Next on the list of who (what) to tax: robots.

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Ajay

Lifer
Jan 8, 2001
16,094
8,114
136
This is all lovely and whatnot, but with the wealthy individuals and corporations essentially controlling the agenda in Washington - the robot is capital equipment and will be subject to tax write-offs on depreciation. So, pretty much lose-lose for anyone in the lower 90% income bracket :mad:. Getting kind of sick of this.
 
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Pohemi

Lifer
Oct 2, 2004
10,887
16,975
146
Absolutely! There are too many complications. Will robots file an income tax return? Will they draw SS and Medicare? Terrible idea.
Yes, it's aLL sO CoMpLiCaTeD OMG!! iT'lL bE uNpOsSiBlE tO DoOoO!
if all employees are replaced with automation who's going to buy the products?
Robots, apparently. Because screw those employees being replaced. They shoulda been more skilled and faster than the robots if they didn't wanna lose their jobs. They can find another one that hasn't gone full-robots yet. /s
This is all lovely and whatnot, but with the wealthy individuals and corporations essentially controlling the agenda in Washington - the robot is capital equipment and will be subject to tax write-offs on depreciation. So, pretty much lose-lose for anyone in the lower 90% income bracket :mad:. Getting kind of sick of this.
Yeah I was going to comment about it being business equipment expenses i.e. tax write-offs.

I do think we just need to stop making tax breaks and write-offs so easy for large businesses and corporations, and stop corporate subsidies. It'd mean higher food costs, $10/gal gas, etc. but the subsidies are leading to higher profits for the corps as much as they do savings for the public. Corporate greed is the largest current driver of inflation.

Don't worry about taxing the robots; just stop giving the company tax breaks on profits.
 
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Indus

Lifer
May 11, 2002
16,230
11,225
136
Why is companies replacing workers to increase productivity bad?

There's a difference inbetween increasing productivity and increasing profit margins!

Increasing productivity can be done with hiring more Americans.

Increasing profit margins at the cost of Americans only hurts Americans in the long run.

Fuck I can't believe it I'm starting to sound like with "Make American Middle Class Great Again!"

But I and you both know what'll happen.. the rich CEO will just buy lobbyists who'll lobby congress to do his bidding and bye bye jobs!
 

mect

Platinum Member
Jan 5, 2004
2,424
1,637
136
The issue I have with UBI is that it promotes being nonproductive. People need to be doing something or many will turn to booze and drugs to fill the void of doing nothing.

I could sit right here in my comfortable chair surfing the web for all of my waking hours if I chose to, that's a dead end. If I run out of things to build I'll go apply at the local hardware store, or set up a free construction advice booth in the parking lot.
Most studies have found this to not be the case. Alaska is probably the longest running UBI, and it is extremely popular among all political affiliations and is believed to have very little impact on how much people work.
 
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Greenman

Lifer
Oct 15, 1999
22,294
6,463
136
Most studies have found this to not be the case. Alaska is probably the longest running UBI, and it is extremely popular among all political affiliations and is believed to have very little impact on how much people work.
$133 a month is a perk, not an income. That wouldn't buy you one Big Mac a day for a month. $1k a month is what I would consider the absolute bottom end for UBI.
 

ch33zw1z

Lifer
Nov 4, 2004
39,794
20,378
146
$133 a month is a perk, not an income. That wouldn't buy you one Big Mac a day for a month. $1k a month is what I would consider the absolute bottom end for UBI.

I think it’s should be at least this, and I’m leaning more toward 2k/ month per adult, and state funded college as well

whar our first world compadres have taught us is an educated population is the best way to reduce societal problems
 

Meghan54

Lifer
Oct 18, 2009
11,684
5,228
136
The issue I have with UBI is that it promotes being nonproductive. People need to be doing something or many will turn to booze and drugs to fill the void of doing nothing.

I could sit right here in my comfortable chair surfing the web for all of my waking hours if I chose to, that's a dead end. If I run out of things to build I'll go apply at the local hardware store, or set up a free construction advice booth in the parking lot.


Well, then....I'm sure you have numerous studies supporting your position.



Of course you don't.

But on implimenting any sort of UBI, the results have been rather uniform......


A study of the period from February 2019 to February 2020, conducted by a team of independent researchers, determined that full-time employment rose among those who received the guaranteed income and that their financial, physical and emotional health improved.




Another long-running program is the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Casino Dividend in North Carolina. Since 1997, revenue from a casino on tribal land has been given to every tribal member, no strings attached. Each person gets on average somewhere between $4,000 and $6,000 per year. Economists found that it doesn’t make them work less. It does lead to improved education and mental health, and decreased addiction and crime.

Between 1974 and 1979, Canada ran a randomized controlled trial in the province of Manitoba, choosing one farming town, Dauphin, as a “saturation site” where every family was eligible to participate in a basic income experiment. The basic income seemed to benefit residents’ physical and mental health — there was a decline in doctor visits and an 8.5 percent reduction in the rate of hospitalization — and high school graduation rates improved, too. Nevertheless, the project, known as “Mincome” and funded jointly by the provincial and federal governments, was canceled after four years when a more conservative party came into power.



And the examples of it working, however limited the attempts have been, are pretty much overwhelming....but conservatives just don't want anyone helped with their money. Much like the complaints about universal health care.... "I don't want my tax money paying for their health care."
 

Pens1566

Lifer
Oct 11, 2005
13,819
11,471
136
Well, then....I'm sure you have numerous studies supporting your position.



Of course you don't.

But on implimenting any sort of UBI, the results have been rather uniform......













And the examples of it working, however limited the attempts have been, are pretty much overwhelming....but conservatives just don't want anyone helped with their money. Much like the complaints about universal health care.... "I don't want my tax money paying for their health care."

Alaska sort of does this with oil revenue(?) as well.
 
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mect

Platinum Member
Jan 5, 2004
2,424
1,637
136
$133 a month is a perk, not an income. That wouldn't buy you one Big Mac a day for a month. $1k a month is what I would consider the absolute bottom end for UBI.
Technically, it would buy you a big mac every day of the month most places, with $13 left over for a 30 day month. But I agree, $1k per person UBI. Heck, I'll even settle for $1k per adult 18 and over, and $500 per child. Let's do it.
 
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Indus

Lifer
May 11, 2002
16,230
11,225
136
Technically, it would buy you a big mac every day of the month most places, with $13 left over for a 30 day month. But I agree, $1k per person UBI. Heck, I'll even settle for $1k per adult 18 and over, and $500 per child. Let's do it.

Umm a big mac is more here

Screenshot_20230224-211136_McDonald's.jpgScreenshot_20230224-211203_McDonald's.jpg

That's not counting taxes of 8.875% or 30% if you want to take the new "fair sales tax" that the Republicans want to implement!