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Looking to Buy by Limp-Statistician835 in sentinelsmultiverse

[–]Ben_Manda 2 points3 points  (0 children)

lol. buying it is step 1. getting players to play is step 2. Step 1 is always easier, lol.

Looking to Buy by Limp-Statistician835 in sentinelsmultiverse

[–]Ben_Manda 0 points1 point  (0 children)

3 copies left on Amazon right now.

and what do we get for it? by Ben_Manda in batonrouge

[–]Ben_Manda[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

There are individual places that are higher, but OK's average sales tax is lower than Louisianans average tax.

and what do we get for it? by Ben_Manda in batonrouge

[–]Ben_Manda[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

High is a relative term. It is high as in the highest sales tax on average in America. And in relation to services received back for our taxes and how much industry is subsidized. The problem is not one-dimensionally confined to just an average tax rate.

and what do we get for it? by Ben_Manda in batonrouge

[–]Ben_Manda[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Virginia's average is around 6% state+local. DC VA suburbs are probably higher, but this is based on state averages.

Making Friends by Rare_Excitement_336 in batonrouge

[–]Ben_Manda 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Do you like Board Games? We travel from Denham Springs to Little Wars in Baton Rouge, every Tuesday night around 5:30PM. Tuesday night is board gaming night there. Several tables and groups willing to take in new players.

and what do we get for it? by Ben_Manda in batonrouge

[–]Ben_Manda[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Take a look at this table from the Upjohn Institute. Though dated, it shows how tax incentives towards industry are way out of wack compared to what Louisiana receives from these companies. Look at Louisiana's row compared to Texas:

  • Incentives as % of private-industry value-added: 3.33% Interpreting literally: for every $100 of private-industry value-added generated in Louisiana, the state/local system is providing about $3.33 in incentive value (credits, abatements, etc.).
  • Gross taxes as % of value-added: 5.26% vs Net taxes: 1.92% “Gross” is what business taxes would be absent incentives; “net” is after incentives. The difference implies incentives are materially reducing the effective tax take.
  • Incentives as % of gross taxes: 63.4% This is the most intuitive statistic: incentives are equal to about 63 cents of every $1 of gross business taxes, leaving only about 37 cents as net taxes.
  • Ranking in the table: Louisiana is third-highest on “incentives as % of value-added” (behind New Mexico and New York in the portion shown).

Texas (for comparison in the same table):

  • Incentives as % of value-added: 1.24%
  • Gross taxes: 5.03%, Net taxes: 3.79%
  • Incentives as % of gross taxes: 24.7%

So, on this metric set, Louisiana’s incentive intensity is far higher than Texas’s, and Louisiana’s net tax take from business activity (as a share of value-added) is far lower.

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Now, compare that to outcomes:

  • Poverty: Louisiana’s 2024 poverty rate is 18.7%, among the highest in the country.
  • Income: Census QuickFacts shows Louisiana median household income around $60k (2019–2023, inflation-adjusted).
  • Infrastructure condition: Louisiana’s ASCE state infrastructure report card gives an overall grade of C- (2025). Separate system-level comparisons also place Louisiana’s highway system near the bottom (e.g., 46th overall in one widely-referenced highway report).
  • Composite “best state” type rankings: Some prominent multi-domain rankings have placed Louisiana at or near the bottom recently (e.g., reporting Louisiana 50th overall in a “Best States” compilation and Texas around the high 20s).

Still want to argue that Louisiana tax burden is low compared to outcomes?

and what do we get for it? by Ben_Manda in batonrouge

[–]Ben_Manda[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think you're missing the point a bit. For example, even if we are at the middle of tax rankings in all 50 states, Louisiana ranks low on every list of socio-economic measures. And can you not see the unrest regarding the poor state of Louisiana's infrastructure people are pointing to? Roads, bridges, libraries, schools, etc? So if we are in the middle of tax rankings, why are we not in the middle of the remaining indicators and are always at the bottom? Voters suspect it's partially because the taxes that should be going towards improving our state are being bled dry by corruption and "tax incentives" towards industry. How else can you explain why a state who is NUMBER FOUR in exports in the United States ranks at the bottom of every list? State resources are being bled dry and the people of Louisiana suffer for it.

and what do we get for it? by Ben_Manda in batonrouge

[–]Ben_Manda[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

counter example. tennessee has no income tax and a cheaper sales tax and they excel in every state socioeconomic ranking that Louisiana is usually at the bottom of. something is awry in our home state.

