Inflation

[Q9]

Quote:
To heck with tax breaks - kill most of the taxes. Charitable organizations will do fine, I assure you.

People generally take care of their own when they realize that the gooberment won't do it for them.

 

[Dunkopf]

Well Q, you're right about one thing. Everything could be privatized. I'm thinking that you are thinking ahead and plan on being wealthy when you grow up. I kind of like being able to drive on the highways for free. Sure there are successful private highways. We have a couple here in Colorado. I use E-470 quite often. My company pays for it or I would never use it. Cost around 10.00 to travel 20 miles on it. Saves time too.

Private schools. Yep they are quite often better than public schools. Average tuition around 800- 1200 per month. Homeschooling, good sometimes bad sometimes, just like public school. Cost more money though and someone has to stay at home to teach the children. Sometimes that's the most cost effective way to parent if the spouse that stays home can't get a higher paying job.

FDA. Good idea but poorly managed and used by politicians to make more money for pharmaceutical giants.

Charity will never be able to do the job. They aren't doing it now and please spare me the crud about if you lower taxes people will give more to charity. I didn't fall off the turnip wagon yesterday. You may have been able to convince me of that when I was 18 or so.

There's a few places that have privatized their fire department. make sure you pay your fire dues or they will let your house burn down.

Yep, privatization is great if you're wealthy. If you are an average Joe the plumber it's not so good. So why does Joe the plumber think it's a good idea. I guess because Joe isn't too bright and thinks he will be able to buy the business from his boss and make 75k a year instead of 40k a year. Then he'll be able to afford to pay through the nose for services that used to be paid for by his tax dollars. Mind you his taxes won't be lower because he has to help offset the tax reductions those above him got the last time he voted against his own best interest. No problem though. Joe doesn't know the difference anyway.

 

[KristyHall]

Quote:
To heck with tax breaks - kill most of the taxes. Charitable organizations will do fine, I assure you.

People generally take care of their own when they realize that the gooberment won't do it for them.

that's the thing, take care of their own. People have a history of refusing to aid people they view as "the other" different strange unusual, a minority.

also many charities (and I know because volunteering with crises services I worked hand in hand with volunteer organisations all over north Alabama and while working the help line it was my job to connect people to resources to help them) are over burdened by demand. people do not give enough to help the needy. Not willingly anyhow.

 

[Q9]

Quote:
You're not taking something into account - if the vast majority of government "services" were privatized, one would not have to pay taxes for them. Said money could then be put into the non-government projects. As it stands, you have to pay tuition at a private school IN ADDITION to taxes for public schools. Have you even looked at homeschool vs public school statistics?

Have you not paid any degree of attention to the laws of competition? Costs invariably are driven DOWN. Quality is forced UP. A company cannot survive if it does not provide its customers with what they want at the price they want - unless it has government help. As things stand, most of the tax dollars get wasted ANYWAY. Private companies, on the other hand, have every incentive to reduce waste and to increase effeciency.

Charity can and will do the job. You underestimate, too, the church. Actually, religion generally. Christians, Jews, and Muslims are commanded to care for the poor. Even in Roman times, Christians went out of their way to aid the needy. The Old Testament has many provisions for the poor. Alms (essentially donations to charity) are one of the "five pillars" of Islam. I am a Christian who consistently studies the Bible, so I know what I'm talking about when it comes to our caring for the poor.

 

[Dunkopf]

Quote:
You're not taking something into account - if the vast majority of government "services" were privatized, one would not have to pay taxes for them. Said money could then be put into the non-government projects. As it stands, you have to pay tuition at a private school IN ADDITION to taxes for public schools. Have you even looked at homeschool vs public school statistics?

Have you not paid any degree of attention to the laws of competition? Costs invariably are driven DOWN. Quality is forced UP. A company cannot survive if it does not provide its customers with what they want at the price they want - unless it has government help. As things stand, most of the tax dollars get wasted ANYWAY. Private companies, on the other hand, have every incentive to reduce waste and to increase effeciency.

Charity can and will do the job. You underestimate, too, the church. Actually, religion generally. Christians, Jews, and Muslims are commanded to care for the poor. Even in Roman times, Christians went out of their way to aid the needy. The Old Testament has many provisions for the poor. Alms (essentially donations to charity) are one of the "five pillars" of Islam. I am a Christian who consistently studies the Bible, so I know what I'm talking about when it comes to our caring for the poor.

What you know is what you have read. Just because the Bible says a person is commanded to act a certain way doesn't mean they will. I respond to people telling me about how they can't do any wrong because they are Christian the same way Ronnie responded to the government saying they were there to help.

Costs can only go down so far. No matter the competition.

