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Re:Just Be Rich (2021) by arrosenberg on Sunday July 14, 2024 @08:00PM (#40964196)
> If California taxes people and businesses at insane levels, maybe we shouldn't replicate insane level of taxation everywhere else in U.S., on the off chance that it is not, in fact, an optimal level for generating wealth for the people.

This is nonsense. California is the strongest state in the union economically, with one of the highest quality of life and income per capita. We have an affordability crisis that is related to the topic at hand - billionaires hoarding wealth and driving up the cost of living - but that's a national problem that California can't solve on it's own. Our taxes pay for the things that enable our success - roads, power, dams, parks, libraries, and all that other good stuff.

Meanwhile Floridians can't use their beaches due to red tide and dumping tires in the water. The people of Houston JUST got their power back yesterday a week after a mere Category 1 hurricane. Maybe they should raise some taxes and do something about that so their cities stop losing economic productivity multiple times a year...

Re:Just Be Rich (2021) by WalterBright on Sunday July 14, 2024 @08:21PM (#40964312)
Re:Just Be Rich (2021) by arrosenberg on Sunday July 14, 2024 @08:33PM (#40964357)
California is the 4th highest state in income per capita, which supports my statement. Thanks :)
Re:Just Be Rich (2021) by WalterBright on Sunday July 14, 2024 @08:41PM (#40964408)
Its tax collections are going down despite increasing taxes.

https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/QTAXTOTALQTAXCAT3CANO

Re:Just Be Rich (2021) by arrosenberg on Sunday July 14, 2024 @10:23PM (#40964809)
That line is trending upward. Collections are down because the economy cooled after Q2 2022 due to the end of zero-percent interest rates. Again, something beyond the control of the state government.
Re:Just Be Rich (2021) by throwaway7ahgb on Monday July 15, 2024 @08:32AM (#40967261)
Another view:

1) California is so popular because it has beautiful weather and natural resources. A group of monkeys could govern the state into prosperity.

2) California has also had the highest number of power outages amongst all states.

Re:Just Be Rich (2021) by arrosenberg on Monday July 15, 2024 @12:53PM (#40969503)
We can stay #1 is conclusively false - we let Ronald Reagan and Pete Wilson run the state and we still haven't fully recovered from the damage. A competent group of monkeys would still need similar tax revenues to what we currently collect to be prosperous.