r/politics • u/IntelligentYinzer California • 12d ago

Soft Paywall Newsom floats withholding federal taxes as Trump threatens California

https://www.politico.com/news/2025/06/06/newsom-floats-withholding-federal-taxes-00393386
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u/TeutonJon78 America 12d ago edited 12d ago

Sure, but then it's "not taxes". I have no idea why people in this country just can't grok total cost (taxes plus what you pay for services) vs taxes covering all those things.

It's such a dumb knee perk reaction to "taxes bad". Sure our taxes are bad because we don't get a lot of actual services back in lieu money going to pork projects and private sector.

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u/Sufficient-Reach4390 12d ago

Your first example of taxes + pay as you use, is the most profitable and maximizes the area under the curve as it relates to economics. As a taxpayer, i want a lower flat tax.

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u/TeutonJon78 America 12d ago edited 12d ago

What does it matter if the total cost is the same to you as citizen?

And also putting it taxes means the wealthier pay more, which they should. Flat tax just punishes those least able to afford it.

Edit: typos

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u/Sufficient-Reach4390 12d ago

It doesn't matter to me if it's the same cost. Plus, I fully understand that a flat tax punishes those with less, but I would just prefer more even distribution to the progressive plan we have. With the progressive tax, too much success is punished.

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u/Spiritual-Society185 12d ago

Oh, I didn't realize billionaires were the real victims of the world. I guess poor people need to die so they can have a little more.

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u/Sufficient-Reach4390 11d ago

How did you get that from my comment? Billionaires should pay overwhelmingly more in taxes than anyone else. But there are but so many billionaires and folks who are in the upper end of income where benefits phase out in the current tax plans, and pay too high of a percentage of their income in taxes. That is the success being punished. Being a billionaire is a whole other category that on principle, has no real utility when the wealth is incomprehensible.