[lbo-talk] Positive aspects of neo-liberalism

jmhayes at j-o-r-d-a-n.com jmhayes at j-o-r-d-a-n.com
Thu Dec 29 12:28:33 PST 2005



>> Sure, if you like regressive taxation.
>
> It pretty much depends what function taxation serves and
> what your policy objective is.

Indeed :-)


> If it is redistribution of income, then indeed regressive
> taxation is bad.

It seemed to me (from the quip you made earlier that you clipped out above) that your goal was to "make car users pay" -- that sounds like a lousy policy objective ... but I extrapolated that your position would be: cars suck, I don't have one, let's all ride fuel cell busses and live in the center of a (Western) European city.


> But if this function is more efficient - or rational, or
> environmentally friendly if you will - pricing of public goods
> to change their use patterns ...

I think we've been over this N times, but you cannot "change their use patterns" without supplying an alternative. You can't just unilaterally raise the cost of driving a car in order to get people to bend to your will; what you'll accomplish is extra hardship on the low end and "simple" political anger on the top end.

/jordan



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