Bloomberg reported yesterday that if Sen. Sanders implemented his highly progressive tax plan, billionaires could face an effective tax rate of up to 97.5%. This will be met with complete apoplexy amongst the ruling-class, but, apart from the fact that it is entirely correct that governments use punitive tax regimes to discourage socially destructive behaviour such as ruthless exploitation and wealth hoarding, let’s put it in perspective.

If Jeff Bezos was hit by a 97.5% wealth tax, he would still be a billionaire. His fortune currently stands at roughly $108,200,000,000. After a Sanders wealth tax, he would still sit atop a hoard of almost $3.75bn. The tax from he alone would enable the federal government to wipe the debt of a million students (c. $50bn), to train half a million new grad nurses (c. $25bn), to pay the entire education budget of the five lowest spending states for a year (Utah + Idaho + Arizona + Oklahoma + Mississippi = c. $24bn) - and still, still have enough spare change to double federal spending on energy efficiency and renewable energy ($4bn).

And that’s just one big fish.

Put in that sort of context there is simply no moral justification for any individual to have the private enjoyment of the sort of wealth that could seriously adjust the social outcomes of a entire nation’s working-class.

Pitchforks are an extremely moderate and conservative reaction.

The most popular politician in the U.S. advocating for vastly popular reforms.

It’s almost…common sense

Radical how we all want to live in a just society, huh?

this is such a fucking power move

The act is called the “Stop Bad Employers by Zeroing Out Subsidies” act. (So technically: the Stop BEZOS Act.) The basic concept is simple: “if an Amazon worker received $2,000 in food stamps, Amazon would be taxed $2,000 to cover that cost.”

It covers both regular employees and staffing-agency contractors; it doesn’t cover fully independent contractors, defined by the ABC Test. (So: if they hire a plumber to fix the pipes, or a roofing company, they don’t have to pay taxes for those people if they’re getting food stamps.) It only applies to “large employers” - those that employ 500+ people. 

It also makes it illegal for employers to ask whether someone is receiving federal benefits–so they just have to make their wages high enough to make employees ineligible, rather than seeking out people who either don’t realize they qualify, are too proud to apply, or are disqualified for some reason other than income.

Disneyland employees’ average hourly wages have decreased in real terms every year for more than 15 years, while the company has taken in record municipal subsidies from the city of Anaheim and soared in profitability, returning high dividends to its shareholders.

The transfer of wealth from employees to shareholders and the squeeze on employees’ pocketbooks has left many employees homeless and many more in debt and struggling.

A ballot initiative in the City of Anaheim would force companies that received municipal subsidies to pay a $15 minimum wage with an annual raise of $1/hour until wages reach $18/hour, with inflation-adjusted raises every year thereafter.

Disney is fighting the proposal tooth-and-nail. Bernie Sanders headlined a rally in Anaheim in support of the measure yesterday, saying “I want to hear the moral defense of a company that makes $9 billion in profits, $400 million for their CEOs and have a 30-year worker going hungry.” He was joined by veteran Disney employees who shamed the company with statement like “Disney prides itself on making dreams come true.. Disney, where is my dream?”

https://boingboing.net/2018/06/03/down-and-out-in-the-magic-king-3.html

As the approval ratings for Trump, the Republican Party, the Democratic Party and Congress circle the drain, one politician remains trusted by a shockingly large number of politicians: Bernie Sanders, who is polling +41% with independents, +28% with Democrats, and whose approval rating has steadily climbed since he hit the national stage in 2015.

So, naturally, the Democratic Party establishment is doing everything they can to sideline him, and keep his supporters out of positions of party power and off the mid-term ballots.

https://boingboing.net/2017/03/19/self-inflicted-wounds.html