NYC Residents Leaving In Droves Over Tax Hikes

By William Teach April 12, 2021 – 6:51 am

Why? Isn’t this what they want? Aren’t high taxes preferable for Democrats, who are the predominant voters in New York City? This is what they vote for. This is what the politicians they vote for want. Why are they leaving when they’re getting what they want?

New York City facing exodus after officials hike taxes to plug Covid-19 shortfall

unintended consequencesNew York is bracing for an exodus of its wealthiest residents after officials passed a budget that will see them pay the US’s highest tax rate, as they desperately seek to boost their Covid-hit economy.

Under the new rate, which is expected to soon be rubber-stamped by Governor Andrew Cuomo, the city’s top earners could pay up to 14.8 per cent tax – a combined federal, state, and city tax which could reach 52 per cent.

The move sees the state overtake California, which has the current highest combined tax rate for top earners in the US, and much of Europe.

Business leaders and CEOs this week warned that the increase is likely to backfire by driving away the very people and companies the city relies on for its revenue.

“Bell Tolls for NYC: Quality of life plummets, taxes rocket – and city faces uncertain future”, read the headline on the front page of the New York Post tabloid on Wednesday.

Ah, so the focus may be on NYC, but, it’s actually all of the state of New York. When went for China Joe 60.9% to 37.7% Trump, so, aren’t the people who want higher taxes? Including so many of the wealthiest residents, who constantly Virtue Signal and say things like “I want my taxes raised”?

A recent study showed that at least 20 per cent of banks and financial services firms have thought about relocating workers to other locations outside of New York. Dozens already have.

It’s a good example as to why this whole “tax the rich (because government is incompetent with the money they already take)” doesn’t work. Because they simply leave. And take jobs with them. And take fundraiser money for politicians with them. And instead of some tax money, NY and NYC get none.

The wealthiest two per cent of New Yorkers contribute half of the city’s revenue. However, many of them fled at the start of the pandemic.

New York was the number one state for population loss in the US last year, according to Census Bureau data. More than 300,000 New York City households in higher-income neighbourhoods filed change-of-address forms, resulting in the largest decline in property tax receipts in nearly 25 years.

The other problem here is that many of these people bring their moonbattery with them, and often advocate for the same policies, including high taxation and policies that require raising taxes, to the Red areas.

Read: NYC Residents Leaving In Droves Over Tax Hikes »

Posted in Democrats, Taxation | 3 Comments | Trackback URL

China Joe’s “No Tax Pledge” Could Sink His Climate Scam Initiative Or Something

By William Teach April 11, 2021 – 5:50 pm

Hmm, what would be his “no tax pledge”? That he wouldn’t raise taxes on people making less than $400k a year. Which has morphed into families at $400k, individuals at $200k. And Warmists think this is a problem, as they want Everyone Else but themselves taxed

How Biden’s No-Tax Pledge Could Sink His Climate Change Initiative

Nowhere is President Biden’s ambitious policy agenda more in conflict than in his triple aim of funding a major infrastructure initiative, attacking climate change, and never raising taxes on households making less than $400,000. He has a terrific opportunity to achieve the first two promises, but he cannot if he sticks to that no new tax pledge.

Last week, my TPC colleague Len Burman blogged about why Biden’s no new taxes pledge is such a bad idea. This week, my colleague Thornton Matheson described how Congress could use energy taxes, such as a carbon tax, to help pay for Biden’s ambitious domestic spending agenda. And The Washington Post recently endorsed a carbon tax to fund Biden’s $2 trillion-plus infrastructure plan. But the president prefers instead to raise taxes on multinational corporations and, perhaps later, on high-income households.

Say, I wonder who would pay for these carbon taxes?

If you polled economists of all ideological persuasions, you’d find overwhelming support for a carbon tax. By taxing “bads” rather than goods, it could significantly reduce carbon emissions and slow climate change. And, depending on how it is designed, it could raise a substantial amount of revenue to pay for clean water, more public transit, and better roads (though the latter may also conflict with his climate change goals).

