POLITICS SCHMALITICS

[1776]

California has a $97.5 billion surplus. The checks are for up to $1,050 and go out in late October, just in time for election day 😉

Edited July 10, 2022 by 1776

[Motown Bombers]

Ohhh before election day. The Republicans may have had a chance of winning California if not for some checks.

 

[gehringer_2]

46 minutes ago, 1776 said:

A tax cut would be more beneficial.

That depends on for whom

 

[Motown Bombers]

A surplus this large is likely to be a one time thing so essentially they are giving a tax cut.

What is more beneficial than a tax cut is California becoming the first state in the country to provide its citizens with universal health care and manufacture and sell insulin near cost. 

[1776]

25 minutes ago, gehringer_2 said:

That depends on for whom

 

How about a flat income tax across the board?
North Carolina is currently lowering its state income tax incrementally until it bottoms at 3.99% in two or three years. 

[Motown Bombers]

5 minutes ago, 1776 said:

How about a flat income tax across the board?
North Carolina is currently lowering its state income tax incrementally until it bottoms at 3.99% in two or three years. 

In other words you want California to raise taxes on the poor and cut taxes on the wealthy. 

[1776]

More specifically:

Starting January 1, 2022, the state's flat individual income tax rate will be reduced from 5.25 to 4.99 percent. The rate will be reduced further each year until it reaches 3.99 percent starting January 1, 2027.
 

 

[CMRivdogs]

3 hours ago, 1776 said:

…which makes it all the more idiotic and shortsighted to play politics with a suspension of the federal gas tax. 

Especially most of the proposals that were kicked around here were for relatively short periods. Meanwhile, road projects get kicked down the road because of lack of funding. And voters will scream when the taxes return. 

edit

Just to be clear I was including state and local tax rollacks as well as federal ones

Edited July 10, 2022 by CMRivdogs

[gehringer_2]

2 minutes ago, 1776 said:

How about a flat income tax across the board?
North Carolina is currently lowering its state income tax incrementally until it bottoms at 3.99% in two or three years. 

Having lived in MI with a similar flat tax (4.25%) and Minnesota with a higher graduated one, I’d rather pay MNs taxes and have their Ed and services than save a couple % in April. You get what you pay for. Americans have been conned about taxes by the rich. The trick is not low taxes, it’s properly spent taxes. The right won’t even try to help do government better because it violates their theory that gov can’t work. But that is just a 1%er /corporate con. 

[Motown Bombers]

California has a progressive income tax. Single tax filers making $35,000 and under pay 4% from income between $22k and $35k. If there was a flat 4%, single filers making roughly $65,000 and less would receive a tax increase with the poorest receiving the largest increase. The wealthiest would receive the largest tax decrease. What do we expect Elon Musk and Lebron James to do with their new found tax decreases on personal income tax? When are we going to be done with this trickle down bs? 

[1776]

NC is the eighth fastest growing state, population wise, as of recent. New Yorkers and Californians are a big part of the wave. We are in the top 10 as far as educational opportunities are concerned. 
Tax rates and educational opportunities are critical determinants when relocating. NC is very attractive to retirees as a result. 
As a result, we’re expanding our tax base. There is no good reason not to reduce the state income tax. 
Now if we could do something about the federal tax.

[CMRivdogs]

I thought North Carolinians weren't too fond of "Halfbacks". Or at least a few we ran into in Western NC around Franklin? Especially native New Yorkers, one would think they would feel the same way about Californians. Then again I think the "natives" around here feel the same way. Even with the tourist and student $$
 

I can't speak for the Triangle or Charlotte. They seem a bit more accepting however.  

[1776]

59 minutes ago, CMRivdogs said:

I thought North Carolinians weren't too fond of "Halfbacks". Or at least a few we ran into in Western NC around Franklin? Especially native New Yorkers, one would think they would feel the same way about Californians. Then again I think the "natives" around here feel the same way. Even with the tourist and student $$
 

I can't speak for the Triangle or Charlotte. They seem a bit more accepting however.  

