Against Child Hostages (A message to Joe Manchin)

[Nevilledog]

Link to tweet

https://modelcitizen.substack.com/p/against-child-hostages

*snip*

First, the child benefit isn’t universal. Wealthier families get nothing. It wouldn’t matter much if they were eligible, however. For comfortable families, it would simply amount to a small tax cut. But they don’t need a small tax cut. Our country needs a better-financed social insurance system, which means that wealthier households should pitch in more. If you like, you can think of phasing out the child allowance at higher incomes as a way for those households to get the benefit while having their taxes increased by precisely amount of the benefit to help finance the benefit.

Personally, I’d prefer real universality — it should be a benefit for kids no matter how lucky or unlucky they happened to get in the parent lottery. And then, separately, tax rates at higher brackets should go up by an amount that would wipe out the value of the benefit and then some. As a matter of fiscal accounting, it’s not important if relatively posh households with kids ever actually receive a child benefit check or ACH transfer. I do think it’s important politically, though. We value our kids, period, and we’re in it together. But we can’t do this sort of sensible thing because of inane PAYGO and spending cap requirements.

Second, conditioning benefits for kids on their parents working is not required by “the principle of reciprocity” and is not “at the heart of a durable social compact.” There are many countries with unconditional child allowances that enjoy social compacts rather more durable than ours.

Cass’ talk about reciprocity and “shared expectations and obligations” makes no sense. It’s a category error. This is a benefit for children. It’s nonsensical to “ask recipients to do their part in supporting themselves” when maybe the main fact about human children is that they can’t support themselves.

*snip*

[DanieRains]

1. Tax Wealth Not Brackets Nevilledog

The crazy rich hide their wealth, cheat on their income. Often the cheating is borderline cheating. Tax assets not claimed income.

Get caught cheating. 75% tax on hidden assets / wealth instead of 2%.