Taxation on consumption and for negative externalities, like pollution, is less worse than tax on income under about $60K.
However both of those are extremely regressive. So while reducing income tax, you must also make it equally progressive... to maintain the balance of things.
I'd also comment that larger fines for law breakers (as in corporate law breakers) would also be better than payroll tax.
If you were to take the percentage representation of untimely deaths, per capita, which occur in the United States... I suppose as defined by coroner examination: Car & Motorcycle Crash, Gun Shot, Bad Puns, My Ex-Wife's Cooking... And divide it proportionally by the equivalent of a percent or two of payroll or income tax... and then levy that tax on the consumers and or traders of such commodities (Cars, Motorcycles, Guns, Puns, Ex-wives), instead.
In this way a working stiff such as myself can avoid some taxation by avoiding negative externalites and still work a full time job.
Given the Nature of the Colbert Report, I think they'd get a lot more millage out naming the toilet of him. I think his fans would really enjoy their artificial outrage... or at least I know I would.
I subscribed to Analog for years (paying the international delivery premium)... until they annoyed me into cancellation. And you are right, there are so many other ways to get good Science Fiction and better Science Fact, magazines like Analog are loosing out. Why should I pay a premium for a paper copy that annoys me, is entirely discretionary, and is easily replaced with less costly or even free alternatives.
I'll also add that the cranky old curmudgeon in me suspects that they may deserve it because their editorial stance (and perhaps managerial prospective) is even more curmudgeonly than me.
For what it is worth, with the exception of Nature, I have entirely replaced all of my broadcast and subscription media with free serialized podcasts: I listen to them in my car, while I exercise, while I work, and in my home. I listen to a very broad range of topics (it's amazing what is available). Many of these podcasts feature authors, musicians, scientists, or films which I would like to look into or read or whatever. Invariably my searches progress in this order: legitimately free distribution sites, pirate sites, rental, used media, and then online stores. (I don't shop in local stores because I don't speak German as first language). I do this so much I have a few Applescripts and Automator actions for it.
I do keep track of eBooks (if rather loosely) and one is absolutely on my wish list. Personally I don't like the Kindle, I don't like DRM (obviously), I don't like proprietary file formats. The iRex is very, very close to fulfilling my wanted feature list... but it is rather pricey and I'm on a fixed and rather limited income. I agree with the "cheap, reusable or recyclable programmable paper replacing grab-and-read magazines at the supermarket check-out line". But I require at home reprogramming over wireless connections.
Oh... it's not just the Neo-Cons. It's also all the folks that fled the republican party following the disaster of George W. Bush's policies. These days they're rubbing themselves with their Bigotry, Selfishness, and Sadism claiming it's all in the name of "Freedom" & "Liberty".
I am a scientist, not a typesetter! And I wound up doing several iterations of this to get something that older versions of MS Word (running on older versions of windows?).
So bottom line, I used Rich Text and a MS font. I blame this on MS making their applications so picky when opening various competing filetypes.
NO! I am not advocating for people to get into loans or any other debt they would not have normally gotten into. I am not advocating that all people who particpate in the program use their voucher to buy a brand new American car. I am not advocating that all Americans who drive junkers be forcefully put into this program.
What I am advocating is a program which removes the oldest and worst autos from the market and which encourages people who participate in that program to buy a safer, more efficient car. And I am advocating a substantial increase in the national tax on gasoline. And I am advocating strict enforcement of emission and safety regulations. Not everyone drives a junker for the same reason. Not everyone would be willing to to participate in such a program (nor are they in any sense required to). For some folks it would make sense, for some not...
As far as refinancing... this becomes more problematic. I would support a program which allowed people to refinance with no artificial penalties (as normally assessed by mortgage lenders). Provided they were not fraudulent on the original loan; they qualify for the refinance; the amount refinanced is less than 80% of a current assessment of the property used for collateral; the type of loan is a conservative standard mortgage, with no chicanery to temporarily lower or defer the monthly payments. I do not want to encourage the moral hazard of people buying homes they could not honestly afford / were overpriced, or those who were deceptive on their original loan applications... but all of that is completely off topic.
If bad cars were not taken off the market and crushed. If emission control laws and safety laws were not enforced. If people were not motivated to buy cleaner more efficient cars (i.e. If now that gas is temporarily low, all those folks went out and buy SUVs). Then, yes you are correct.
This can be avoided by enforcing existing emission and safety regulations; Ensuring all cars in this program are crushed, dismantled, recycled, or in some other way really removed from the market; and keeping a price floor on gasoline by way of federal taxes.
I am making no claims of any behavior which is not part of the normal car buying behavior seen in the US everyday... which was a simple retelling of *exactly* what you first described. More over, it sounds to me like you've already it's decided it's terrible and are now struggling to come up with reasons to fit your predisposition.
