🚀 go-pugleaf

J. Clarke <jclarke...@gmail.com> wrote:
> On Sat, 10 Feb 2018 16:03:05 -0500, Dan Espen <dan1...@gmail.com>
> wrote:
> 
>> J. Clarke <jclarke...@gmail.com> writes:
>> 
>>> On Sat, 10 Feb 2018 10:18:45 -0500, Dan Espen <dan1...@gmail.com>
>>> wrote:
>>> 
>>>> Huge <Huge@nowhere.much.invalid> writes:
>>>> 
>>>>> On 2018-02-09, Peter Flass <peter...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>>>>>> Dan Espen <dan1...@gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>>>> Peter Flass <peter...@yahoo.com> writes:
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>> Gareth's Downstairs Computer
>>>>>>>> <headstone255.but.n...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>>>>>>>>> On 08/02/2018 11:12, Ahem A Rivet's Shot wrote:
>>>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>>> Now possibly taxes might in some way not be a debt, but they look
>>>>>>>>>> like one to me.
>>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>> Taxation is a protection racket promoted by those who ride
>>>>>>>>> its gravy train.
>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>> Taxation is a way of funding common services that benefit "all". (FSVO
>>>>>>>> "all")
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> Hey, it's simple civics but I see you have at least 2 cynical replies
>>>>>>> so far.
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> That is supposed to be the theory. I agree that a lot is skimmed off, and a
>>>>>> lot more goes to pay for stuff I may not agree with, but without taxes to
>>>>>> pay for roads, bridges, etc. we'd be in a real mess.
>>>>> 
>>>>> Interesting example, given that it is entirely possible to operate toll
>>>>> roads and bridges, and even the State does that.
>>>>> 
>>>>> A much better example would be defence.
>>>> 
>>>> How would taking down fences help???
>>>> 
>>>> (Yes, I know, Britisher.)
>>>> 
>>>> Another good example, taking care of old people, disabled, that are not able
>>>> to take care of themselves.
>>>> 
>>>> The US roads that go interstate are part of the federal system, as they
>>>> should be. 
>>> 
>>> They are built and paid for by the states in which they are located.
>>> The only control the Federal government has over them is that the Feds
>>> can withhold a payment if they are not constructed and maintained to a
>>> certain standard.  Essentially the states are bribed to cooperate.
>> 
>> I'm having trouble understanding the Wikipedia comment on the issue:
>> 
>> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_Highway_System#Financing
>> 
>> The federal contribution comes overwhelmingly from motor vehicle and
>> fuel taxes (93.5 percent in 2007), and it makes up about 60 percent of
>> the contributions by the states.
>> 
>> Does that mean the feds pay 60 percent of the money the states spend?
> 
> It means that some character who who edited the page on May 12, 2012
> to "put in clarifications" should have taken an English course before
> doing so.
> 
> Prior to the "clarification" that sentence was: "The federal
> contribution is overwhelmingly from motor vehicle and fuel taxes
> (93.5% in 2007), as is about 60% of the state contribution."
> 
> Afterwards it was: "The Federal contribution comes overwhelmingly from
> motor vehicle and fuel taxes (93.5% in 2007), and it makes up about 60
> percent of the contributions by the States."
> 
> It now reads "The federal contribution comes overwhelmingly from motor
> vehicle and fuel taxes (93.5 percent in 2007), as does about 60
> percent of the state contribution."
> 
> When you read wiki, if something doesn't make any sense note that
> there are tabs at the top of the page for "Talk" and "View History".
> Sometimes something that doesn't make sense is the result of a
> previous botched edit--you may be able to find that, find out what it
> was supposed to say, and fix it.  Other times there will be in the
> Talk section a discussion of the issue and why it reads the way it
> does.
> 
> People seem to have this idea that Wiki is an encyclopedia where the
> worlds experts are sought out and persuaded to give their opinions.
> It's not, it's a lot like USENET where any idiot can make changes (one
> of the edits I noted added to the page we are discussing "I like
> chicken".  I didn't follow that one to see how long it took for
> someone to notice and remove it.)
> 

What.. you mean, I'm _not_ one of the world's experts?

For a lot of computer stuff all you need is Bitsavers and the ability to
read.

-- 
Pete