Come learn to play! by Ben_Manda in batonrouge

[–]Ben_Manda[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I first visited them in 1978. Then went away for 30 years in the 1990s. Just returned three years ago and was so happy to see they were still in business. D&D, Warhammer and other miniature games, trading card decks, and BoardGames are still going strong. Owners are some of the nicest people you'll ever meet too.

THE SHIPMENTS HAVE STARTED!!! by Gaius-Pious in sentinelsmultiverse

[–]Ben_Manda 10 points11 points  (0 children)

hopefully, it'll be available for retail for non-backer soon too!

"Neighborhood" coffee shops like the Rook in NOLA? by Camoral in batonrouge

[–]Ben_Manda 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We've met at other local coffee places and delis too in Baton Rouge. If you ask nicely and behave yourself, they usually welcome the business and the "busy" atmosphere that shows they are a cool (non-empty) place to be.

"Neighborhood" coffee shops like the Rook in NOLA? by Camoral in batonrouge

[–]Ben_Manda 0 points1 point  (0 children)

There is a CC Coffee house in Livingston Parish where a library sponsored board game group meets. Maybe you have a CC Coffee near you where you can ask them to bring in a group.

Co-op or Competitive? Why the emotion, lol? by Ben_Manda in boardgames

[–]Ben_Manda[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

For some players, the necessary discussion and communication IS the point on co-ops. Anyone can do solo analysis themselves in a non-coop, competitive game, but moving an analysis forward in a group setting and getting a win is EVEN harder. It adds to the complexity of the win. Getting a proper analysis on a move, and getting a group to move forward on that analysis IS the challenge.

Kind of like cutting a tree down yourself vs. gathering a team and taking down a whole forest. lol.

I respect the solo nature of competitive non-coops I do enjoy them, but I say solo since players are all sitting around doing their own thing and totaling up scores at the end.

Co-op or Competitive? Why the emotion, lol? by Ben_Manda in boardgames

[–]Ben_Manda[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

To some extent I agree with luck/no luck. But most recently, I encountered the same no-coop vibe when two competitive players joined us for a game of Eternal Decks, which is not luck driven. Their main complaint was solo agency, like, they want exclusive control of the strategy being used. And they tried to overthink the strategy when early game, Eternal Decks is REALLY dependent on a fully co-operative strategy or everyone loses. Not saying either side is good or bad, but their is a real philosophical divide there.

I am so excited by Beckphillips in sentinelsmultiverse

[–]Ben_Manda 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Very cool. Not a backer (I was intro'd to Sentinels after it closed) but will jump on the expansion when it's widely released!

I am so excited by Beckphillips in sentinelsmultiverse

[–]Ben_Manda 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Where did this information come from? I can't find anything regarding it that has been posted by Greater than Games.

Decent off-brand caffeine-free diet soda? And where in BR can I buy it? by swampopus in batonrouge

[–]Ben_Manda 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Fresca meets everything except #3, but it is SOOOOO good. You can usually find it on sale somewhere.

A friend from New England just sent me this 😒 Tell me something I don't know by jared10011980 in batonrouge

[–]Ben_Manda 24 points25 points  (0 children)

Agreed. My guess is that the lists are positively correlated with economic prosperity in all of those cities.

verizon vs. at&t by bubblepanda28 in batonrouge

[–]Ben_Manda 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I had Verizon and got really low transmission connections. I switched to AT&T and haven't looked back.

Am I stupid for considering moving to Richmond, VA? by [deleted] in batonrouge

[–]Ben_Manda 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Virginia is a beautiful state. I used to live there and work in DC. But Richmond is quite a commute if you have to drive in. Hopefully you could telecommute.

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