So, my understanding of what defines a halfback is someone that initially moved from “up north” to Florida and than moved halfway back but stopped in the Carolinas. I guess that’s the accepted definition. 
My experience is that there are good and bad from any region of the country. There are many Californians moving into N.C. The rural parts of the state are probably less receptive to the newcomers. 

Our son and his family lived in the Bay Area for several years before returning to this side of the country. In spite of my political differences of all things California, I really enjoyed the area. Beautiful weather and temperatures. One of my grandsons was born in Alameda County. They relocated to Richmond, VA. Probably not terribly far from you.

They all came back A’s fans. 

[Motown Bombers]

Best I can find is that about 4,000 people migrate to North Carolina on average which is about 0.001% of California's population. Doesn't seem some large migration to North Carolina from California. That assumes no one moved from North Carolina to California. 

[CMRivdogs]

46 minutes ago, 1776 said:

 

They all came back A’s fans. 

Must hurt to be so close to a Giants farm team 😉

Funny i grew up as a Pirates fan, was 8 when Maz won the World Series. My wife jokes that our son was born 9 months after the '79 championship. When we got married I told her I'd follow her anywhere as long as it was a National League city. A few years later she asked me about Chicago, my response was "ugh, the Cubs".

But seriously, I've found people are pretty much the same all over. You'll find a few jerks, but most are pretty good overall (as long as you don't talk politics or wear it on your sleeve or tshirt)

Edited July 11, 2022 by CMRivdogs

[chasfh]

My god this is effing brilliant.

 

[chasfh]

9 hours ago, 1776 said:

I read an article on this a week or so back. California currently has a huge budget surplus. However, there has been no move toward legislating tax cuts in Sacramento for the states taxpayers. Rather than a tax cut, that would afford longer term relief, Newsome is going with the one-time check, advertised as being governments helping hand in the inflation challenge. I haven’t heard anything that suggests this plan has changed. A tax cut would be more beneficial.
 

A tax cut would also make future tax collection amounts uncertain to plan around. I think the idea of continuing at current tax rates and then issuing a rebate/dividend/whatever they call it check is a defensible idea. One positive thing it will do is give taxpayers the feeling of a windfall, same way people feel when they get a refund of their own tax money they paid in.

Edited July 11, 2022 by chasfh

[chasfh]

I’m starting to wonder whether Elon Musk is trying to use the power of the publicity he naturally generates to destroy, or at least seriously hobble, Twitter, without spending a penny to do it.

 

[gehringer_2]

3 hours ago, Motown Bombers said:

Best I can find is that about 4,000 people migrate to North Carolina on average which is about 0.001% of California's population. Doesn't seem some large migration to North Carolina from California. That assumes no one moved from North Carolina to California. 

people are drawn to research triangle. But of course academics are sort of transient. They come in but they they also leave pretty regularly.

[romad1]

8 hours ago, chasfh said:

My god this is effing brilliant.

 

I may be still old-school enough to be squeamish about his life situation.  I think this is the guy I want to run in 2024.   Plus, he's a Michigan resident now. 

[1776]

Speaking of California…

Drivers will now pay about 3 cents more per gallon when the inflationary increase takes effect, with the tax rate slated to increase from 51.1 cents per gallon to 53.9 cents per gallon. That tax is built into the price of gas in California, which is hovering around $5.74 per gallon on average.May 2, 2022

Edited July 11, 2022 by 1776

[Motown Bombers]

Does North Carolina still have those potty laws? Just wait until a Republican becomes governor again and returns North Carolina to the confederacy. 

[Motown Bombers]

 

[Motown Bombers]

 

[gehringer_2]

On 7/7/2022 at 10:52 AM, Motown Bombers said:

My only question is how is Hillary defeating Bernie Sanders by 3 million votes not allowing him to win? Seems like allowing the loser to win the election is how we got to the point of not having a functioning democracy. 

Don’t bring facts in to upset the narrative.