I am the 1%. Let's talk!

[Mr Khan]

mrstickball said:

Mr Khan said:

The ability to acquire loopholes or special treatment for industries x, y, or z, namely in terms of taxation or trade duties, provide the main incentive for these companies to seek influence in the first place. If all exceptions to tax payments are pushed off the table, then it would reduce the desire of corporations to lobby or try to gain influence.

If you cannot influence candidates or get tax breaks, why lobby?

The only points of government intervention i'd leave in are the possibilities for subsidies in emerging industries with a strict definition of what qualifies as an emerging industry

Also a constitutional amendment enshrining certain environmental regulations as untouchable

 

And there's the anti-capitalist statement. In by doing so, you've already prevented businesses from certain activities and industries. The only regulations that must be 'untouched' is when an entity actively endangers or destroys another's property in a tangible way. In such a case, its already codified and does not need additional regulation.

I would hardly think that making sure future energy bills cannot subvert the Clean Water and Clean Air acts (as those damn Marcellus Shale companies can) would qualify as damaging to trade or commerce. At least not more than the public health damage they would create would ultimately offset the market (like families that, due to marcellus shale drilling, have to buy barrelled water since their water can catch on fire, and surely that barrelled water money could go towards something more productive?)

It is the job of regulation to guarantee a level playing field, make sure that business only has to bother with business and can't dick around in other sectors, and to deal with nonmarket externalities that businesses have no immediate incentive to address