FDR was no saint. Neither is Steyer. Steyer is doing what FDR did, looking at the system pragmatically and saying "This is not sustainable. It is out of balance. It must be fixed." FDR was not anti-elite or anti-wealth. What he recognized is that wealthy elites need a stable society underneath them to sustain their wealth and influence. He reformed the system to save it, and expand it. There was self-interest involved. There was also grace involved; the grace of seeing how others unlike himself could benefit from his actions. FDR took both pragmatic & moral action. I suspect Steyer sees something similar. Until today I had never heard of him, and as a resident of another state, I hope his efforts lead the way to a better furure for California, and the country.
My late husband’s Swedish mother had a favorite saying that translated as “enough is just right”. I couldn’t agree more.
A charmingly fun friend of mine liked the saying “he who dies with the most toys wins”. He took his gun, sat leaning against his car in his driveway, put the gun in his mouth and pulled the trigger.
I grew up going to the most exclusive clubs in Palm Beach. They are beautiful. They are safe for your children to run free in. The people are polite and attractive. The conversations are boring because everyone thinks alike.
We have been sold a bill of goods all our lives. Having more is better, makes us a more desirable person, will make us feel secure forever, is the ultimate answer in life. Some people have been there and know better. I suspect Tom Steyer is one of those people. Wealth is not sinful but the benefits have their limits. Enough is just right.
I think Tom Steyer is one of those people who get their pleasure from working to solve problems rather than from feeling admired and envied.
I’m not a Californian but if I were I would vote for him with relief and appreciation.
"you live inside an inheritance, and you owe it, and the question is whether you add to the deposit or extract from it."
I think the above quote is part and parcel of what I call love, spelled L-U-V. It is the L or legacy portion. And it too goes hand in hand with Tikkun Olam.
Tikkun olam (Hebrew: תיקון עולם or תקון עולם) (literally, "repair of the world", alternatively,"construction for eternity") as a concept in Judaism. Tikkun Olam is defined by acts of kindness performed to perfect or repair the world. The phrase is found in the Mishnah, a body of classical rabbinic teachings, aka "the oral Torah" in contrast to the "written Torah" or Five Books of Moses. It is immaterial that this may be a concept in Judaism, because separation of peoples, be it religion, nationality, skin color, or whatever, is pure BS. The Holy family, Jesus, the Apostles, and John the Baptist were all jews. The entire sense of legacy, pay it forward, adding to the gift or inheritance, the wholeness of life, even abiotic life, is the oneness that is the creation. It is the uni-verse.
If Steyer is truly a man with a legacy and a vision, I am all for him. This is an exciting experiment-- life. Right now, "humankind" is blowing it badly. We have seen the "worst of the worst" with Trump, his cabinet, and the Republican Congress. Much of the good stuff of America has been destroyed. This country has turned malignant and we either get the U.S. headed towards a remission or the death of a nation will ensue. Think about it. Everything that Trump has done has been anti-America and pro-Putin. Everything that Trump has done has been to enrich himself, family and those willing to kiss his ass most ardently.
The problem with Steyer is that his billionaire status will make the electorate think he is another wealthy aristocrat —just the way Trump presented himself. Steyer has to present what he has done, and his vision should be shared. He should commit in a strict legal manner that if he does not accomplish "x" number of goals in the first year of office, he will resign. I would not think twice about doing this if I were up for the job. And having lived in California most of my life (not now), I think the infrastructure, energy, and immigration issues would be high on my list.
I would look long and hard at molten salt reactors (MSRs), especially the thorium molten salt reactor (TMSR). China has one up and running, and India is working on theirs.
We are so far deep in the hole even left thinks wealth tax is the solution. It is but an ambulance at the bottom of the cliff. If you get income tax, inheritance tax etc etc wrong and a whole lot of regulatory capture, erosion of anti trust, wealth tax is just a band aid. I guess we gotta start some where.
I hope WT is more than 5%. If I were billionaire id go 'just 5% thank you and never increase my tax again (i make over 5% a year)' 🙃
Agree on all fronts, but we are jammed up and this is not an unreasonable solution. Most of them helped create this jam, but as usual the little boys are whining through their K comedown. I am so over the bs, at least this is a start.
1. This is a truly well thought through endorsement 2. I am voting steyer for the same reasons 3. The argument I have been hearing against him, other than his money, is cca [core civic]. If that is stopping anyone from voting for him please dm me. I can explain in detail why in this one case that should not stop you, though I appreciate the sentiment. 4. My parents generation, and spanish speaking friends, cannot get with substack; I have tried. Would you mind if I copy this and send it through email and text instead? We only have a couple days and it looks shaky. This is a brilliant breakdown and far more comprehensive than whatever my pitch to them has been to date.
But they don't really take their assets abroad, or to Texas. They take their primary and kids and spouse and then their ass is back on their plane to CA. A couple of them I wish would leave for real. We don't need their toxicity thanks. Surely our IC is incubating more of them; Stanford is now a cesspool. We need to stop begging people we fund to be nice to us. It is embarrassing.
