[54] in Discussion of MIT-community interests
Re: LIVING WAGE SIT-IN AT HARVARD (fwd)
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Boris Zbarsky)
Thu Apr 19 22:57:21 2001
Message-Id: <200104200256.WAA20635@m12-182-14.mit.edu>
To: "Sourav K. Mandal" <Sourav.Mandal@ikaran.com>
cc: mit-talk@MIT.EDU
In-reply-to: Your message of "Thu, 19 Apr 2001 22:31:46 EDT."
<200104200231.WAA14202@dichotomy.dyn.dhs.org>
Date: Thu, 19 Apr 2001 22:56:46 -0400
From: Boris Zbarsky <bzbarsky@MIT.EDU>
> > Do you actually think that the amount of money you pay in taxes more
> > than covers the cost of providing the services you enjoy? Given that
> > you're a college student, chances are very low that that's actually the
> > case.
>
> Why does that matter? By that logic, if I want a sweeter stereo than I
> can afford, it should be okay to steal the difference. Feel free to
> accuse me of moral absolutism ...
I don't follow your reasoning. How does this stereo thing fit in?
You made a clear statement. "Taxes are bad because they force people to
pay for services they don't use." I am willing to bet that you don't
pay enough taxes to cover the services you _are_ using. So it's
somewhat hypocritical of you to claim that people should only pay as
much in taxes as they use (or not pay any taxex at all and fund
everything out-of-pocket).
> If my family did not have the means to support me at MIT, I would have
> considered ROTC
ROTC is publically funded. So that would be the equivalent of getting
federal financial aid, would it not?
> or a different school which is cheaper
You mean a public school? Most private schools are all in about the
same price range.
> or had offered me a scholarship.
That's the only one of the alternatives you offered that makes sense.
> I am in no way _entitled_ to attend MIT.
I never said you were.
> I have no quarrel with MIT's financial aid program -- every school
> should strive to admit the absolute best and the brightest. I just
> have a problem with tax dollars backing it up.
I never said anything about MIT Finaid.
My only claim was that as a college student, you are likely not earning
enough money to pay enough taxes to cover the services you use. That's
all.
Boris
