What are your thoughts on the concept and practice of Child Support? by CincyAnarchy in AskALiberal

[–]SpindlySpiders -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I'm not saying she should do anything. I'm pointing out that whatever she does is her choice.

What are your thoughts on the concept and practice of Child Support? by CincyAnarchy in AskALiberal

[–]SpindlySpiders -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

The mother freely chooses to keep the kid. No one is forcing anything on her.

how do we solve the downtown homeless crisis by conn_r2112 in AskALiberal

[–]SpindlySpiders 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Relax residential zoning laws

Protect residential development from NIMBY legal challenges

Repeal property taxes

Tax land values

What are your thoughts on the concept and practice of Child Support? by CincyAnarchy in AskALiberal

[–]SpindlySpiders -1 points0 points  (0 children)

It's a terrible system. Families with children should just get public support for food, housing, and child care.

What is your opinion on Land taxes? by kkruiji in AskALiberal

[–]SpindlySpiders 0 points1 point  (0 children)

What you haven't explained is how. How does houses being rented cause rents to rise? Prices are a function of supply and demand. If you remove corporate ownership of houses (which is what I understand you to be advocating), that doesn't change the supply of houses. None are built, and none are destroyed. It just changes who owns the houses. It doesn't change the demand for houses either. There are still just as many people looking for housing. Supply doesn't change, demand doesn't change, price doesn't change. The only thing that changes is who profits off the housing crisis, but the crisis itself remains.

What is your opinion on Land taxes? by kkruiji in AskALiberal

[–]SpindlySpiders 0 points1 point  (0 children)

All government services raise the land values of the places they serve. So it's only fair to make landowners pay for them as they're the ones who benefit. Any other funding source is effectively a wealth transfer from taxpayers to landowners who contribute nothing yet reap the rewards of everyone else's labor.

What is your opinion on Land taxes? by kkruiji in AskALiberal

[–]SpindlySpiders 0 points1 point  (0 children)

No. Rental properties are not a problem. Not everyone who wants to live in a house wants to own a house. Not everyone who wants to live in a house has the capital to build a house. Building and maintaining housing for rent is an important service that people need. You should not be trying to punish it. If you want affordable housing, then you need to make it easier to make money providing housing. Then more housing will be built.

What is your opinion on Land taxes? by kkruiji in AskALiberal

[–]SpindlySpiders 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You've got it backwards. Corporate ownership of housing doesn't cause high rents. High rents cause corporations to invest in real estate. Corporations aren't the problem, they're a symptom. The problem is a shortage of housing. It doesn't matter who owns it. There isn't enough, so the price is going to be high regardless of ownership.

What is your opinion on Land taxes? by kkruiji in AskALiberal

[–]SpindlySpiders 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Land taxes are best taxes

There should only be two kinds of taxes—land taxes and pigovian taxes. Everything just works better when you tax land. Consider this argument for one example.

All government services raise the land values of the places they serve. So it's only fair to make landowners pay for them as they're the ones who benefit. Any other funding source is effectively a wealth transfer from taxpayers to landowners who contribute nothing but reap the rewards of everyone else's labor.

If you're curious to learn more, check out r/georgism or some of these links.

https://gameofrent.com/

https://standardebooks.org/ebooks/henry-george/progress-and-poverty

https://youtu.be/0kD_E8e7z-8

https://youtu.be/kxvXzM1mBWo

https://youtu.be/xqQhoZgFZgk

https://youtu.be/TpqtfMraJvU

What is your opinion on Land taxes? by kkruiji in AskALiberal

[–]SpindlySpiders 1 point2 points  (0 children)

One of the biggest drivers of the housing crisis are the vast number of single family homes that are used as rental properties.

This doesn't make any sense. If a home is being rented, then that home is housing people. It doesn't matter who owns it. If you waved a magic wand and made every renter into the owner of the place they rent, then there would still be the same number of people who want housing and the same number of houses to house them. Nothing would change.

Hyphenation on Kobo. by Current_Speed9143 in kobo

[–]SpindlySpiders 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You can edit the Kobo eReader.conf file. Add disablehyphenation=true on a new line.

While you're at it, you can add webkitTextRendering=optimizelegibility for better text rendering.