Have fun with your imagination... it sure doesn't look like it has any relation with reality.
This is because Americans spend a lot more time and effort telling themselves that public transportation can not work and is frequented by people outside of my race & social status, when compared to Europeans.
For what it's worth: I am an American expat living in Europe.
CO2 is not the only component of auto exhaust. Exhaust is not only component of environmental impact during the complete life cycle of the auto. So I think you are oversimplifying things too much.
It *is* good economics. Maybe it does not lend an astonishing improvement in fleet efficiency but it does spark car sales.
Another way to describe what you have is 4 people trade in their clunker and buy increasingly expensive replacement vehicles. One guy buys a car with the same price as the value of the voucher, another adds in some from their savings, the third takes out an auto loan equal to value of voucher, and the forth uses the voucher as a down payment for a 3-5 year Auto loan. That is a lot of money changing hands.
What would improve fleet efficiency if all this happened with fuel being over $3.00 per gallon. So paying for the program with a national fuel tax would dramatically strengthen the effects... 1: it would encourage participation 2: it would make vehicle efficiency a more important factor in future purchases 3: It would allow for a larger program (more clunkers off the road).
Slashdot Mirror
I've long thought that in general we putting the UPS on wrong side of the power supply... So I was intrigued by Google's solution.
Sin tax is stupid.
Taxation on consumption and for negative externalities, like pollution, is less worse than tax on income under about $60K.
However both of those are extremely regressive. So while reducing income tax, you must also make it equally progressive... to maintain the balance of things.
I'd also comment that larger fines for law breakers (as in corporate law breakers) would also be better than payroll tax.
I Like this idea.
If you were to take the percentage representation of untimely deaths, per capita, which occur in the United States... I suppose as defined by coroner examination: Car & Motorcycle Crash, Gun Shot, Bad Puns, My Ex-Wife's Cooking... And divide it proportionally by the equivalent of a percent or two of payroll or income tax... and then levy that tax on the consumers and or traders of such commodities (Cars, Motorcycles, Guns, Puns, Ex-wives), instead.
In this way a working stiff such as myself can avoid some taxation by avoiding negative externalites and still work a full time job.
Given the Nature of the Colbert Report, I think they'd get a lot more millage out naming the toilet of him. I think his fans would really enjoy their artificial outrage... or at least I know I would.
Besides, I voted for Serenity
So it looks like the Safari 4 beta causes the growl plugin for the mail.app to crash the mail.app
great.
Would it be so hard to add the OpenDNS IP addresses to the story... It's not all that hard for home users to change their DNS server addresses.
Addresses: 208.67.222.222 and 208.67.220.220
Or if you need more help, look here: https://www.opendns.com/smb/start
I subscribed to Analog for years (paying the international delivery premium)... until they annoyed me into cancellation. And you are right, there are so many other ways to get good Science Fiction and better Science Fact, magazines like Analog are loosing out. Why should I pay a premium for a paper copy that annoys me, is entirely discretionary, and is easily replaced with less costly or even free alternatives.
I'll also add that the cranky old curmudgeon in me suspects that they may deserve it because their editorial stance (and perhaps managerial prospective) is even more curmudgeonly than me.
For what it is worth, with the exception of Nature, I have entirely replaced all of my broadcast and subscription media with free serialized podcasts: I listen to them in my car, while I exercise, while I work, and in my home. I listen to a very broad range of topics (it's amazing what is available). Many of these podcasts feature authors, musicians, scientists, or films which I would like to look into or read or whatever. Invariably my searches progress in this order: legitimately free distribution sites, pirate sites, rental, used media, and then online stores. (I don't shop in local stores because I don't speak German as first language). I do this so much I have a few Applescripts and Automator actions for it.
I do keep track of eBooks (if rather loosely) and one is absolutely on my wish list. Personally I don't like the Kindle, I don't like DRM (obviously), I don't like proprietary file formats. The iRex is very, very close to fulfilling my wanted feature list... but it is rather pricey and I'm on a fixed and rather limited income. I agree with the "cheap, reusable or recyclable programmable paper replacing grab-and-read magazines at the supermarket check-out line". But I require at home reprogramming over wireless connections.
Oh... it's not just the Neo-Cons. It's also all the folks that fled the republican party following the disaster of George W. Bush's policies. These days they're rubbing themselves with their Bigotry, Selfishness, and Sadism claiming it's all in the name of "Freedom" & "Liberty".
Not as much fallout as what is created by burning coal to create electricity.
Like I said. My problem is not communicating with other scientists. My problem is potential employers.
No doubt... but it hardly matters when you are trying to get a job.
