大俠行天下日記 我見我聞我思 03/05

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劫富濟貧 波士頓市長要求加稅

波士頓華裔吳市長已經正式要求市議會在所有二百萬以上之房產交易中增收百分之二的稅金，以補助市內的貧民住宅計劃 ，其中包括公寓、 辦公樓、 商場及住宅 ，此舉立即遭到共和黨州長及許多地產擁有人之反對， 其中包括許多亞華裔人士。

吳市長說 ，這些超過千萬之稅收將用於改善目前市內公共住宅區之設施 ，希望他們在此安身立命， 繼續發展。

在當前民主黨執政之大環境下 ，許多人不願看到的就是增稅， 事實上對富人加稅間接的是加重消費者之負擔， 富人們擁有的地產只有對房客或購買者加價。

老實說 ，對於一般中小企業而言， 疫情所造成之傷害已經是生存之威脅， 如何再加上政府之萬萬稅 ，只會扼殺經濟之發展。

放眼看去， 今天美國之各大城市從波士頓、 華盛頓、 紐約、 芝加哥、 休斯敦 、舊金山、 洛杉磯清一色都是民主黨非裔、 亞裔、 拉丁裔做市長， 他們的選民多半來自較貧窮之族羣， 當然在她們當選後必須加稅來照顧自己人。

美國當前出現了一個非常明顯之現象， 貧富距離加大 ，民主黨集中在大城市， 共和黨支持者在鄉下及中小城鎮。

Boston’s Mayor Wu Wants More Taxes To Fund Low-Cost Housing

Boston’s new mayor Michelle Wu pushed forward a plan to pay for low-cost housing by taxing high-dollar real estate sales.

She signed the city council’s formal request asking state lawmakers for permission to impose a transfer tax of as much as 2% on property sales of $2 million or more including high-end condos, office building retail and multi-family rentals. Sellers would bear the cost which would apply only to the amount above $2 million. This move was immediately opposed by Republican Governor Charlie Baker and many real estate owners including many Asians.

Mayor Wu said the fee will generate tens of millions of dollars each year creating housing safety and stability and will allow people to stay in neighborhoods to put down their roots and help them grow.

Looking around today, all the major cities in the United States from Boston, New York, Washington D.C., Houston, Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francisco, all the mayors are Democrats. They need to take care of their voters after they are elected.

At the present time, there is a very obvious phenomenon happening in the U.S. The distance between the rich and the poor has increased.

We really don’t want to see more additional tax levied to increase the growth of the economy. Many businesses went under in the pandemic time. We need to help these many businesses reopen and get back on their feet, not just only the housing projects.