Would you trade the right to vote for, say, $3000/year?

[DinoDoc]

Originally posted by Arrian
Actually, I do, but it's a minor one and isn't worth the effort to explain to you if you don't get it.

Why? It's not as if I'm totally impervious to reason. If the point you wish to make detracts from the posts I'm making, I'd be happy to hear it. If I agree with it I'll admit I was wrong. The worst that could happen is that I'll disagree with it and tell you where I think your wrong.

[axi]

Let them rot. Don't trade 12000$ for one vote in the presidential elections.

You can buy lots of stuff with that sort of money in Turkey.

[Arrian]

It's not really right/wrong. Here goes:

You threw out a snarky comment about Rufus sounding like a Republican, since he said he wouldn't benifit from the services his taxes would buy nor would he be in the community that benifitted from them. Ha-hah. But for one thing: Rufus is living abroad, serving his country as a diplomat. The (typical) Republican who says he doesn't see nuthin' for his taxes lives right here in the good 'ole USA and is, frankly, wrong. Rufus is discussing state taxes (if he were talking about federal tax he'd also be wrong), and he's right (notwithstanding Sikander's point/question).

My response, in an attempt to point this out (by highlighting the fact that Rufus is overseas), was to ask if Republicans are absentee citizens, which I thought was also mildy amusing.

Get it?

-Arrian

[Arrian]

Originally posted by axi
Let them rot. Don't trade 12000$ for one vote in the presidential elections.

You can buy lots of stuff with that sort of money in Turkey.

It's not just presidential elections. It's state elections and federal congressional elections too.

-Arrian

[Imran Siddiqui]

Originally posted by Arrian
Perhaps he means in gubernatorial elections? Hasn't NJ had a bunch of Republican governors?

-Arrian

The Senate race between Kean, Jr. and Menedez is pretty tight as well. Senate delegation from NJ has been solidly Dem since the 1970s (Clifford Case was the last Republican Senator from NJ), but some very close races. A bunch of former governors in the last few decades have been Republican as well (Kean, Whitman).

Though, as a rule, NJ Republicans are far more liberal than their Southern (or Party heads) counterparts. In fact, I'd imagine a NJ (or most other NorthEast states) Republican would probably be considered a Dem down here in Georgia, with a few contrary examples (such as Rep. Scott Garett)

[Q Classic]

Vote in Texas. Most votes don't really count anyways, even more so if they've been placed on a REDACTED machine.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

You don't think that you get some benefit from the state portion of the education budget? It seems that educating the young is a boon to anyone who expects to live long enough to be cared for or supported by them.

Absolutely. But education is funded overwhelmingly by property tax, not income tax.

I think you might consider whether it's worth $3000/yr to avoid the humiliation of being (technically) a Texas resident.

Believe me, I've had that thought, too.

Which CD in TX? We have a few competitive House districts and the Guv's race is semi-competitive (and will be more so, next time). In '08, we'll have a competitive Senate race.

The 20th, I believe (my address of record would be in NE San Antonio). So my congressman would be a Dem, at least.

He's the one talking about benefits to himself rther than to the community as a whole while claiming to be somesort of liberal.

You misread me. I said I'm happy to have my taxes benefit my community as a whole, even if they don't benefit me personally. The problem is, neither NJ, RI, IL, or TX is my community. As for the argument that they are...

you should help your community.. and since you are abroad, the entire US is your community

Which I do, through Federal Income Tax. My point is that I have no particular state community. Leaving Texas out of it, for example, why should I contribute to the citizens of New Jersey instead of Rhode Island -- or vice versa? There's no logic in any of it.

Put another way, any money I pony up for state income tax would be, in effect, charity. I already give several thousand a year to charities, which I choose based on how they help people and how effeciently they handle their funds. If I'm going to give even more money to charity, a state goverment sure as hell isn't going to be my charity of choice.

Which would seem to be an argument for Texas. And yet, and yet...

[Whoha]

Originally posted by VetLegion
Don't know much about US politics, but shouldn't you as a Democrat support the income tax, and start by paying it yourself?

No, he should support it by voting for it in Texas which doesn't have one. that way he can say he is for it, but not really pay it.

[SlowwHand]

Quit whining and vote Kinky, Rufus.


"Golf is the only opportunity that middle-aged Wasps have to dress up like a pimp.
Friedman, Kinky (1993), When the cat's away. New York (Wings Books), 477"

[Fake Boris]

I'd sell my vote and buy flammable stuff and bricks with the money to throw on the police and public buildings to protest against the government allowing such a practice.