A majority of Americans don't pay much in taxes. The people that do pay the taxes also get the most out of the system through use of the commons and keeping their customers in a position to be able to use their services.

Private companies have every incentive to drive other companies out of business so there is no competition.

 

[Q9]

Quote:
You're not taking something into account - if the vast majority of government "services" were privatized, one would not have to pay taxes for them. Said money could then be put into the non-government projects. As it stands, you have to pay tuition at a private school IN ADDITION to taxes for public schools. Have you even looked at homeschool vs public school statistics?

Have you not paid any degree of attention to the laws of competition? Costs invariably are driven DOWN. Quality is forced UP. A company cannot survive if it does not provide its customers with what they want at the price they want - unless it has government help. As things stand, most of the tax dollars get wasted ANYWAY. Private companies, on the other hand, have every incentive to reduce waste and to increase effeciency.

Charity can and will do the job. You underestimate, too, the church. Actually, religion generally. Christians, Jews, and Muslims are commanded to care for the poor. Even in Roman times, Christians went out of their way to aid the needy. The Old Testament has many provisions for the poor. Alms (essentially donations to charity) are one of the "five pillars" of Islam. I am a Christian who consistently studies the Bible, so I know what I'm talking about when it comes to our caring for the poor.

What you know is what you have read. Just because the Bible says a person is commanded to act a certain way doesn't mean they will. I respond to people telling me about how they can't do any wrong because they are Christian the same way Ronnie responded to the government saying they were there to help.

Costs can only go down so far. No matter the competition.

A majority of Americans don't pay much in taxes. The people that do pay the taxes also get the most out of the system through use of the commons and keeping their customers in a position to be able to use their services.

Private companies have every incentive to drive other companies out of business so there is no competition.

That last sentence nailed it. That said, it is literally impossible to drive all competitors out of business in a free market, with a single exception. They will see the money being made, and they will try to do it better.

That exception? When a company is so good at what it does and has such low prices that nobody can compete - in which case, it doesn't matter that there's no competition. Case in point: ALCOA, early 1900s. However, the second someone finds an area where they're slack, competition will start up.

You never did take me up on my challenge to show me a true monopoly that was not state-aided.

A true monopoly has no competition and unjustifiably raises prices, rather than lowering them.

 

[chickened]

I am 47 years old and would most likely not agree with what is taught.

I am putting my first son through college he is 19 and that is enough financially but I have had some higher education but dropped out at an early age to support myself. I would like to finish a forestry degree and do some less physical work but still work outdoors. I pushed papers in my early 20's for a large construction firm in Portland Or. but I would not like working indoors at all. I would not feel comfortable not peeing behind a tree.

Quote:

have you considered getting a higher education? I may disagree with a lot of what you say but you are obviously quite intelligent and could do well in any education you choose. You can continue in the job you choose, there is nothing wrong with pursuing education for education's sake, chickened.

 

[Dunkopf]

Quote:
What you know is what you have read. Just because the Bible says a person is commanded to act a certain way doesn't mean they will. I respond to people telling me about how they can't do any wrong because they are Christian the same way Ronnie responded to the government saying they were there to help.

Costs can only go down so far. No matter the competition.

A majority of Americans don't pay much in taxes. The people that do pay the taxes also get the most out of the system through use of the commons and keeping their customers in a position to be able to use their services.

Private companies have every incentive to drive other companies out of business so there is no competition.

That last sentence nailed it. That said, it is literally impossible to drive all competitors out of business in a free market, with a single exception. They will see the money being made, and they will try to do it better.

That exception? When a company is so good at what it does and has such low prices that nobody can compete - in which case, it doesn't matter that there's no competition. Case in point: ALCOA, early 1900s. However, the second someone finds an area where they're slack, competition will start up.

You never did take me up on my challenge to show me a true monopoly that was not state-aided.

A true monopoly has no competition and unjustifiably raises prices, rather than lowering them.

I didn't understand why you were asking me. I never mentioned monopolies. I think the last true monopoly was Ma Bell. Carter broke that up if i remember correctly. He was severely criticized for it naturally.

Wouldn't it suck to be POTUS? No matter what you do the minority party tears you up over it. Even if it was something they were trying to do while they were the majority.

So what was the reason for the monopoly question? I always liked to play the banker so I could win.

 

[Dunkopf]

Quote:
have you considered getting a higher education? I may disagree with a lot of what you say but you are obviously quite intelligent and could do well in any education you choose. You can continue in the job you choose, there is nothing wrong with pursuing education for education's sake, chickened.


You could always stand behind a door and use a coworkers coffee cup.

 

[chickened]

I did pee in an elevator once.