NYC sucks (rant)

This city and its taxation schemes are goddamn ridiculous. I swear it is a communist state. Who would think you can't take a left turn on 25th Street while heading northbound on 3rd Avenue? Well now I do, after $180 in penalties, and 6 points on my license.

I swear to god this whole damned city is built around taxing its most productive members of society so that city government can cause a massive wealth transfer to a bunch of poor, shiftless, unemployed, welfare-sucking idiots.

NYPD set up a trap over the weekend and the cop was literally writing up a car every 3 minutes for this violation. Strictly a revenue raiser. It makes me sick.

Im going to pay almost $50k in income tax to NYC this year, and the goddamn city government needs another $180 from me? Plus of course, whatever sales taxes we're going to pay to the city.

Why can't this place be run like Texas? The best government is the government that governs least.

[wh1t3bread]

You are paying New York City $50,000 in taxes this year and you are complaining about a measly $180 ticket that you received for making an illegal turn.

I don't get it.

[DVaut1]

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Who would think you can't take a left turn on 25th Street while heading northbound on 3rd Avenue?

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Apparently not you. If you feel you've been wronged, challenge it in court.

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I swear to god this whole damned city is built around taxing its most productive members of society so that city government can cause a massive wealth transfer to a bunch of poor, shiftless, unemployed, welfare-sucking idiots.

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Health and welfare will make up less than 10% of the NYC's outlays in the 2006 fiscal year. So I guess it is a 'massive wealth transfer', if you think 10 cents on the dollar is massive. If you're claiming you pay $50k in taxes to NYC (a number I'm truly amazed at) because of "a bunch of poor, shiftless, unemployed, welfare-sucking idiots", you'd still be paying $45k even if NYC didn't provide them with a dollar's worth of services.

Wonder what it would cost if the cops took off and left NYC to its own devices -- that is, I wonder how much it would cost you to hire some personal security guards to escort you around town (again, remembering the cops left town, took the courts with them, etc.)? Maybe pvn can jump here and answer this. I bet it might cost something close to, if not substantially more than $50k -- although since I like my government, and the rather swell protections (not to mention safe and predictable business and living climate they've provided for me), I'm not really in the market for such things and haven't given it much thought.

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NYPD set up a trap over the weekend and the cop was literally writing up a car every 3 minutes for this violation. Strictly a revenue raiser. It makes me sick.

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I guess you weren't the only who didn't realize you can't take a left onto 25th while heading northbound on 3rd.

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Im going to pay almost $50k in income tax to NYC this year, and the goddamn city government needs another $180 from me? Plus of course, whatever sales taxes we're going to pay to the city.

Why can't this place be run like Texas? The best government is the government that governs least.

[/ QUOTE ]

Is something stopping you from moving to Texas? That may explain why NYC can't be run like Texas -- or why, despite the unfriendly tax-payer climate you believe you're in, you still choose to live there. Perhaps -- just perhaps -- they're related (in other words, consider if the reason you're paying so much in taxes is also why you choose to live there; even if the links aren't particularly direct).

I don't know. Just a guess. Think it over.

[canis582]

Awesome avatar, I can't believe he hit the water bottle.

How much are you making that you pay 50k in local income?

If you are paying $50,000 in NYC taxes, then you are making over $1.1 million.

Obey the law or stop whining about paying a ticket for an amount that is an infintesimal percentage of your income.

1. There is only one reason to live in NYC: professional opportunitites (particularly in financial services, but to a lesser extent also in professional services). Obviously those who choose to remain in the city do so for this reason.

2. As far as the "wealth transfer", Im not just talking about direct subsidies, but Im also including indirect wealth transferring subsidies such as public education, low income/elderly subsidies, public medicine, etc. Obviously, an urban city like NY needs a certain amount of spending for "public goods" like police, fire, sanitation, transportation, and parks--and this drives a certain amount of the tax. However, there really isn't a reason to have this deep support structure for poor/elderly etc. Those people should be in low cost states. To the extent that they continue to live in NYC, they are economic parasites--net consumers of far more in public services than they contribute in tax revenues. NYC is "progressive taxation" taken to insane heights--anti-property owner, anti-business, anti-taxpayer. If NYC were to reduce its subsidies, those who rely on it would leave and go elsewhere, into (hopefully) economies where their economic contributions would be closer to their actual consumption. Sounds heartless, but Im a big believer in private communities and privatized everything--obviously a self-serving position, but that's Adam Smith at work for ya.

[JonPKibble]

I hate NYC too. Guess what, I voted with my feet and moved. If you don't like something, either get away, or DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.

[kurto]

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There is only one reason to live in NYC: professional opportunitites

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Hmmm. It also has more to do then probably any other city. The diversity of food, theater and other sorts of entertainment, schools,... diversity of culture, the energy of the city, etc. I'd say anyone who thinks the only reason to live in the city is professional opportunities must be blind.

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Obviously those who choose to remain in the city do so for this reason.

[/ QUOTE ] That's funny. I like when someone says there's one obvious reason why 10 million or so people choose to do what they do.

Honestly, this is the goofiest over-reaction to getting a parking ticket I've ever heard.

The signs are pretty easy to read on the streets that prohibit turning in certain directions. I suppose if you've never driven in the city before and were too freaked out to read the signs you could blame it on anxiety and ignorance. But it doesn't sound like you have an excuse.

Its no one's fault but yours that you got a ticket. So... stop your ranting about shipping old people off to other states, pay your ticket and learn to drive.

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Im going to pay almost $50k in income tax to NYC this year, and the goddamn city government needs another $180 from me? Plus of course, whatever sales taxes we're going to pay to the city.


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Congratulations! In this single post, you've managed to:
<ul type="square"> 1. Rant, vent, let off steam.
2. Announce you inability to follow simple traffic regulations.
3. Flaunt/brag about, your income.
4. Bring attention to the city of NY.
5. Illustrate the effectiveness of the NYPD.
6. Express your feelings about those less fortunate.
7. Favorably publicize the state of Texas.[/list]
I'm impressed. I'd need at least 4.


[img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

oops, forgot one - gave me a good laugh!

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