tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21829866.post8020334022583469758..comments2023-08-20T07:06:14.115-04:00Comments on Thurber's Thoughts: Tax on 3000 sq.ft. homes?Maggiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12677808307727487766noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21829866.post-32606691435547849092007-08-26T19:24:00.000-04:002007-08-26T19:24:00.000-04:00Well, Matthew - you've completely misinterpreted m...Well, Matthew - you've completely misinterpreted my idea of 'incentive' versus 'disincentive'. You seem to assume that the only 'incentive' is when government subsidizes. That's not correct.<BR/><BR/>Government can provide an incentive by NOT taxing items. That act, alone, provides an incentive for investment or purchase as there is no 'penalty' in the form of a tax.<BR/><BR/>Incentives do not always equate to subsidies. And since the rest of your comments are based upon this false assumption, I'm not going to rebut them.<BR/><BR/>Additionally, I'm about fairness. It's not fair to allow some to have a mortgage deduction and prohibit others from having that same deduction. <BR/><BR/>Further, I don't believe in subsidies, as I can find nothing in the constitution which permits our government to take our money in order to give it (in one way or another) to others. But I apply this belief across the board...everything from farms/agriculture, to business, to income (as in most welfare programs) or even deciding to 'subsidize' ethanol production to try an encourage alternative fuels. In all of these instances, the government interference in the free market (or in what used to be a free market) doesn't make things better - it makes things worse by encouraging dependence upon the government for such 'support.' And in many instances, puts the government in charge of picking winners and losers...rather than letting us - the market - do so.<BR/><BR/>As for your concept that it is unnatural to want more 'space' ... I think I'd have to disagree. Exploration and the move of many to America - and then into the west - indicates that there is a natural desire for one's own space. Even today, families want space (i.e. yards) for their kids and pets to play and I see nothing unnatural, or illusionary, in such a desire.Maggiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12677808307727487766noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21829866.post-50629021687935949442007-08-26T13:41:00.000-04:002007-08-26T13:41:00.000-04:00You say we should build tax incentives into the sy...You say we should build tax incentives into the system rather than dis-incentives. This could be translated as: “I want subsidies for certain things and not others”. “Tax incentive” is a euphemism. Dingell’s plan is to remove a government subsidy. And a huge chunk of this $400 billion subsidy goes to the top 5% income earners. The bigger the house the more of a tax break. If you earn more than $200,000 than you should be against removing this subsidy, if you earn less than that you should support Dingell’s plan. Why give billions of dollars away to people who, if they weren’t subsidized, would mean they would have to forgo one less piece of designer furniture? What a cut in their quality of life!!! Meanwhile the savings from removing this subsidy could go towards research in energy efficient appliances and building materials that would benefit everyone. <BR/><BR/>Another point: There is nothing “natural” about wanting more space. Our system is subsidized in a way to encourage everyone to want more and bigger houses, cars, etc. The “naturalness” of this desire is an utter illusion.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15176646683802208479noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21829866.post-33285182290091713132007-08-15T14:28:00.000-04:002007-08-15T14:28:00.000-04:00people would just have to wreck a few feet of thei...people would just have to wreck a few feet of their homes to avoid the tax......Benhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00858781035308252728noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21829866.post-67706446698054803312007-08-13T09:19:00.000-04:002007-08-13T09:19:00.000-04:00Dingell is a bonehead. First, 3000 sq. ft. homes a...Dingell is a bonehead. First, 3000 sq. ft. homes are NOT mansions. Second, a 50-cent per gallon tax on gasoline is a sure fire way to <I>not</I> get elected again.<BR/><BR/>I just came back from Canada this weekend and had to fill up along the 401 (queens highway). The sticker on the pump said that 34% of the price of fuel was from taxation (only 3% was profit). So, on my $40 purchase, just over $13 was taxes. I can't wait for this to come to America!Publiushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02738978748809484109noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21829866.post-33094244999508799812007-08-11T11:20:00.000-04:002007-08-11T11:20:00.000-04:00Those who refuse to learn from history are destine...Those who refuse to learn from history are destined to repeat it! Does anyone on Capitol Hill remember the basis for the American Revolution? Was it not because of excess, ridiculous or just plain unpopular taxes that the American Colonists had no voice in? Taxation without representation? Granted, we have "elected" representation in Congress, but exactly who are they representing? Also, reference the French and Russian Revolutions and the basis for them as well. When will leadership learn? NO NEW TAXES!!!rick948https://www.blogger.com/profile/14165377072619705403noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21829866.post-45998687830975099302007-08-11T11:11:00.000-04:002007-08-11T11:11:00.000-04:00Maggie,The congress has no clue on offering incent...Maggie,<BR/><BR/>The congress has no clue on offering incentives, they don't understand them.<BR/><BR/>They'd much rather do the tried and true, tax and spend, tax and spend.<BR/><BR/>That's the Socialist mindset and, these days, it infects pretty much everybody in Washington.<BR/><BR/>You don't expect them to allow us to keep and spend (or invest/save) our own money when there are so many votes and voters that they still need to buy. . .<BR/><BR/>I grew up thinking that I was the best judge of how to spend/save/invest my money, and giving it to politicians for THEIR priorities certainly wasn't ever high on that list.<BR/><BR/>Their idea of helping the poor is giving them just enough of my/our money to keep them poor, uneducated and looking for the next check.<BR/><BR/>They don't really want to stop us building "Mc Mansions," they just want another method to further Socialize/Communize our formerly free country.Hooda Thunkit (Dave Zawodny)https://www.blogger.com/profile/13176392380086227377noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21829866.post-28317223241538459122007-08-11T10:54:00.000-04:002007-08-11T10:54:00.000-04:00No one need look any further than John Dingell to ...No one need look any further than John Dingell to figure out why Michigan is moving down the toilet faster than any state in the Union. His whole mind set is endemic of the citizens of Michigan. <BR/><BR/>No one need look any further than John Dingell to figure out why Michigan is moving down the toilet faster than any state in the Union. His whole mind set is endemic of the citizens of Michigan. <BR/><BR/>Doing a quick mirror check for Ohio, we should ask ourselves if we think the same way. I dear say at times that we holding on to Michigan’s shirt tails.Brianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05043279868308825316noreply@blogger.com