[citation][nom]davewolfgang[/nom]Sorry Marco - but he's right. You tax the wealthy - they LEAVE.You tax businesses - they LEAVE.You need to take some basic accounting classes (and history classes) to understand this. Now if you don't believe me - ask NYC what happened when they slapped extra taxes on the rich - a bunch MOVED. Ask New Jersey what happened when they slapped extra taxes on the rich - the MOVED. Why does Jon Kerry park his boat in another STATE?? To avoid paying TAXES. People, no matter how much they make, earn and have - actually like to KEEP it. And in American here - once it's yours - NOBODY, including the Gubment - has any business or right to touch it, ever. And please also tell us, how many poor people have hired you (or anybody) lately? How many poor people own and run multi-million dollar businesses?[/citation]
1) If a single state increases taxes, that's not going to help. If taxes are increased nationwide, you'd be able to achieve something. Pair that with very strict controls on taxes (and don't give me the 'we can't look at what happens in tax paradises' thing. A nation that happily sabotages Cuba, invades Iraq and shuts down Wikileaks can't be afraid of the Cayman Islands...) and nobody is going to leave.
Oh, and did you remember that call for higher taxes some reach and socially responsible people (Bill Gates amongst many others) recently signed?
2)Corporations move regardless of taxation. Even in the undesirable case taxes were 0%, low wage countries would still be a lot cheaper. Face it, we've lost enterprises making simple goods on a large scale. Instead, we should focus on the things we still can cling on to: high tech jobs (which are where the best scientists, engineers and universities are, in other words the west. That is, as long as we levy taxes to fund science and education...) and small, local business making high quality goods or delivering services, which simply can't move due to lack of scale and the nature of the goods/services they provide.
3) Are you a product of America's underfunded education? Because you don't seem to be able to write properly...
4) By definition, a government should take your money. A government exists to do things that the private sector or individuals can't/won't provide (healthcare for the poor, public works, transportation, defence, education for everyone, health and safety regulations,...) and it needs money to do so. If you don't want government to take your money, give it to private corporations. But don't expect treatment if you're ill and don't expect your children to go to school if you're not rich.