LaTex is not a problem for me. Getting unknown HR people in various potential employers to learn how to read various filetypes is.
Well that and "Word" filetype now having several meanings.
I am currently looking for a job (as I suppose a lot of folks are). At home we all use Macs. My Girlfriend has Apple Pages, so I decided to use it. I was astounded how easy it was to make a resumé that looked pretty good from one of the templates. So I applied for a job and sent them the Word export (as I figured word was a default filetype). Not only does the resumé look really bad, many windows users can not open it. So I exported to PDF, same. So I took it to where I work now opened with the current version of word (disaster!)... spent a while fixing it, saved it... and people have trouble opening docx files in the more common older MS Word application.
I am a scientist, not a typesetter! And I wound up doing several iterations of this to get something that older versions of MS Word (running on older versions of windows?).
So bottom line, I used Rich Text and a MS font. I blame this on MS making their applications so picky when opening various competing filetypes.
Great idea, lets start with you.
It is not a sham... what is a sham is the lie of the "Free Market" or the idea that somehow an unrestrained market is in our best interest.
NO! I am not advocating for people to get into loans or any other debt they would not have normally gotten into. I am not advocating that all people who particpate in the program use their voucher to buy a brand new American car. I am not advocating that all Americans who drive junkers be forcefully put into this program.
What I am advocating is a program which removes the oldest and worst autos from the market and which encourages people who participate in that program to buy a safer, more efficient car. And I am advocating a substantial increase in the national tax on gasoline. And I am advocating strict enforcement of emission and safety regulations. Not everyone drives a junker for the same reason. Not everyone would be willing to to participate in such a program (nor are they in any sense required to). For some folks it would make sense, for some not...
As far as refinancing... this becomes more problematic. I would support a program which allowed people to refinance with no artificial penalties (as normally assessed by mortgage lenders). Provided they were not fraudulent on the original loan; they qualify for the refinance; the amount refinanced is less than 80% of a current assessment of the property used for collateral; the type of loan is a conservative standard mortgage, with no chicanery to temporarily lower or defer the monthly payments. I do not want to encourage the moral hazard of people buying homes they could not honestly afford / were overpriced, or those who were deceptive on their original loan applications... but all of that is completely off topic.
If bad cars were not taken off the market and crushed. If emission control laws and safety laws were not enforced. If people were not motivated to buy cleaner more efficient cars (i.e. If now that gas is temporarily low, all those folks went out and buy SUVs). Then, yes you are correct.
This can be avoided by enforcing existing emission and safety regulations; Ensuring all cars in this program are crushed, dismantled, recycled, or in some other way really removed from the market; and keeping a price floor on gasoline by way of federal taxes.
Did you even read my comment... all of it?
I am making no claims of any behavior which is not part of the normal car buying behavior seen in the US everyday... which was a simple retelling of *exactly* what you first described. More over, it sounds to me like you've already it's decided it's terrible and are now struggling to come up with reasons to fit your predisposition.
Have fun with your imagination... it sure doesn't look like it has any relation with reality.
This is because Americans spend a lot more time and effort telling themselves that public transportation can not work and is frequented by people outside of my race & social status, when compared to Europeans.
For what it's worth: I am an American expat living in Europe.
CO2 is not the only component of auto exhaust. Exhaust is not only component of environmental impact during the complete life cycle of the auto. So I think you are oversimplifying things too much.
It *is* good economics. Maybe it does not lend an astonishing improvement in fleet efficiency but it does spark car sales.
Another way to describe what you have is 4 people trade in their clunker and buy increasingly expensive replacement vehicles. One guy buys a car with the same price as the value of the voucher, another adds in some from their savings, the third takes out an auto loan equal to value of voucher, and the forth uses the voucher as a down payment for a 3-5 year Auto loan. That is a lot of money changing hands.
What would improve fleet efficiency if all this happened with fuel being over $3.00 per gallon. So paying for the program with a national fuel tax would dramatically strengthen the effects... 1: it would encourage participation 2: it would make vehicle efficiency a more important factor in future purchases 3: It would allow for a larger program (more clunkers off the road).
What's the quote? "One Test is Worth 1,000 Expert Opinions".
So build a few variations and lets see what the deal is.
I think that maybe the only photo I've ever seen with someone in normal clothing anywhere near a piece of kit belonging to NASA and going into space.
A casual perusal did not really confirm the connection between Galois.com and the NSA.
Google did not really help either:
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&as_q=NSA&as_epq=&as_oq=&as_eq=&num=10&lr=&as_filetype=&ft=i&as_sitesearch=www.galois.com&as_qdr=all&as_rights=&as_occt=any&cr=&as_nlo=&as_nhi=&safe=on
http://www.google.com/search?q=NSA+Galois