The Free Ride Endeth :)

[tbhv55]

If nobody pays taxes, then who will fill the potholes in the streets?

Well said - this is so refreshing. I really wish that more people would think like this.

I see this as one of the major problems of our time: people grumble when public services are cut, but they don't want to pay, via taxes, into government coffers. Where do people think that the money will come from? It's totally irrational, since no-one (other than, perhaps, a shoplifter...) goes into a shop and expects to get the item that they want, but don't expect to pay for it.

 

[charjohncarter]

Some cities is California are up to almost 10% sales tax. Income tax isn't a big problem here because the income tax structure is so progressive only the wealthy pay income tax. Those is power don't want to lose votes by an obvious tax on the middle class. But a stealth tax like sale tax is OK. In 2008 'The Economist' had a article that said California had the most progressive (regressive if you are rich) income taxes in the world:

http://conclusionsdrawn.blogspot.com/2010/04/who-pays-california-income-taxes-here.html

Also you US citizens might like to read this, but I think that France has now topped the list:

http://www.dailymarkets.com/economy/2011/03/21/u-s-has-most-progressive-tax-system-for-oecd-24/

 

[KoNickon]

It's filling the potholes in some street that I'll never travel on that gets my goat. I used to purchase the bulk of my chemistry locally and paid the sales tax. When that became impossible because there is no local camera store I started shopping in NH, which has no sales tax. Now that those two shops have either closed or stopped carrying chemistry I must mail order. Paying sales tax to fix the roads in NYC is fine if I'm traveling to NYC, but I really don't see the point for mail order. Well I do see the point, every government is strapped for cash in the US, I just don't like it.

The VT tax form has a space (as I'm sure many state forms do) for telling the state how much sales tax you avoided and paying it.

But that's not what happens when you buy something by mail order. If the mail order vendor charges sales tax, it's the sales tax imposed by your residence state, and it's remitted by the vendor to your state's taxing authorities. It isn't paid to and retained by the vendor's state.

 

[VinceC]

Nor do I have a problem with fixing a pothole in the street in front of the Vendor's shop.

 

[splitimageview]

If nobody pays taxes, then who will fill the potholes in the streets?

Private enterprise, of course. We survived for many years without government invading every aspect of our life, and throwing money away at record pace.

No reason we can't go back to better days.

In general I have no problem whatsoever paying taxes; what gets my goat are the corrupt pols who waste it hand over fist. Before they get any additional 'balanced approach' revenue, they need to start showing some fiduciary responsibility.

 

[VinceC]

I believe private enterprise roads are called Toll Roads

 

[zauhar]

Private enterprise, of course. We survived for many years without government invading every aspect of our life, and throwing money away at record pace.

No reason we can't go back to better days.

In general I have no problem whatsoever paying taxes; what gets my goat are the corrupt pols who waste it hand over fist. Before they get any additional 'balanced approach' revenue, they need to start showing some fiduciary responsibility.

Private enterprise will fix a pothole in your street? Gosh, will you measure how far it is from each house to see who exactly should pay the bill? Maybe you can devise an equation to divide the bill amongst the households, depending on how far they are?

What about the potholes in the intersections, maybe you could be a nice guy and take care of those for the rest of us?

Getting back to the OP, did anyone figure out whether or not Adorama was making a mistake in charging a tax to a PA resident? I am pretty sure B & H has never charged me a tax, I think this was just an error.

A sales tax on internet transactions aimed at funding public priorities (infrastructure, e.g.) would a great idea. Then we won't have to lay all the charges for fixing potholes on 'digitalintrigue'. ;-)

Randy

 

[splitimageview]

My, my, exactly how did we possibly survive without all this government in years past? 🙂

There are already people and businesses in some locations in the US who are paying for private security, because the local governments have bankrupted themselves and can't pay for police. Same exact concept.

 

[tbhv55]

Private enterprise, of course.

But who is going to pay the private enterprises to do it? They're not in business for their own entertainment - someone has to pay them, or they won't do it!

waste it hand over fist

Even so-called "wasted" (a subjective view, at best) public money would be spent with businesses/contractors etc., and this money would provide profits for those businesses, employment for their workers, and would help to improve economic activity by engendering a sense of confidence.

Ultimately these businesses, and their workers, will pay money back into the "pot" through their taxes. Government spending is a "breathe-in and blow-out" exercise which keeps the wheels turning. And if the breathing stops... 😱. I rest my case, m'lud.

 

[frank-grumman]

Getting back to the OP, did anyone figure out whether or not Adorama was making a mistake in charging a tax to a PA resident? I am pretty sure B & H has never charged me a tax, I think this was just an error.

Randy

Yes, it is a glitch between OSX 10.8.3/Safari 6.0.3 and the new shopping cart templates that Adorama is putting in place. With Chrome, no such glitch, and no Sales Tax shows up. I have this info straight from Adorama IT.

 

[splitimageview]

But who is going to pay the private enterprises to do it? They're not in business for their own entertainment - someone has to pay them, or they won't do it!

Even so-called "wasted" (a subjective view, at best) public money would be spent with businesses/contractors etc., and this money would provide profits for those businesses, employment for their workers, and would help to improve economic activity by engendering a sense of confidence.

