Post #1927329

2026-04-20 18:39 UTC

@BoydStephenSmithJr sure… the issue is that taxes on sales are non-progressive. The proportional impact would be much greater for low-income workers than for affluent people. The other concern is that US infrastructure is built for cars, not people. Many people can’t afford to live somewhere with better transit options, they need to drive to work, to live. To be clear, I’m with you on principle and on the basic ideas, it’s just that we need a carrot to go along with the stick. Maybe part of a wealth tax goes into public transportation and that breaks down the demand side of things, right?

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@BoydStephenSmithJr@hachyderm.io 2026-04-20 18:52

@MostlyBlindGamer I am definitely not against raising income taxes (92% worked in the past, let's try that again), and reducing how the very rich hide their income. I'm also not against a wealth tax for the billionaires, tho I do think it is really hard to accurately measure wealth without invading privacy. I am one of those people that can't avoid a car. That's the only safe way in or out of the house I'm house-sitting, the state highway doesn't have sidewalks and isn't exactly bike-friendly. Similar for my family house, which also has a 15 minute drive on a US highway to get to a produce section. I also go between those places Fayetteville, AR to Cove, AR not infrequently, and my car can't make that on battery. I know there's a rail line, between the two, but as far as I know, there's no passenger service -- it was discontinued in the 60s. My post already has "carrots" in the form of payments to workers/citizens. But, I also don't think we are going to entirely fund getting off of fossil fuels by only taxing at the consumer level. Ending subsidies and tax-carveouts for the fossil fuel companies are also a funding mentioned in my post, and aren't directly borne by consumers.

Open ##1927330