FDR was no saint. Neither is Steyer. Steyer is doing what FDR did, looking at the system pragmatically and saying "This is not sustainable. It is out of balance. It must be fixed." FDR was not anti-elite or anti-wealth. What he recognized is that wealthy elites need a stable society underneath them to sustain their wealth and influence. He reformed the system to save it, and expand it. There was self-interest involved. There was also grace involved; the grace of seeing how others unlike himself could benefit from his actions. FDR took both pragmatic & moral action. I suspect Steyer sees something similar. Until today I had never heard of him, and as a resident of another state, I hope his efforts lead the way to a better furure for California, and the country.
My late husband’s Swedish mother had a favorite saying that translated as “enough is just right”. I couldn’t agree more.
A charmingly fun friend of mine liked the saying “he who dies with the most toys wins”. He took his gun, sat leaning against his car in his driveway, put the gun in his mouth and pulled the trigger.
I grew up going to the most exclusive clubs in Palm Beach. They are beautiful. They are safe for your children to run free in. The people are polite and attractive. The conversations are boring because everyone thinks alike.
We have been sold a bill of goods all our lives. Having more is better, makes us a more desirable person, will make us feel secure forever, is the ultimate answer in life. Some people have been there and know better. I suspect Tom Steyer is one of those people. Wealth is not sinful but the benefits have their limits. Enough is just right.
I think Tom Steyer is one of those people who get their pleasure from working to solve problems rather than from feeling admired and envied.
I’m not a Californian but if I were I would vote for him with relief and appreciation.
"you live inside an inheritance, and you owe it, and the question is whether you add to the deposit or extract from it."
I think the above quote is part and parcel of what I call love, spelled L-U-V. It is the L or legacy portion. And it too goes hand in hand with Tikkun Olam.
Tikkun olam (Hebrew: תיקון עולם or תקון עולם) (literally, "repair of the world", alternatively,"construction for eternity") as a concept in Judaism. Tikkun Olam is defined by acts of kindness performed to perfect or repair the world. The phrase is found in the Mishnah, a body of classical rabbinic teachings, aka "the oral Torah" in contrast to the "written Torah" or Five Books of Moses. It is immaterial that this may be a concept in Judaism, because separation of peoples, be it religion, nationality, skin color, or whatever, is pure BS. The Holy family, Jesus, the Apostles, and John the Baptist were all jews. The entire sense of legacy, pay it forward, adding to the gift or inheritance, the wholeness of life, even abiotic life, is the oneness that is the creation. It is the uni-verse.
If Steyer is truly a man with a legacy and a vision, I am all for him. This is an exciting experiment-- life. Right now, "humankind" is blowing it badly. We have seen the "worst of the worst" with Trump, his cabinet, and the Republican Congress. Much of the good stuff of America has been destroyed. This country has turned malignant and we either get the U.S. headed towards a remission or the death of a nation will ensue. Think about it. Everything that Trump has done has been anti-America and pro-Putin. Everything that Trump has done has been to enrich himself, family and those willing to kiss his ass most ardently.
The problem with Steyer is that his billionaire status will make the electorate think he is another wealthy aristocrat —just the way Trump presented himself. Steyer has to present what he has done, and his vision should be shared. He should commit in a strict legal manner that if he does not accomplish "x" number of goals in the first year of office, he will resign. I would not think twice about doing this if I were up for the job. And having lived in California most of my life (not now), I think the infrastructure, energy, and immigration issues would be high on my list.
I would look long and hard at molten salt reactors (MSRs), especially the thorium molten salt reactor (TMSR). China has one up and running, and India is working on theirs.
We are so far deep in the hole even left thinks wealth tax is the solution. It is but an ambulance at the bottom of the cliff. If you get income tax, inheritance tax etc etc wrong and a whole lot of regulatory capture, erosion of anti trust, wealth tax is just a band aid. I guess we gotta start some where.
I hope WT is more than 5%. If I were billionaire id go 'just 5% thank you and never increase my tax again (i make over 5% a year)' 🙃
Agree on all fronts, but we are jammed up and this is not an unreasonable solution. Most of them helped create this jam, but as usual the little boys are whining through their K comedown. I am so over the bs, at least this is a start.
1. This is a truly well thought through endorsement 2. I am voting steyer for the same reasons 3. The argument I have been hearing against him, other than his money, is cca [core civic]. If that is stopping anyone from voting for him please dm me. I can explain in detail why in this one case that should not stop you, though I appreciate the sentiment. 4. My parents generation, and spanish speaking friends, cannot get with substack; I have tried. Would you mind if I copy this and send it through email and text instead? We only have a couple days and it looks shaky. This is a brilliant breakdown and far more comprehensive than whatever my pitch to them has been to date.
Wealth Tax is a confiscation of property not income. It is a slippery slope to losing revenue when the rich take their assets abroad.
But they don't really take their assets abroad, or to Texas. They take their primary and kids and spouse and then their ass is back on their plane to CA. A couple of them I wish would leave for real. We don't need their toxicity thanks. Surely our IC is incubating more of them; Stanford is now a cesspool. We need to stop begging people we fund to be nice to us. It is embarrassing.
Sam Seder too, in good company!
https://youtu.be/JcSYdb50hAY?si=ToXHdLVL8LszTptQ