Businesses create low wage jobs because they too (these businesses) are also operating on a thin margin

Quite a few people are saying that they aren't that enthused about going back to low paid jobs; like they had before the pandemic. Expectations have been ratcheted up another notch by generous corona virus relief packages.

On the other hand, a lot of employers have said that they operate on a thin margin. For instance, supermarkets with discount prices and a thin overhead. Miss matches of the economy.

At the same time, there are huge windfall profits that have been made. Not necessarily at those same supermarkets and businesses that pay the wages, however.

Yesterday, I heard about someone who's house had appreciated 3 fold in value since they bought around a decade ago. They were planning to sell and move to a less expensive area reaping a huge capital gain.

I heard they have family in that less expensive area, so it's not like they are moving to total social isolation though they are moving to Kansas.🤣 After buying a house in Kansas, they will have lots of money leftover.

Washington State's capital gains tax may have missed the mark

Here in Washington State, the legislature has just passed a new capital gains tax, but from what I hear, it exempts homeowners. Maybe it comes from a "stick it to business" mindset taxing capital gains on stock transactions, but exempting windfall profits from homes. I think we need to include windfall profits from selling homes also.

Somehow, we need to figure out how to better balance the economy for people in lower wage jobs. In a lot of cases, even the businesses these people work in are not raking in huge profits.

The wealthy are not necessarily the owners of those particular businesses.

To some extent, raising wages will raise the price of doing business in so many businesses that are on a thin margin. This means higher prices for consumers.

It's like we keep meeting the enemy and the enemy is ourselves. In so many cases, the consumer market is the ultimate employer.

Upper middle class people, eating in restaurants, will now have to "be the change they want to see in this world" if they want a more fair and equitable world.

As the September 4th end date for some of these generous coronavirus unemployment benefits approaches, there will need to be lots of patience and adjusting as we try and accommodate our ever increasing expectations for fairness and equity in society.

We also need to figure out a better deal for many of the people who rent who have seen their rents skyrocket.

Washington State's new capital gains tax is facing a court challenge so it's days may be numbered. Though I am no expert, from what I understand, the new law is based on people's income. The tax applies only if one's income is above a certain threshold. This means filling out an income tax form to the state and Washington State constitution prohibits an income tax.

Personally, I am in favor of income taxes, but that would take more heavy lifting on the part of the legislature. This capital gains tax may be struck down in its present form.

A friend of mine suggested it should have been more like a sales tax on capital gains transactions, rather than based on a person's income. Easier to do legally. Also should include homes.

Based on transactions, it could still set a threshold of high end transactions so as to exempt lower value transactions. That could fix the current legal challenge.

My friend suggested that we also need to raise property taxes on high end residential properties. There are lots of multi million dollar mansions in this state.

Similar tax ideas could be applied nationally.

I may be a bit over my head in discussing taxes, but these ideas seem to make sense to me.

I've probably lost the audience to slumber already anyway.🤣

Liberal, open minded religion provides a good foundation for accepting our ever changing understanding of science

I got to thinking that liberal religion provides a good foundation to accepting science. By "liberal," I mean the accepting that our understanding of truths can evolve. The realization that each of our understandings of truth isn't necessarily cast in stone.

Science provides a pretty good approximation of truth that works enough to get us through the day. It's practical. It provides our technologies, modern medicine and so forth. At the same time, these ideas are subject to revision and improvement.

Liberal religion is okay with an evolving understanding. Okay with change that can come from learning.

Religion isn't necessary for science, but I think a willingness to learn and change is pretty much necessary for science.

Religion, while not necessary, still provides hope for things that science has not yet provided convincing evidence for.

A sense of life being more than just a short trip to a dead end. A sense of meaning and purpose in the universe. The idea that something one thinks of as "good" will ultimately prevail.

There is also a lot of community connection that some people get from religion as well.

Biden talks about the successful Northeast Amtrak corridor. I compare it to California.

Biden's speech for the 50th anniversary of Amtrak said some amazing things about the Northeast rail corridor.

Interesting part of the speech, for me, starts at 16 minutes in and goes to about 19 minutes. Just 3 minutes of amazing numbers. Between New York and Washington, DC, Amtrak carries 4 times as many passengers as all the airlines along the east coast. Amazing.

One wonders if these numbers stand up to fact checking, but, so far, I haven't heard it disputed.

If those Amtrak passengers had to go by car, 7 new lanes would have to be added to I-95.

Yes, rail works in the Northeast Corridor. It goes pretty fast, but isn't considered "high speed rail" by certain international standards. Still, it's pretty good.

Biden said that there are only 3 curves, along that route, which could be removed to bring this already existing line closer to high speed.

I got to thinking they already have a good right of way through a densely populated corridor. That's why rail works so good there. The dream of fast trains, in California, is more the brunt of jokes.

High speed going through California's Central Valley, between San Francisco and Los Angeles is too already built up with sprawl for a new dedicated corridor. Too many crossings and so forth. Prime farmland. Sprawling cities, like Fresno. That's a problem with California's proposed high speed line between San Francisco and Los Angeles.

Another fast train idea might work better for California, however.

Los Angeles to Las Vegas, Nevada. That is now being talked about for high speed rail. Much of that corridor is sparsely populated desert with the two large passenger generation points at both ends. Los Angeles and Las Vegas.

I think the dream of a nationwide high speed network is beyond our means, but we can benefit from rail improvements.

When I use Amtrak, I'm on vacation so speed isn't the only criteria.