raise taxes on the rich". The more motivated ones even go so far as to point out statistics on how much "The Rich" average, and how much revenue could be raised if their taxes were increased by "x" amount.
But the question is, if you raise taxes on "The Rich", what is to stop "The Rich" from just leaving the state?
The same question applies to corporations. If you make it more expensive to run in one state, what is to stop them from simply moving their headquarters to a state with lower taxes?
1 person likes this
8 responses
@ParaTed2k (22940)
• Sheboygan, Wisconsin
23 Feb 11
No Gladys, I'm saying that class warfare arguments have no basis in reality.
@gladys46 (1205)
• United States
23 Feb 11
ParaTed, I have listened and read so much from so many people who don't even want to buy American ... they don't want to look for the "union label" .... working people, union people pay taxes too ... they pay payroll taxes every week, it's taken from their checks before they even see it!!
Class warfare you say ... please remember a republican WH took this nation to two disastrous wars, all those billions of dollars spent to no avail would never have been so profligately wasted, the bankers and wall street stole from ALL of us .. of course state budgets are falling short all across the country, why because millions are without work ... what we continue to hear from republicans as the scapegoating goes on and on is that public service workers are "wasteful" ... really!!
I'm too sick of that sort of class warfare ... the workers of this nation hold up the middle ... and they always have ... period.
@sierras236 (2739)
• United States
23 Feb 11
You know this is one of those conflicting issues for Democrats. They want everyone to be treated equally, yet they want to single out a specific group and charge them more money because they are in the "special" group. What a dilemma. Not sure how "equality" means enacting laws that are "not equal" just by their very definition.
@ParaTed2k (22940)
• Sheboygan, Wisconsin
23 Feb 11
Well, the problem is, they are insisting on something that doesn't exist. They don't want equality of opportunity, they want equality of outcome... and in reality, neither are possible, because they depend on someone's "idea" of what the "equality" means in the first place.
@sierras236 (2739)
• United States
23 Feb 11
Precisely, why they are all caught up in a Catch-22 and why the hypocrisy is so glaringly obvious.
@Taskr36 (13963)
• United States
23 Feb 11
I think that a lot of poor, middle class, and uneducated people just don't realize how easy it is for rich people to move. If you're family income is 30-40K, moving is a lot of work. If you're family income is 15-29K, it's extremely unrealistic. If you're a millionaire, you could be fully relocated with furniture properly arranged at your new home one state over inside of 3 days with cable, internet and phone fully installed and ready to go.
If people really believe that you can just tax the crap out of millionaires at the state level without consequences, they should look at what happened when Gov Corzine and the democrats in New Jersey tried that. The state lost $70 billion in wealth over 5 years.
http://www.nj.com/business/index.ssf/2010/02/nj_loses_70b_in_wealth_over_fo.html
Than there's this article that addresses the nationwide shift with people abandoning high tax states like California and New Jersey for low tax states like New Hampshire and Florida.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124260067214828295.html
@ParaTed2k (22940)
• Sheboygan, Wisconsin
23 Feb 11
Exactly Taskr! Class warfare is disproven with this little thing called, reality.
@dragon54u (31636)
• United States
24 Feb 11
Our new governor in Ohio agrees. Our state has lost many businesses and 600,000 jobs in the past few years with "Taxin' Teddy" Strickland. Casick has promised to make it a more attractive business climate to lure businesses back into Ohio.
Taxing the rich is ridiculous. They are invested in the stock market, businesses both local and national, they support the very charities that many of the "tax the rich" fans take advantage of. They support the arts and cultural institutions and most use a lot of their wealth for the good of their fellow citizens. Back in the 70's they used to use a lot of tax shelters to preserve their wealth but since those were abolished due to tax "reforms" they pour their money into charities and into supporting businesses that provide employment.
New York is losing their "rich" due to high taxation. The people that are calling for more taxes on the "rich" don't realize that once the wealthy are gone they themselves will have to shoulder the tax burden.
This class warfare is ridiculous and self destructive.
@spalladino (17891)
• United States
25 Feb 11
Are you suggesting that the playing field is level state by state now, Ted? There are already several states in the country that have lower...or higher taxes...than others so how will raising taxes change that?
@laglen (19759)
• United States
24 Feb 11
Quite simply, nothing is to stop them. If I were in that position, I would by myself an undiscovered island and get the hell out of here.
@murkie (1103)
• Philippines
24 Feb 11
if you raise taxes for the rich, or even scheme something against the rich, you would be wasting your time. the rich became rich because they know their way through.
addressing your topic, some of the rich will stay, some will go away. some will stay because a.their loss might be greater if they move, and/or b.they could find a way to outmanuever the new scheme.
the reason they were rich in the first place is because they know their way around. they could even buy themselves lawyers, judges, legislators and influence (i'm talking about big corporations and consortiums here).
