Any time one's personal life manages to overlap with the ravings of our mad as a chair Secretary of Health and Human Services (RFK Jr.) is time for reflection, and as he has of late been nattering on about “wearables", an explanation is due for the decision to be so adorned.
The SALT very much helps the rich, as do second mortgage deductions. That second mortgage nonsense only helps those who can afford the residency-to-avoid-taxation scam...and a privilege that plays against the housing crisis, unnecessarily drives down housing affordability, and is a natural resource sink...and it is played in all 50 states.
Well . . . I am a fan of this administration, and it is the only one that could pull this off like it or not. More good than bad in it, and for the first time an economic equation that will at least follow the growth equation from Trump 1.0 will come and work its magic over time. If sanity sets in and greater clarity transpires as real and reasonable data measuring begins to take place may actually provide an off ramp to deficit budgets in the future. This huge ship of state actually started the turn (at least). Before we were just adding more weight on top of the sinking ship. Time will tell, but I personally think the Second Coming is near.
I found the Oura ring incredibly helpful in quantifying my sleep, and my heart rate during my sleep. I stopped using it because I feel I've learned what needed to be learned and adjusted my habits. I did find that the raised temperature was incredible at *retrospectively* matching bouts of sickness, it didn't work too well in predicting because it required several days of consecutive elevated temperature to be accurate, and at that point I knew I was sick. Still, it was a comfort if I was feeling borderline to check that and decide if I actually had something or I just needed a coffee.
Can I ask why you're against cutting taxes in blue states? I get the philosophy that you don't think the blue states should tax and spend as much as they do - but isn't that their right to choose that at the state level? If you believe cutting taxes boosts the economy, then cutting taxes in blue states will boost their economies (and boost Federal tax receipts, if you believe Mr. Laffer). Can you help me understand why you oppose that?
The SALT deduction overwhelmingly benefits people who need tax relief least, and it subsidizes residents of high-tax states, encouraging those states to increase spending and taxes without residents feeling the full impact. As for whether it is the "right" of Blue States to tax and spend on that level, I have no argument. It is also the right of residents of other states not to want to underwrite that right. As for anyone reading this who will take recourse in the "....but...but...but....Red States get more out of the Fed Gov't than they pay in..." argument, that is a problem on its own, and not a reason to support SALT deductions.
Can you help me understand how, if as you say the Blue states pay more in Federal taxes, reducing that balance via a SALT tax cuts leads to other states subsidizing the Blue states? Are you saying that the SALT deduction is so large that suddenly Blue states contributions are going to be smaller than Red states?
We have a progressive tax code. They pay more because they have more, and more rich people. The need to even USE the SALT deduction is mostly within populations who do not use the standard deduction, i.e. wealthy people. What I am saying is that I assert that reducing one's federal tax burden due to excessive state taxes paying for excessive state spending softens the sting within those states of paying the state tax to begin with.
The SALT very much helps the rich, as do second mortgage deductions. That second mortgage nonsense only helps those who can afford the residency-to-avoid-taxation scam...and a privilege that plays against the housing crisis, unnecessarily drives down housing affordability, and is a natural resource sink...and it is played in all 50 states.
and I'd like to add that I have a second house.
Well . . . I am a fan of this administration, and it is the only one that could pull this off like it or not. More good than bad in it, and for the first time an economic equation that will at least follow the growth equation from Trump 1.0 will come and work its magic over time. If sanity sets in and greater clarity transpires as real and reasonable data measuring begins to take place may actually provide an off ramp to deficit budgets in the future. This huge ship of state actually started the turn (at least). Before we were just adding more weight on top of the sinking ship. Time will tell, but I personally think the Second Coming is near.
And the destabilizing nature of tariffs?
How about the destabilizing influence of God's Laws (tongue in cheek)? Want to throw rocks at Him too?
I found the Oura ring incredibly helpful in quantifying my sleep, and my heart rate during my sleep. I stopped using it because I feel I've learned what needed to be learned and adjusted my habits. I did find that the raised temperature was incredible at *retrospectively* matching bouts of sickness, it didn't work too well in predicting because it required several days of consecutive elevated temperature to be accurate, and at that point I knew I was sick. Still, it was a comfort if I was feeling borderline to check that and decide if I actually had something or I just needed a coffee.
Can I ask why you're against cutting taxes in blue states? I get the philosophy that you don't think the blue states should tax and spend as much as they do - but isn't that their right to choose that at the state level? If you believe cutting taxes boosts the economy, then cutting taxes in blue states will boost their economies (and boost Federal tax receipts, if you believe Mr. Laffer). Can you help me understand why you oppose that?
The SALT deduction overwhelmingly benefits people who need tax relief least, and it subsidizes residents of high-tax states, encouraging those states to increase spending and taxes without residents feeling the full impact. As for whether it is the "right" of Blue States to tax and spend on that level, I have no argument. It is also the right of residents of other states not to want to underwrite that right. As for anyone reading this who will take recourse in the "....but...but...but....Red States get more out of the Fed Gov't than they pay in..." argument, that is a problem on its own, and not a reason to support SALT deductions.
The tax cuts are in the One Big Beautiful Bill are skewed towards those who need them the least:
https://taxpolicycenter.org/features/2025-tax-cuts-tracker
Can you help me understand how, if as you say the Blue states pay more in Federal taxes, reducing that balance via a SALT tax cuts leads to other states subsidizing the Blue states? Are you saying that the SALT deduction is so large that suddenly Blue states contributions are going to be smaller than Red states?
We have a progressive tax code. They pay more because they have more, and more rich people. The need to even USE the SALT deduction is mostly within populations who do not use the standard deduction, i.e. wealthy people. What I am saying is that I assert that reducing one's federal tax burden due to excessive state taxes paying for excessive state spending softens the sting within those states of paying the state tax to begin with.
Well done, well written. Your Oura sleep better than mine.