If you polled citizens, and explained exactly what would happen with carbon taxes, how many would support them when they understand that their own lives and money will be effected significantly? And our system of government is designed that they can’t go all Fascist in declaring things “bad” that aren’t. There’s a heck of a lot of difference between fossil fuels and, say, heroin. Nor should Government be regulating to modify behavior for things that are not actually bad. Heck, some would argue that they shouldn’t, at least at the federal level, be regulating things like heroin. If dumb asses want to do it, let them be dumbasses. Their power would be to stop it from being imported and crossing state lines.

But, as the president himself would say, here’s the deal: No serious carbon tax can exempt roughly 98 percent of households from a tax increase. While the president has made fighting climate change one of his top long-term priorities, he has effectively precluded a carbon tax—arguably the single most effective tool to accomplish this goal.

Funny how it doesn’t mention what percentage should be taxed, eh?

By itself, a carbon tax would reduce after-tax incomes on all households that use carbon-based goods and services—gas for their vehicles, plastic containers, airplane rides, most electricity. In effect, it would raise taxes on everybody, except those very few who have managed to live completely off the grid.

Max Herman is letting the reality out of the bag. He then goes on to note a few of the ideas where a portion of the taxes are refunded back to citizens. Not all, of course. Not noted is that this makes citizens even more reliant on government, where so many will be appreciative instead of saying “you nimrod cultists raised my cost of living and I’m supposed to be indebted to your charitably? GFYS.”

Read: China Joe’s “No Tax Pledge” Could Sink His Climate Scam Initiative Or Something »

Posted in Carbon Credits, Global Warming, Joe Biden, Taxation | 5 Comments | Trackback URL

If All You See…

By William Teach April 11, 2021 – 1:00 pm

…is a wonderful low carbon bike that Everyone Else should be forced to own instead of fossil fueled vehicles, you might just be a Warmist

The blog of the day is Weasel Zippers, with a post on a city that is pushing back against protesters.

It’s biking week!

Read: If All You See… »

Posted in If All You See | 1 Comment | Trackback URL

Sorta Blogless Sunday Pinup

By William Teach April 11, 2021 – 9:24 am

Patriotic Pinup

Happy Sunday! Another gorgeous day in the Once And Future Nation Of America. The bushes are getting some rain, the mocking birds are bugging the squirrels, and the Dodgers are doing well. Not sure who did this pinup, can’t find the name, but, it’s a beauty, with a wee bit of help.

What’s happening in Ye Olde Blogosphere? The Fine 15

  1. The Washington Examiner notes that China Joe’s gun policies would treat everyone like a criminal
  2. No Tricks Zone covers cutting down trees to replace them with wind turbines
  3. Ace Of Spades wonders about George Floyd having COVID, and why this isn’t a bigger story
  4. America’s Watchtower discusses New Hampshire’s governor coming out against COVID passports
  5. Blazing Cat Fur notes trans-human surgery insanity
  6. Blogs For Victory covers the 5-4 SCOTUS case on religious liberty
  7. DC Clothesline highlights police in Austin, Tx, quitting over Woke policies
  8. Free North Carolina covers what Iowa gov Kim Reynolds has to say about Biden’s border issues
  9. Gen Z Conservative notes grammar and spelling as victims of Wokeness
  10. Legal Insurrection discusses Egypt’s “lost city of gold” being found
  11. Moonbattery highlights that laughing at AOC gets you a visit from the police
  12. Newsbusters covers a reporting to note that the hate crime she was covering was, in fact, a hoax
  13. Pacific Pundit shows Mayor Pete calling highways “racist”
  14. Powerline discusses China Joe commencing his war on the suburbs
  15. And last, but not least, Raise On Hoecakes notes that we do, actually, need more money for infrastructure

As always, the full set of pinups can be seen in the Patriotic Pinup category, or over at my Gallery page (nope, that’s gone, the newest Apache killed access, and the program hasn’t been upgraded since 2014). While we are on pinups, since it is that time of year, have you gotten your “Pinups for Vets” calendar yet? And don’t forget to check out what I declare to be our War on Women Rule 5 and linky luv posts and things that interest me.

Don’t forget to check out all the other great material all the linked blogs have!

Anyone else have a link or hotty-fest going on? Let me know so I can add you to the list. And do you have a favorite blog you can recommend be added to the feedreader?

