“république au service des français” – Hollande

Ox meet gore…

D’une certaine maniere, j’habite une region (la Californie) qui a developpe un modele economique (l’innovation) auquel je crois. Ce modele est base sur un acces democratique a la richesse pour ceux qui travaillent, 4,000 millionaires en dollars grace a Facebook la semaine derniere et ce modele ne marche pas avec une systeme de taxes tels que le suggere les socialistes aujourd’hui. En tant qu’entrepreneur, je ne vais pas gagner ma vie pendant 5 ans (ou je pourrais la gagner mieux dans un autre emploi) pour que je puisse faire une sortie dans les annees 6 ou 7. Le systeme ne marche que si la ponction fiscale est relativement identique si je gagne 250,000/an ou si je gagne US$ 10 million de dollars/an. Dans le cas d’un systeme de taxe a 75%, on en reviendrait a socialiser les gains grace l’impot et privatiser les pertes (le manque a gagner que j’aurais chaque annee dans la periode de creation d’entreprise) et j’aurais plus interet a prendre un job dans une grande entreprise payant US$ 800 K/an que de tenter ma chance a la roulette de l’entreprenariat.

D’une maniere generale, je reste sur ma fin quant au modele social a la Francaise. Il a ete implemente depuis 1968 et depuis nous n’avons vu que du deficit de la balance commerciale et budgetaire et maintenant nous avons un deficit de la balance de paiements. Peut etre que ce modele marche mais nous avons eu beaucoup de gens competents au pouvoir depuis 40 ans et il me semble aller de mal en pis. Soit nous avons des politiciens qui n’y comprennent rien, soit le systeme ne fonctionne pas.
Et reprendre les memes et recommencer ne me semblent pas la meilleure des solutions surtout avec des solutions qui si elles sont implementees m’empecheront de visiter ma famille en France.

Thank you for this post! You provide inspiration to particularly young entrepreneurs who want to work hard and have a decent life. I’m not worried about trying to become a McBillinonaire, and thus do not have my hopes set on that. However, earlier today I was down and feeling depressed after reading some of Dave Winer’s posts (and he’s in New York not France) suggested we’re in a bubble and its going to pop and it will be really bad for particularly young entrepreneurs and that no one is hiring (either young people or guys his age). I’m super duper weary of both the naysayers and the goldilocks who think they will be the next Zuck. Some of don’t want or need to be the next Zuck, but some of us still remember how hard are grandparents particularly (some of them being first generation Americans for example and pre-Boomers) worked their tails off and never bitched about it. That’s the entrepreneurial and hard working spirit I am reminded of (so the naysayers can go hobble in their caves, misery loves company)!

Here in North Europe and Scandinavia we have shown for decades that high public spending and high levels of public service are the catalyst and basis for high levels of education, wealth creation and social stability, and where corruption, poverty and ill health is at a minimum.

The fact is that there are many more or less bankrupt Southern European countries that still operate as feudal, corrupt, pre-industrial societies; ie. France, Italy, Greece, Spain. They receive billions from the EU, and it all disappears into the pockets of half-corrupt politicians and business leaders. Many of these countries were dictatorships until 30 years ago!

California’s problem would seem to be that the economic base for the state (IT/Silicon Valley and Entertainment/Hollywood) points in the direction of a Scandinavian model for government, where high public spending and high levels of public service drive high levels of education, wealth creation and social stability.

Instead, California is stuck with an approach to government that is prevalent in the less developed parts of the dear US of A, Southern Europe, etc, where corruption, poverty and ill health is rampant.

The rich in the California need to realize; living in a society where crime is low, all have good health and education, and where things ‘just work’, well, you know, it costs money! See it as an insurance! Pay high tax, get a good society, and then you can walk down the street in the evening without getting murdered!

Half of the California Budget is education. It is a crushing expense. The cost of education has to be passed on to students. It is still a huge bargain compared to going to a private school. Since a college education – other than for the professionals – has little bearing on one’s career, perhaps fewer people need to go to college where they waste a lot of their time.

This isn’t California, alas. We still have Jerry Brown and the trillion dollar “train to nowhere” and the untouchable public sector union pensions that are sucking money from the pockets of every other taxpayer here. Money that could otherwise go to educating our brightest UC students and boosting entrepreneurially-driven growth.

mvh

My work with clients, by the way, is definitely a work of art, and thus tax exempt. It’s performance art, very creative. I’ll even add a splash of color to make it more artistic.