CotesDuRhone

Equality of opportunity or equality of outcome?

Hi Chuck, I am not super knowledgeable about these financial aspects of large cities you are bringing to light here, but I have been very active in the YIMBY movement scene of my city, Boston. One of the things that comes up often in the YIMBY movement is that NIMBYism and the refusal to develop or make any changes whatsoever to a city actually causes decay and worse changes to the area in the longterm as opposed to what is commonly referred to as "preserving neighborhood character".
Im curious to know what your perspective is on NIMBYism, and some of the ideas being pushed forth by people who do want development, such as state mandated upzoning and removing development permitting from local towns and handing it to the state?

Any response that doesn’t involve increasing cap gains taxes is a cop out response (although increasing estate taxes isnt necessarily bad either).

Nobody in this country becomes wealthy through income. Income is for the middle class. You could increase all income taxes to 99% and it would not touch most dollars earned by the ultra wealthy.

It’s why very, very, rich people who identify with democrats (and Dem politicians) don’t ever talk about cap gains and instead talk about income. Its a distraction because understanding taxes on a paycheck is much easier to sell than understanding taxes on long term capital gains.

Essentially, they would rather increase taxes on middle to upper management than they would on the owners of the company or capital.

No disrespect to Bill here, but I implore you all to look into how the rich actually get their money. Its not through a paycheck. Thats why they pay a lower tax rate than you.

Tax cap gains over a certain threshold as income. It will solve this issue.

Not a gotcha question, this is something I’m actually curious about. Do you ever feel bad that you supported a trade that has wreaked havoc, terror, and horrific violence on Mexico and South and Central America? I have friends who immigrated from Mexico, and some of the stuff they tell me is unbelievable. Worse than ISIS, by a lot. Children being flayed of their skin in front of parents, mass executions of woman and children, beheadings, torture, death, etc. this is all in part to the money from the cocaine trade.

You were part of that chain, the money you bought the product with ultimately funds these organizations. Did you ever think about that stuff?

“Lets just stick to the easy questions about net neutrality, thanks”