Read: Sorta Blogless Sunday Pinup »

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Maryland Becomes First State To End Law Enforcement Bill Of Rights

By William Teach April 11, 2021 – 8:04 am

Seriously, what could possibly go wrong?

Maryland to end police Bill of Rights after Democrats override GOP governor’s vetoes

Maryland lawmakers passed legislation Saturday, becoming the first state to end its police Bill of Rights after the Democrat-controlled Legislature voted to override three of Republican Gov. Larry Hogan’s vetoes.

The sweeping reform bills remove protections in police due process for alleged misconduct that critics say have impeded accountability and will now give civilians a role, The Baltimore Sun reported.

The reform package also increases the civil liability limit for officers from $400,000 to $890,000 and an officer convicted of using excessive force, causing serious injury or death could face 10 years in prison. It also sets a new statewide standard for what is deemed “necessary” force.

Within the reforms, officers will also be limited to daytime for “no-knock” raids, except for emergencies, and body cameras will be mandated by 2025.

Supporters of the bills call them “citizen-centered” and a necessary reaction to protesters who “demanded change” last year, but critics say the reforms go too far and are “anti-cop.”

Hogan explained in his vetoes that he thought the bills would “further erode police morale, community relationships, and public confidence.”

“They will result in great damage to police recruitment and retention, posing significant risks to public safety throughout our state,” he wrote.

Reform is one thing: this goes well beyond reform and does enter the realm of police hatred, and it will cause police at the local, county, and state levels to retire or just leave for other pastures. Maybe they go work in a different state that isn’t hating on the police. Replacing them will be difficult. I doubt Leftist soy boys and chubby, purple haired out of shape liberal girls will be interested in being officers. Those few who do will probably have massive authoritarian streaks, which will be dangerous. Those officers who stick around will take an even more hands off approach, as we’ve seen in other cop hating areas, like Portland, NYC, and Seattle, to name a few, which will lead to a skyrocketing crime rate. You won’t be able to call it a wave, because wave denotes that it will go down.

Republican state Sen. Robert Cassilly, said the reform package “allows for hindsight review of folks sitting in the easy chairs to judge people who made split-second decisions in volatile situations.”

Those same easy chair folks will then blame the police over the skyrocketing crime rate.

Democratic state Sen. Charles Sydnor, who sponsored one of the measures, said “Last year, I attended and participated in multiple demonstrations of people demanding change — the young and the old, people of all races and walks of life. With so many situations being thrust before our eyes, we could no longer deny what we see, and I thank my colleagues for believing their eyes and listening to the majority of Marylanders.”

That’s interesting: why was he breaking the strict stay home rules put in place in Maryland?

Critics of Maryand’s police Bill of Rights called it one of the most “extreme” in the nation, according to The Sun.

Maryland is also the first state to repeal its Law Enforcement Officers Bill of Rights, as the Washington Post notes. But, you know, every experiment needs an experimental group. The police in Portland, Oregon, are leaving in droves, as they are overworked, overwhelmed, and burned out. Their budget was slashed $16 million last year. They want to replace officer position with unarmed park rangers, and their union (park rangers have a union?) wants body armor for them. This should work out well. Crime in Portland is surging, as it is in other Democrat run cities who’ve played the defund the police game. What happened when an entire state essentially stops backing the police?

Read: Maryland Becomes First State To End Law Enforcement Bill Of Rights »

Posted in Barking Moonbats, Current Affairs, Democrats | 23 Comments | Trackback URL

If All You See…

By William Teach April 10, 2021 – 1:00 pm

…is champagne which will soon be grown in Siberia due to the climate crisis, you might just be a Warmist

The blog of the day is Ice Age Now, with a post on underwater volcanoes heating the oceans.

Read: If All You See… »

Posted in If All You See | 6 Comments | Trackback URL

SJW Pentagon Chief Looks To Purge People Who Have Wrongthink

By William Teach April 10, 2021 – 10:30 am

Essentially, if you don’t conform the Progressive doctrine (because they’re totally about tolerance and multiculturalism, you know), you will be labeled an extremist and booted. This should do wonders for recruitment, eh, with tough Republicans saying “no, thanks”, and soy boy liberals, overweight and soft liberal women, and  transgenders with serious mental health issues joining

Pentagon orders “immediate actions” to weed out extremism in armed forces

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin on Friday signed a memo ordering several “immediate actions” to weed out extremism in the ranks.

