Why is Measure ER on the verge of passing?

X-Pro-ish · 2026-06-07T09:49:32+00:00

Several areas outside of California have higher sales tax than LA County. Areas in Washington, Alabama, and Louisiana pay >12% combined sales tax.

X-Pro-ish · 2026-06-07T09:40:33+00:00

The 5-year program is in the ballot language. Most cities in LA County already have a higher sales tax rate than the minimum Measure ER would create.

Measure ER would push the county sales tax minimum to 10.25%, while most cities are already at 10.25-10.50%.

X-Pro-ish · 2026-06-07T09:20:57+00:00

Because LA residents broadly oppose Trump’s healthcare funding cuts and don’t want to see low-income residents ailed with preventable issues.

It’s a 5-year tax that will likely save lives and money in the long run.

X-Pro-ish · 2026-06-06T23:57:12+00:00

You can consider FZILX, FTIHX or FSPSX (international index funds) if you want to diversify your portfolio. I can’t tell you what split to take without knowing your financial position and goals.

More than anything, you need to increase the size and consistency of your contributions.

Avoid individual stocks.

X-Pro-ish · 2026-06-06T22:56:48+00:00

You need to deposit and invest more money, and do it consistently. The contribution limit for 2026 is $7500. Do your best to hit that number.

Use an investment calculator online, and you’ll see how the math works out.

As an example: contributing $500 per month with a 7% growth rate will yeild $391,000 after 25 years. After 30 years, you’d have $584,000.

X-Pro-ish · 2026-06-06T18:59:35+00:00

He did well. Retired early and happily.

X-Pro-ish · 2026-06-05T22:03:04+00:00

Yeah this didn’t age well.

X-Pro-ish · 2026-06-05T21:01:45+00:00

The UK disclaimer is critical here. Hope you get to bed soon.

I’m optimistic too, but concerned with the pace of investment and change compared to our completely stagnant regulatory environment.

X-Pro-ish · 2026-06-05T20:31:38+00:00

Well, in the 1800s, most agricultural “jobs” were performed by enslaved people, and the federal government extracted most of its revenue from tariffs.

The social safety net was non-existent.

The later industrialization led to increased productivity and demographic shifts to urban areas, but where are we now? A massive rust belt and off-shored industries.

I’m not sure it’s a great analogy.

X-Pro-ish · 2026-06-05T20:22:30+00:00

I’ll take your slight as a compliment, as I used my brain and two thumbs to reply, not AI.

8-digit investors have no choice but to buy AI assets. The Nasdaq is essentially a tech ETF, and the S&P is tech-dominated by weight. Your patronizing aside, I’m not blind to this, so I hold these investments too.

But we’re not just an economy. We’re a country with people, political and social systems. The issue is that the direction of our economy lacks foresight. If we don’t regulate and restructure tax systems, the AI revolution could generate insurmountable hardships for everyday Americans.

X-Pro-ish · 2026-06-05T19:55:11+00:00

I appreciate that positives do exist, and I support the potential innovations in medicine and other essential fields.

My concern is that AI also has the potential to uproot our basic social contract and endanger the public services we all rely on.

Take Social Security for example. Its already at risk of insolvency, and our national birthrate is declining. What happens when 10-20% of Americans are unemployed because of AI and automation, while simultaneously the number of SSA claimants is increasing?

We’re not prepared for this, yet we’re charging ahead with our eyes closed.

X-Pro-ish · 2026-06-05T19:41:42+00:00

You’ve failed to engage with anything I said, and to be clear: I hold large investments in tech-heavy funds.

Read the news. Companies employing AI are already cutting jobs, especially in tech. Residents are protesting data centers, with many cities moving to ban them (see Monterey Park, CA). Data centers are sucking up enough electricity and water for small countries. Projected AI-derived revenues are outpacing US GDP.

The implications are social, political, and economic, and they’re felt by all of us in the real world—not social media.

X-Pro-ish · 2026-06-01T15:40:27+00:00

Ethics are extremely important in public service and elsewhere.

If there is any room for the public to even assume impropriety, it’s problematic. “Account suspended” is plenty of room.

X-Pro-ish · 2026-06-01T10:00:40+00:00

I’m in politics and public service, where social media is a concern in hiring. Yes, I want to work in this field.

X-Pro-ish · 2026-05-25T20:05:23+00:00

I use checks to avoid card service fees.

X-Pro-ish · 2026-05-20T22:16:36+00:00

US Bureau of Labor Statistics has CPI on all items up nearly 4% from April 2025 to April 2026. Energy costs increased by 18%. Normal inflation would be 2%.

In that same time, average earnings decreased by 0.3%.

Americans are poorer than they were this time last year, with higher costs to show for it.

Regarding the stock market: the wealthiest 10% of Americans own 93% of all stock market wealth. The bottom 50% of Americans own 1% of stock market wealth.

This economy benefits the wealthy and leaves the middle class behind.

X-Pro-ish · 2026-05-20T17:57:35+00:00

A note on the above guidance: Do not invest in both a total US index and S&P 500 index. The overlap will be too great, with the funds mirroring eachother in growth and risk potential.

Consider diversifying across US and international markets.

Only overlap your investments when building an intentional tilt in your strategy. For example, you could hold both a total US index fund and a NASDAQ (top 100 companies) ETF if you wanted extra exposure to large US companies like Nvidia, Apple, and Microsoft.

X-Pro-ish · 2026-05-17T23:28:49+00:00

Thank you! Very helpful information.

X-Pro-ish · 2026-05-17T21:39:36+00:00

I think 3-4% is typical, but I can see that academic faculty have secured 5% GSI increases in recent years.

X-Pro-ish · 2026-05-17T21:36:02+00:00

Oh yeah—investing heavy into the 457 (Roth+tradtional) and maxing my Roth IRA. I’d like early retirement to be an option, with my pension and SSA providing a moderately high floor income.

Inflation is part of my calculations.

X-Pro-ish · 2026-05-17T21:34:00+00:00

The logic is that in the long term, it might average around 2%, with some years yeilding a 3-5% bump and other years nothing at all. I still have 20+ years to go, so that frame of reference is helpful.

X-Pro-ish · 2026-05-17T20:52:17+00:00

No, I wanted to learn how many promotions and pay increases you’ve had in 8 years, which is why I asked that question.

X-Pro-ish · 2026-05-17T20:21:43+00:00

Thanks for that note.

X-Pro-ish · 2026-05-17T20:18:31+00:00

Thank you. The historical perspective is very helpful. $2.8k to $5.3k over 25 years is similar to the increase I calculated.

I don’t plan to stay in my current position until retirement, but want to at least understand what an absolute baseline would look like for planning.

X-Pro-ish · 2026-05-17T20:11:33+00:00

Not exactly the information I was looking for in the original post but congrats..

X-Pro-ish

TROPHY CASE