California voters

[vvvexation]

I've mostly figured out how I'm voting on Tuesday, but I'm still undecided on Props. 1A, 61, and 63. Anyone want to argue me into a position on those?

Comments

[vvvexation.livejournal.com]

The main argument I've heard against it is that we should be getting that money somewhere else, because if we get it from taxing millionaires the millionaires will just leave and then the money will disappear. What's your take on that?

[capnkjb.livejournal.com]

I don't know as it's worth it to a millionaire to leave a state based on a 1% tax increase on their state taxes (when it will be a credit for their fed taxes).

Seriously, if you leave a state based on a 1% tax going towards the mentally ill... maybe you should have different priorities.

[japlady.livejournal.com]

thing is, its 1% + 1% + 1%, etc

[capnkjb.livejournal.com]

Well, yes, in terms of John Millionaire + Jane Billionaire + Tim BigBucks, etc.

If you mean it's another 1% tax on rich people that would be the proverbial straw on the camel's back, well, that I'm not so sure of.

[japlady.livejournal.com]

There's also the issue of, when you only tax the rich, your tieing the funds in that account to the stock market in effect... thats great as long as the economy is robust, but when things go wonky the money dries up.

[capnkjb.livejournal.com]

There's that. But there are going to be bigger problems than just mental health funding if the stock market tanks. An alternate funding source would be similarly screwed with a wonky market (and economy).

[imnotbob.livejournal.com]

My thought is that 1% of income over 1mill isn't all that much, and moving would cost them much more than that. Also, I haven't heard anyone offer any suggestions as to where else to get the money.

In addition, they will get a return on their money from less people on the street or in high cost inpatient care, and just because they are rich doesnt mean that they or their family wont need that kind of care some time.

[rfrench.livejournal.com]

So if the rich people will get this return, why won't everybody else? It seems the non-rich people will get a "free" benefit. Wouldn't it be more fair to tax everyone equally? It seems like this targets rich people because they don't have the voting power to make it not pass. It's the masses ganging up on the minority.

[vvvexation.livejournal.com]

According to the Chronicle, they admit this but seem to be stuck for other ways to pull this off.

[rfrench.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the pointer. I was actually just sitting down tonight to look over all the voting stuff, so this discussion was the first I'd seen on any issue.

Personally, while I might agree that the benefit is good, I don't agree with the means of funding, and so I'll vote "no". If people think this is an important issue, everyone should chip in. It seems really bizarre to fund this from the "rich". It's about as illogical a connection of funding source and benefit as I can imagine.

[imnotbob.livejournal.com]

Were it up to me everyone would get the tax, but this is what we have now. Its unfortunately more likely to pass as written also. I suppose the rational behind it is that rich people can afford it better than us regular folk.

[lm.livejournal.com]

While we should be getting the money from somewhere else--we aren't. And in the meantime between now and when we do get it from where we're supposed to, there are people suffering from illnesses they can't control, and no money allocated to help them.

Most of the millionaires in CA live here for a reason--primarily the social life in SF and LA, the business in Silicon Valley, or because they're Hollywood actors. While they can afford to fly back and forth, it's pretty likely they won't think it worth the hassle. The cost of daily/weekly transportation from another state or country would often equal the amount of the tax, after all.

[lm.livejournal.com]

To clarify: Wehn I say "no money allocated to help them," what I mean is no money that is reaching them. There is money there, but it doesn't reach the people it's supposed to, most of the time. There's no guarantee that it suddenly will if this prop passes, unfortunately, but I'm trying to be hopeful here.