A Forum for Grinches and Ho-Ho-Hoes

Originally posted by Spanky
The water company is providing a service, and the customers don't like it. Not surprizing, because, like you said, the company is French. Any company that does not satisfy its customers should be sent the way of the dodo bird. I was talking about a company setting up a factory in a country and "exploiting the workers". The only people that bitch about the exploitation are people that are not from the community. When Ford opened its plant in Costa Rica you didn't see the residents bitching about the new jobs and the new money flowing through the local economy.

The water company doesn't employ anyone? Oh shit - we have a robot gap with France!!!

[Hank Chinaski]

Originally posted by ironweed
The water company doesn't employ anyone? Oh shit - we have a robot gap with France!!!

Nothing so dire- most of these French "companies" are just sham fronts to funnel Iraq oil for food money to the Chiacs or Annans.

[ltl/fb]

Originally posted by ironweed
The water company doesn't employ anyone? Oh shit - we have a robot gap with France!!!

Maybe it's just that annoying Jerry Lewis guy or whatever his name is, playing a robot, and not *real* robots.

[Spanky]

Originally posted by Tyrone Slothrop
If you made it through volumes one, two and three, I am truly impressed. I was impressed with myself for finishing The Power Broker. Which is an incredible book -- everyone should read it.

Have you read them? Its not that impressive. Caro paints Johnson to be like Satan. It is way over the top. It reads more like fiction than a scholarly work. So it makes it a really fun read (although factually dubious). I read the first volume when it came out. I then had to wait for the second and then the third. He takes time out between volumes, writes other books, goes on vacation and other completely unacceptible stuff. It is like being in the middle of a Ludlum thriller and then having to wait two years for the ending. I wouldn't start them until the fourth one comes out.

[sgtclub]

Originally posted by Tyrone Slothrop
Really? I can't believe that. There just aren't that many hybrids on the road, even in the crunchy area I live, and while they get better mileage, they still burn gas.

Really, that's why there's a CA bill being proposed to tax based on miles driven.

Originally posted by Hank Chinaski
Nothing so dire- most of these French "companies" are just sham fronts to funnel Iraq oil for food money to the Chiacs or Annans.

When I think of all the American "companies" that are just sham fronts to funnel federal tax money into the pockets of heavyweight Republican campaign contributors, I wonder: why must we always focus on what divides us from the French when our cultures are so similar? Why, Hank, why?

[bilmore]

Originally posted by Tyrone Slothrop
Really? I can't believe that. There just aren't that many hybrids on the road, even in the crunchy area I live, and while they get better mileage, they still burn gas.

Think of tolls as the libertarian's gas tax. With tolls, you can impose a rationally-based, per-mile user fee, without the coercive "buy an efficient car" impact of the gas tax.

[ltl/fb]

Originally posted by bilmore
Think of tolls as the libertarian's gas tax. With tolls, you can impose a rationally-based, per-mile user fee, without the coercive "buy an efficient car" impact of the gas tax.

No, it's a coercive "drive less" impact of the mileage tax.

Really, why is the activity being taxed? Because of wear and tear on the roads and pollution, right? So the tax should be a fancy combo of fuel burned, what type of emission system the vehicle has, the weight of the vehicle (including whatever is in it, on average), and the miles driven. If noise pollution is a factor, the amount of external noise the car produces should be factored in.

[Spanky]

Originally posted by ironweed
The water company doesn't employ anyone? Oh shit - we have a robot gap with France!!!

So let me get this straight - if my local water company was owned by a french company, and the local community started receiving brown water after a price increase - and we decide to lobby to get the company out - we are not really upset about the water or the price- deep down what we are really upset about is that the French are exploiting our local workers. In other words, we would be OK with brown expensive water as long as it was provided by an American company.

[Spanky]

Originally posted by ltl/fb
No, it's a coercive "drive less" impact of the mileage tax.

Really, why is the activity being taxed? Because of wear and tear on the roads and pollution, right? So the tax should be a fancy combo of fuel burned, what type of emission system the vehicle has, the weight of the vehicle (including whatever is in it, on average), and the miles driven. If noise pollution is a factor, the amount of external noise the car produces should be factored in.

I will go along with that as long as we tax those stupid Harleys 10 dollars a mile for all the noize they make.

[taxwonk]

Originally posted by Tyrone Slothrop
Really? I can't believe that. There just aren't that many hybrids on the road, even in the crunchy area I live, and while they get better mileage, they still burn gas.

I heard it on the radio a couple weeks ago. Some state legislator is proposing to fix the problem by forcing all hybrids to be equipped with GPS devices that will track the miles driveen by the hybrid (Hello, Big Brother) and automatically assessing a use tax based on the mileage at the pump.

[ltl/fb]

Originally posted by Spanky
I will go along with that as long as we tax those stupid Harleys 10 dollars a mile for all the noize they make.

You don't see any transaction cost issues with my proposed tax?

[Spanky]

Originally posted by taxwonk
I heard it on the radio a couple weeks ago. Some state legislator is proposing to fix the problem by forcing all hybrids to be equipped with GPS devices that will track the miles driveen by the hybrid (Hello, Big Brother) and automatically assessing a use tax based on the mileage at the pump.

Why are just the Hybrids getting the GPS device? Is it so the Hybrids pay just as much tax even though they are using less gas and putting out less pollution. If that is the case it is time to recall that legislator.

[Spanky]

Originally posted by ltl/fb
You don't see any transaction cost issues with my proposed tax?

Yes - I see a few problems - but I just want to get rid of the loud Harleys. I love the idea, in theory, of a noise tax.

[ltl/fb]

Originally posted by Spanky
Yes - I see a few problems - but I just want to get rid of the loud Harleys. I love the idea, in theory, of a noise tax.

That's their property and they can use it however they like, dammit.