^youre about to bring their wrath down on your head. earthdogg especially. they want to privatize down to the fire department.

12/19/2006 9:00:27 PM

Quote :

"Ask any small business owner if the gov't on the whole helps or hurts their business and, unless they sell to the gov't, the answer will be that it almost always hurts."

only when it raises taxes on the middle class to support lowered taxes on the rich. Let's also not forget the government giving subsidies to developers to build those nice little shopping centers, etc. etc. etc. so on and so forth.


^Like commercial fire departments haven't caused problems in the past

[Edited on December 19, 2006 at 9:27 PM. Reason : .]

12/19/2006 9:27:14 PM

^
The gov't should be lowering, not raising, everyone's taxes. It shouldn't be giving anyone subsidies. If we have to have it at all, the state should be protecting us from force and fraud and that's all.

12/20/2006 1:51:19 AM

no matter how logical the argument, you'll be arguing that government never ever ever does any good.

then again, I have a strong belief in everyone according to their ability to.

12/20/2006 3:23:30 AM

nutsmacker, what the hell do you mean by that? Their ability to what?

12/20/2006 7:50:07 AM

everyone's ability to pay according to their means.

12/20/2006 12:12:34 PM

Oh yes, the communist route.

12/20/2006 12:48:59 PM

the beauty of a strawman

12/20/2006 3:49:44 PM

Sometimes people are made of straw.

12/20/2006 4:53:00 PM

and some people are so incapable of forming an logical argument that they rely upon strawman arguments.

12/20/2006 11:37:24 PM

Quote :

" Let's also not forget the government giving subsidies to developers to build those nice little shopping centers"

Let's not forget the tax revenue generated by those nice little shopping centers.

12/21/2006 12:33:28 AM

Quote :

"Let's also not forget the government giving subsidies to developers to build those nice little shopping centers, etc. etc. etc. so on and so forth."

Back that up, please. Because I know you can't.

[Edited on December 21, 2006 at 12:44 AM. Reason : .]

12/21/2006 12:43:49 AM

Quote :

"Let's also not forget the government giving subsidies to home owners that land was used for farming a 100 years ago(it is actually a selling point in Texas), etc. etc. etc. so on and so forth."

12/21/2006 10:47:11 AM

Quote :

"Let's not forget the tax revenue generated by those nice little shopping centers. "

So any type of theft is justified as long as it generates more tax revenue. Be it our money in the form of taxation, or property in the form of eminent domain, transferrring wealth from the private sector to government is the road to happiness for all.

12/21/2006 11:21:14 AM

Quote :

" Back that up, please. Because I know you can't. "

pay attention next time there is any new shopping center or development and pay very careful attention to the breaks the government gives the developers.

12/21/2006 12:31:31 PM

^Excellent evidence. Well supported and thorough.

12/21/2006 12:55:26 PM

you know. EarthDogg is probably the biggest communist on this board. See I thought Communism was dead, what with the whole lack of one world economy thing that we had going on for a while. Shit like busting up monopolies was making Marx look like a damn fool. Now...we are right back on track for a workers paradise. Im pumped.

12/21/2006 1:02:14 PM

That is just about the dumbest thing said in the Soap Box in 2006.

12/21/2006 2:30:30 PM

I also forgot about those nice loans the federal government provides to small business owners at an extremely favorable rate.

12/21/2006 3:30:56 PM

^^not any dumber than blaming every one of society's ills on the government like he usually does.

12/21/2006 4:58:57 PM

Quote :

"I also forgot about those nice loans the federal government provides to small business owners at an extremely favorable rate."

Not a subsidy.

12/21/2006 5:00:29 PM

But still a worthwhile form of assistance.

12/21/2006 5:02:00 PM

It's one thing to promote economic development.. it's another thing to subsidize it.

12/21/2006 5:03:23 PM

Quote :

"So any type of theft is justified as long as it generates more tax revenue. Be it our money in the form of taxation, or property in the form of eminent domain, transferrring wealth from the private sector to government is the road to happiness for all."

Huh? Are you saying that subsidies given to shopping center developments are theft? Stealing from you and I, giving to the developer? Because if you are, my point was that over the life of pretty much any shopping center, any construction subsidies will be paid back many times over in the form of taxes, business licenses, etc.

12/21/2006 6:08:22 PM

Quote :

"Are you saying that subsidies given to shopping center developments are theft? "

By gosh you're getting it!

The state is taking money from me, giving it to someone else in order to generate more money for the state.

Corporate welfare should end. We waste billions of taxpayer dollars by either giving money to successful companies that can afford venture capital loans, or we give it to failing companies that should go out of business anyway if they can't hack the competition.

The Constitution gives congress no authority to use taxpayer money in financing or fostering private corporate projects and goals.

12/22/2006 12:08:51 AM

the constitution isn't what "you can do"
it's just what you "can't do"

it's a source of authority

12/22/2006 12:15:28 AM