Driving the news: The memo comes after Austin in February ordered commanding officers to hold a “stand down” to discuss extremism among the armed forces. The issue gained heightened attention after multiple service members and veterans were arrested for their alleged actions in the deadly Jan. 6 Capitol siege.

What he’s saying: “The vast majority of those who serve in uniform and their civilian colleagues do so with great honor and integrity, but any extremist behavior in the force can have an outsized impact,” Austin wrote in his memo Friday.

So, you know this will excuse “extremists” in gangs, extremists who advocate for Leftist causes, right? Our military is boned. It’s going to become weak and useless, and radicalized with Leftism.

Will refusing to take the vaccine be considered extremist (with bonus fake Conservative grifters gotta grift)

What happened to “my body my choice” (declining to take a vaccine is a tad bit different than terminating a baby because someone was irresponsible in having sex)? And there are a lot of lefties caterwauling and saying the Congress should make this mandatory and if the Marines won’t take it they should be kicked out. Me, I got it. I know Trump voters and Biden voters who won’t. That’s their choice, and, while I might not agree with it, I won’t harangue them and don’t think it should be mandatory.

Read: SJW Pentagon Chief Looks To Purge People Who Have Wrongthink »

Posted in Current Affairs, Dems in Charge: Now What? | 11 Comments | Trackback URL

Climate Crisis (scam) Could Possibly Maybe We Feel Destabilize The Globe Or Something

By William Teach April 10, 2021 – 7:12 am

See, before people drove fossil fueled vehicles and ate delicious cheeseburgers, there was no destabilization of the globe, right? No crisis, no big problems, no wars, no disease outbreaks, nothing, right? (yes, this is Axios, hence the format)

Climate change could destabilize globe through 2040, spy agencies say

Climate change will lead to a less secure, more crisis-prone world that will strain global institutions, according to a major national security assessment released Thursday.

Driving the news: The “Global Trends Report,” produced every four years by the National Intelligence Council, spotlights climate change among the main structural forces shaping the next two decades.

The big picture: Global warming, along with disease outbreaks, financial crises and other forces, will test the “resilience and adaptability” of the international system. There are reasons to believe that many systems large and small may fail under the increased stress.

What they’re saying: “Climate change will increasingly exacerbate risks to human and national security and force states to make hard choices and tradeoffs,” the report states.

See, a minor increase in the global temperature, which has a pretty strong component from land use and the Urban Heat Island effect, which is actually not global, will cause Doom. But, this is not your typical Doomy Prognostication, you guys

Quick take: This is not your typical grim climate report projecting disaster in the year 2100, i.e. the distant future.

  • Instead, the climate change we will see through midcentury is already baked into the climate system, thanks to how the oceans absorb and redistribute heat.
  • Studies show that even if emissions are sharply reduced now we are still in for additional amounts of warming through mid-century, which will lead to more extreme weather events, sea level rise, and other effects.

See? It’s totally different from all the other prognostications of doom over the past 50 years. But, hey, what can we do?

What is up to us, however, is how we prepare for and respond to such challenges.

  • We can strengthen democratic institutions or instead become a more fragmented global community with competing power centers, the report shows.

In other words, we can give even more power to central governments, taking it from smaller government entities (in the U.S. that would be states, counties, and cities) and from The People. Sounds like a great plan, right?

Read: Climate Crisis (scam) Could Possibly Maybe We Feel Destabilize The Globe Or Something »

Posted in AGW Scaremongering, Global Warming | 7 Comments | Trackback URL

CDC Director Calls Racism A “Serious Public Health Crisis”

By William Teach April 10, 2021 – 6:56 am

Is there a vaccine for this? Will we have to stay home and isolate? The CDC just lost it’s few remaining backers

From The Hill

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Thursday declared racism a “serious public health threat,” becoming the largest federal agency to do so.

