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Thanks Damon... I was a little worried when I read that post. Still I realize that in rural areas people get away with a lot of things that would get them in trouble in other areas.
~devany
Aloha au i Hawai`i,
devany
Devany Vickery-Davidson
East Bay Potters
www.eastbaypotters.com
Posts: 806
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Bullwinkle,
Well said. Nice to hear a Dutch perspective.
Imho, as a society it will be easier to achieve greater social and personal responsibility under sensible regulations, policies and laws.
Sure would like to see Dutch and other international perspectives brought into play here.
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The freedom to choose in Holland and other European countries is indeed refreshing, but the taxes are crippling.
Perhaps the taxes in the US are too low for quality public services, there's probably a happy medium.
Voluntary taxes (eg gambling, alcohol) can be useful.
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I beleive Utah and Hawaii are the only two states without any form of legalized gambling. I hope it stays that way.
Daniel R Diamond
Daniel R Diamond
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Taxes are not that much higher especially when one includes the medical, long term disability and reduced liability rates due to universal insurance coverage. They do zing the big earners - who tend to gravitate to Belgium and its low tax rate right next door.
Interesting that Phillips, Shell oil, ING, Norelco among others are "dutch" companies... quietly sending earnings home the tax structure must work for them
To bring this back to Hawaii I am constantly reminded that Hawaii shares a colonial heritage with Europe... simple stuff .. chicken skin is a term I grew up with as well as those pilot crackers in the KTA. - a stretch but I tried, Rob
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Utah I can understand, but Hawaii? Could it really be to protect one of the minority groups? That could be an interesting bit of history.
60% income tax brackets on people barely earning above minimum wage, as I saw 20 years ago in Amsterdam, is what I call crippling. Thanks but no thanks.
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I would love to see a lottery here, to benefit schools and the Islands United Way, with the cutback of services, the Non-Profits are hurting. Hawaii could be different than the other States, instead of one huge payoff, put a cap on the amount you win. Award additional cash prizes of various amounts, but nothing less than $100, giving more people a chance to win.
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Lotteries are a very regressive form of taxation, with the poorest classes providing the great bulk of the revenue. On top of that, overhead and administration take a big chunk out of the pie before it even gets into the State revenue stream where it faces the usual bureaucratic erosion of financial efficiency. There are better ways to finance needed improvements.
Cheers,
Jerry
