▲ 2195 ▼ Massachusetts passed a 4% millionaire's tax last year. Now every public school student is going to get free lunch (www.businessinsider.com) submitted 3 years ago* by MicroWave@lemmy.world to c/news@lemmy.world 187 comments fedilink hide all child comments Students in Massachusetts will get free lunch and breakfast at school thanks to a new 4% tax put on people who earn more than $1 million.
[–] TeoTwawki@lemmy.world 116 points 3 years ago (2 children) The descriptor "free" misleads - this is exactly the type of thing taxes were always meant to pay for. permalink fedilink source hideshow 4 child comments replies: [–] HawlSera@lemm.ee 38 points 3 years ago This I have always hated the "FREE STUFF!" talking point and how the mainstream bought it. I'm not talking about demanding some middle class guy be forced to buy me an Xbox, but rather I'm asking multiple billionaires start paying just a little more in taxes (instead of ya know.. constant rebates for "cReAtInG JoBs") so that little Timmy doesn't die of untreated pediatric cancer. permalink fedilink source parent [–] hglman@lemmy.world 28 points 3 years ago (1 child) It's mad that children could some how not deserve or accumulate debt to eat. It's even more mad that its exactly what happens. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 2 child comments replies: [–] Nevoic@lemmy.world 11 points 3 years ago It's also mad that this is also the case for adults. When you turn 18, you shouldn't suddenly lose basic rights (like access to food and shelter), but that's exactly what most capitalists want to happen (and so that's how it works). Goods with inelastic demand shouldn't be driven by the profit motive. Food, healthcare, housing, etc. We can let luxury goods stay within the private sector for now since people don't need them to survive, and come back to that conversation at a later date. permalink fedilink source parent
[–] HawlSera@lemm.ee 38 points 3 years ago This I have always hated the "FREE STUFF!" talking point and how the mainstream bought it. I'm not talking about demanding some middle class guy be forced to buy me an Xbox, but rather I'm asking multiple billionaires start paying just a little more in taxes (instead of ya know.. constant rebates for "cReAtInG JoBs") so that little Timmy doesn't die of untreated pediatric cancer. permalink fedilink source parent
[–] hglman@lemmy.world 28 points 3 years ago (1 child) It's mad that children could some how not deserve or accumulate debt to eat. It's even more mad that its exactly what happens. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 2 child comments replies: [–] Nevoic@lemmy.world 11 points 3 years ago It's also mad that this is also the case for adults. When you turn 18, you shouldn't suddenly lose basic rights (like access to food and shelter), but that's exactly what most capitalists want to happen (and so that's how it works). Goods with inelastic demand shouldn't be driven by the profit motive. Food, healthcare, housing, etc. We can let luxury goods stay within the private sector for now since people don't need them to survive, and come back to that conversation at a later date. permalink fedilink source parent
[–] Nevoic@lemmy.world 11 points 3 years ago It's also mad that this is also the case for adults. When you turn 18, you shouldn't suddenly lose basic rights (like access to food and shelter), but that's exactly what most capitalists want to happen (and so that's how it works). Goods with inelastic demand shouldn't be driven by the profit motive. Food, healthcare, housing, etc. We can let luxury goods stay within the private sector for now since people don't need them to survive, and come back to that conversation at a later date. permalink fedilink source parent