Ultimately these businesses, and their workers, will pay money back into the "pot" through their taxes. Government spending is a "breathe-in and blow-out" exercise which keeps the wheels turning. And if the breathing stops... 😱. I rest my case, m'lud.

The people that deem it important enough will, see the previous post.

Actually government spending serves to reduce private spending. There is no public money, remember. Economies are built by private enterprise, not public. The more government takes in, the harder it is to breathe. 🙁

 

[sepiareverb]

But that's not what happens when you buy something by mail order. If the mail order vendor charges sales tax, it's the sales tax imposed by your residence state, and it's remitted by the vendor to your state's taxing authorities. It isn't paid to and retained by the vendor's state.

Ah. So more money for the accountants too.

 

[tbhv55]

The people that deem it important enough will, see the previous post.

Actually government spending serves to reduce private spending. There is no public money, remember. Economies are built by private enterprise, not public. The more government takes in, the harder it is to breathe. 🙁

I can see that neither of us will persuade the other of our respective points of view, so I guess that we'll just have to agree to disagree...🙂

 

[splitimageview]

It's not really a 'point of view.' The government takes in revenue generated by private enterprise. It's not private enterprise that grows based on the largess of government. 🙂 The more funding not available to private growth, the less growth there will be, and the larger the government.

 

[zauhar]

My, my, exactly how did we possibly survive without all this government in years past? 🙂

There are already people and businesses in some locations in the US who are paying for private security, because the local governments have bankrupted themselves and can't pay for police. Same exact concept.

I don't actually remember a time when we got by without government. I am 53 years old, and grew up in a rural area near the base where my dad was stationed (he worked for the 'government' for 20 years by the way). The REA had installed electricity in the area during the depression, and the electric co-op did a wonderful job of keeping the power operating for decades. In the manner of the time, the workmen were pretty relaxed about things (you could often see them taking a coffee break by the side of the road), but in the manner of the time things worked better than today. After major storms it was unusual to be without power even as much as a day.

The county government used tax dollars to repair the roads, while the federal government did a great job of running everything else, from highways to national parks. I do not recall people b-tching about things not working well, the way they do today. You could of course find lots of waste and abuse back then if you wanted to track it down. So what? The fact that people like you can sit back unruffled while 'private enterprise' basically wrecks everything we have, from the financial system to the environment, all to satisfy the greed of a small minority, truly baffles me.

Randy

 

[splitimageview]

If it weren't for private enterprise, there would be no government services (efficient or not.)

And many government services are actually fulfilled by private enterprise.

The problem with government is there are no competitive alternatives. The money is grabbed whether the result is efficient, useful, or even needed. Not so with private enterprise, where companies must provide services and products that are competitive, or else they risk no longer existing. Sure would be nice if government could operate in the same manner...where efficiencies are rewarded, and inefficiency either results in improvements, or non-existence of the program.

As for private enterprise wrecking the financial system --- history shows that recessions are the result of government, almost without fail. The most recent recession, the subprime mess, was triggered by government policy and quasi government entities (Fannie and Freddie) run by corrupt managers that lined their own pockets with millions. Private banking fell pray to government guarantees. The market bubble was entirely caused by government pushing cheap money and easy loans, government-backed.

This isn't to say that private enterprise is entirely clean; far from it. However, history also shows those miscreants are punished. But what about government miscreants? Check out this video for a comparison.

 

[tbhv55]

It's not really a 'point of view.' The government takes in revenue generated by private enterprise. It's not private enterprise that grows based on the largess of government.

Many companies make much (in some instances, all) of their profit from government contracts. This isn't from government "largesse", it's from a public demand for public services. Zauhar made the point earlier in the thread, about the difficulty in deciding who should pay for which pothole. However, if we all pay in, then we can (and should) expect the repairs to be done - regardless of which roads we normally use. After all, we all could drive on any road at some time or other, and we should be able to expect not to have a wheel/tyre/suspension wrecked by potholes. Extend this (admittedly rather narrow) point across all public services. It makes sense, and is fair.

Anyway... having failed, no doubt, to persuade you of the cogency of my argument, I'm going to call a halt now, and return to one of my other interests... photography.😱😉

 

[splitimageview]

You haven't failed. 🙂 Of course, some private businesses benefit from government contracts. This includes pothole-filling. 😉 Those businesses are providing a service in exchange, of course.

I was speaking in terms of wealth creation. It most certainly comes from private sector efforts, not public.

The problem we have now, are basic services being neglected while monies are free-flowing into multi-billion dollar boondoggles, and even directly to our enemies. And then false pretexts, like sequester 'cuts' that aren't even 'cuts' to begin with (spending more this year than last cannot be a 'cut' in any sense of the word...except when it comes from the mouths of the political elites.)

 

[tbhv55]

You could of course find lots of waste and abuse back then if you wanted to track it down.

I spent many years working in both public and private sectors, and I can vouch for the fact that the private sector is very far from being immune to this.

sit back unruffled while 'private enterprise' basically wrecks everything we have, from the financial system to the environment, all to satisfy the greed of a small minority, truly baffles me.

Quite!!

 

[David Hughes]

...I was speaking in terms of wealth creation. It most certainly comes from private sector efforts, not public...

I find this notion that no one ever got rich on the back of the public sector difficult to swallow.

Regards, David