“A growing body of research shows that centuries of racism in this country has had a profound and negative impact on communities of color,” CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said in a statement published on the agency’s website.

Walensky noted the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has been felt most severely in communities of color, which have experienced disproportionate case counts and deaths.

“To build a healthier America for all, we must confront the systems and policies that have resulted in the generational injustice that has given rise to racial and ethnic health inequities,” the agency said.

So, what are they going to do about it?

The declaration is part of a new agency-wide initiative called Racism and Health, which the CDC said is meant to be a hub for its research into the effects of racism on health, and efforts to achieve health equity.

The initiative is meant to go beyond studying the issue and focus on taking action.

For example, Walensky noted that the agency has new funding to address COVID-19 disparities by making investments in racial and ethnic minority communities, as well as other disproportionately affected communities around the country.

Let’s be honest, this is simply another way for Democrats to divide the nation, to create more strife, and to find more ways to control the citizens. And it’s a good way to deflect from the idiocy and anti-freedom stuff they’ll push over the next four years.

Walensky said “we must confront the systems and policies that have resulted in the generational injustice”. She forgot the phrase “from the Democratic Party”. No group has been more responsible for racism/bigotry than Democrats. They are the party of slavery, Jim Crow, segregation, community covenants that agreed to block blacks, and more. It was baked into their party platforms in the late 1800’s and early mid-1900’s. They were also very anti Asian, especially Chinese. Once the Civil Rights act passed they just corralled blacks into hoods in the Dems big cities. And try to do the same with Latinos. They like their “minorities” controlled and contained. They don’t care about the conditions, they’ll just patronize them with money and free stuff come election time.

Do Democrats care that blacks are shooting themselves at such high rates? The vast majority of shootings in NY, Baltimore, Chicago, Detroit, LA, and so many more, even Seattle and Portland, are black on black. Do Dems care? No. Democrats think blacks are too dumb to get an ID, for goodness sakes. They don’t think blacks and other “people of color” can succeed without government. That’s not racist at all, right?

BTW, is racism also infrastructure?

Read: CDC Director Calls Racism A “Serious Public Health Crisis” »

Posted in Barking Moonbats | 12 Comments | Trackback URL

Climate Envoy John Kerry Is Super Thrilled For China Joe To Force Banks And Investors To Comply

By William Teach April 9, 2021 – 3:00 pm

All you #NeverTrumpers who were upset about Trump’s mean tweets and pushed to essentially get Biden elected, don’t come complaining about Joe going whole hog on economy killing and freedom taking orders

Kerry says Biden poised to issue executive order to force banks and investors to reveal climate exposure

President Joe Biden is set to issue an executive order on climate disclosure within capital markets, a move that could shift investments overall with implications for the fossil-fuel and renewables sectors, according to U.S. climate envoy John Kerry.

“President Biden is poised to issue an executive order that will require disclosure,” Kerry said at an International Monetary Fund event Wednesday. “It’s going to change allocation of capital. Suddenly people are going to be making evaluations considering long-term risk to the investment based on the climate crisis.”

And Kerry is in India this week after taking a long, fossil fueled flight. Who wants to bet on him taking a people powered rickshaw around India or a large, fossil fueled SUV? And staying in an air conditioned hotel? There is no segment of the economy that these Warmists do not want to control. These orders will just waste time and effort, and any costs will be passed on.

Meanwhile, Mattel is learning to climasignal

American Girl Encourages Girls and Families to Join the Conversation on Climate Change

American Girl, the beloved brand known for helping girls grow up with confidence and character, and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mattel (NASDAQ: MAT), today invites families to tune into part two of the brand’s Conversations for Change series, Use Your Outside Voice: Climate Change. The new episode highlights four female changemakers who are raising their voices—and awareness—about the climate crisis and taking a stand to help save the planet.

What’s the carbon footprint of manufacturing and shipping all those toys, which end up being plastic pollution in landfills at some point?

Read: Climate Envoy John Kerry Is Super Thrilled For China Joe To Force Banks And Investors To Comply »

Posted in AGW Socialism, Global Warming, Joe Biden, Kerry | 2 Comments | Trackback URL
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