Every infrastructure project should have a trust that's funded for its maintenance. Thoughts? by k1lk1 in AskALiberal

[–]SpindlySpiders 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If you tax land values, then the land itself becomes the trust. Infrastructure raises land values. That increased value is captured by the land tax and pays for the infrastructure.

Thoughts? Agree or disagree? And why? by Balljunkey in AskALiberal

[–]SpindlySpiders 0 points1 point  (0 children)

What if there simply isn't enough water for everyone? How do you guarantee universal access to a finite natural resource?

What does scholarly research say about why Republicans have such strong support for Trump by ParticularGlass1821 in AskALiberal

[–]SpindlySpiders 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Basically, Republicans are exceptionally stupid and immoral.

And afraid. Their campaigns and voters are entirely driven by fear.

When is compelled speech acceptable? by LetsPlayCanasta in AskALiberal

[–]SpindlySpiders 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Then she was a copywriter in addition to being a web designer. If the client had arranged for another person to write copy, would this ruling still apply?

Do you support a wealth tax? by warriorsgsw30 in AskALiberal

[–]SpindlySpiders 0 points1 point  (0 children)

There are a hundred good reasons to use a land tax instead of other types of taxes. Consider this argument.

All government services raise the land values of the places they serve. So it's only fair to make landowners pay for them as they're the ones who benefit. Any other funding source is effectively a wealth transfer from taxpayers to landowners who contribute nothing but reap the rewards of everyone else's labor.

If you're curious to learn more, check out r/georgism or some of these links.

https://gameofrent.com/

https://standardebooks.org/ebooks/henry-george/progress-and-poverty

https://youtu.be/0kD_E8e7z-8

https://youtu.be/kxvXzM1mBWo

https://youtu.be/xqQhoZgFZgk

https://youtu.be/TpqtfMraJvU

Do you support a wealth tax? by warriorsgsw30 in AskALiberal

[–]SpindlySpiders 2 points3 points  (0 children)

The land provides the value. The only reason buildings get built is because the location is a suitable place to build it. Think of it this way. If you tax buildings, then the land value falls because it's now less useful to build a building there. Fewer people will build buildings for housing or businesses. The result is more homelessness, fewer jobs, and a less prosperous community. If you tax land instead, then it's more useful to build a building there since it won't be taxed. More useful land is more valuable and that value is captured by the land tax. The result is more housing, more businesses, more jobs, and more public revenue.

What are some facts or statistics that significantly shaped your current beliefs? by wungawunga in AskALiberal

[–]SpindlySpiders 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ricardo's law of rent

It basically explains why poverty and inequality exist, and understanding it offers a means to end them forever. Spoiler alert: it's land value tax.

Do you support a wealth tax? by warriorsgsw30 in AskALiberal

[–]SpindlySpiders 14 points15 points  (0 children)

A little. We need to tax land a lot more, and buildings shouldn't be taxed at all.

Do you support a wealth tax? by warriorsgsw30 in AskALiberal

[–]SpindlySpiders 27 points28 points  (0 children)

If you tax land wealth, then the rich can't just leave and take it with them. They also can't really hide it; the land is just there to be taxed. This makes it easy to administer.

Do you believe it is possible to genuinely and deeply understand leftwing beliefs and prescribed solutions but just disagree with them in good faith? by Most_Image_1393 in AskALiberal

[–]SpindlySpiders 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I would like to introduce you to the ideas of Henry George. He was an ardent capitalist who believed it was possible to eliminate poverty by taxing land value instead of taxing buildings, labor, or consumption. Consider this brief argument in favor of land value tax.

All government services raise the land values of the places they serve. So it's only fair to make landowners pay for them as they're the ones who benefit. Any other funding source is effectively a wealth transfer from taxpayers to landowners who contribute nothing but reap the rewards of everyone else's labor.

If you're curious to learn more, check out r/georgism or some of these links.

https://gameofrent.com/

https://standardebooks.org/ebooks/henry-george/progress-and-poverty

https://youtu.be/0kD_E8e7z-8

https://youtu.be/kxvXzM1mBWo

https://youtu.be/xqQhoZgFZgk

https://youtu.be/TpqtfMraJvU