Author: phillyfan321

A:08 Definition Argument- Phillyfan321

“Regressive Tax”

In my own words, I describe a regressive tax as a tax that affects and taxes the poor more than it does to wealthier citizens. This tax can be either income, sales, or property. A regressive tax can be a tax on food, clothing, or even prescription medication.

So if the government imposes a tax on certain sales, it may sound regressive. But if the tax is only on luxury items then it is not regressive. If the sales tax does not tax  basic items that people need, the cost of essential items will not go up. People who have low incomes will not be affected by the tax of they only buy essential items (groceries, clothing, and prescription  medication).  These items listed in the previous sentence are exempt from the New Jersey 7% sales tax. This sales tax will go down to 6.875% on January 1, 2017.

The sales tax only applies to to luxury items. This includes, but is not limited to: prepared meals, tobacco, alcohol, and candy.  If someone chooses to pay a tax then it is not regressive, it is voluntary. A tax only on luxury items is not a regressive tax because it does not place more of a burden on the people who can least afford to pay the tax. I think that New Jersey should not lower its sales tax at all. It should be left at 7%. This is a fair tax because it does not place a tax burden on the people with low income. I would not define the sales tax in New Jersey as regressive.

Works Cited

“New Jersey Sales Tax Guide.” (n.d.): Web. 30 Oct. 2016. <http://www.state.nj.us/treasury/taxation/pdf/pubs/sales/su4.pdf&gt;.

Samantha Marcus. “N.J. Gas Tax Hike Deal: Christie Demanded a Sales Tax Cut, but Will You Notice It?” NJ.com. N.p., 29 Oct. 2016. Web. 30 Oct. 2016.

White Paper- Phillyfan321

Hypothesis: The 7% New Jersey sales tax should not be lowered because it is not a regressive tax that affects the poor more than it does the upper class.

On January 1, 2017 the New Jersey Sales tax will go down to 6.875% from the current 7%. I do not believe this tax will benefit lower income families. The sales tax in New Jersey only applies to luxury items, not essentials that people need to survive.

Some items that are exempt from the New Jersey sales tax:

  • All canned food (vegetables,soups meat), except pet food.
  • Bottled water without flavoring
  • Cereal
  • Bandades
  • Juices with more than 50% juice
  • Raw vegetables
  • Vitamins
  • Deli Meat
  • Bread
  • Milk
  • Prescription Drugs
  • Aspirin
  • Clothing

The current sales tax law only applies to luxury items. Some examples of taxable items in New Jersey Include:

  • Alcoholic beverages
  • Tobacco (cigarettes, tobacco rolling papers, Cigars)
  • Prepared food (restaurant meals, fast food)
  • Pet food
  • Nail Polish

Some States do have a regressive sales tax because they do tax grocery items (North Carolina, Alabama, Kansas). The difference from these States sales tax is that they tax basic needs, the poorer citizens of these States have to pay the sales tax on basic goods while in New Jersey, they do not pay the sales tax on basic goods.

Most food that can be bought with SNAP benefits are sales tax exempt. Some examples of items that can be bought with SNAP benefits that are tax free are:

  • Bread
  • Fruits and vegetables
  • Milk
  • Meat
  • Canned items

Someone who relies on these SNAP benefits for food will not have to pay anymore for their basic groceries. While there are some items that can be bought with an EBT card, like soda which subject to the New Jersey sales tax,  but soda is not an essential item.

Working Hypothesis 1

I do not believe that the New Jersey Sales Tax should be lowered because it is a fair tax and does not unfairly affect the poor.

Working Hypothesis 2

The sales tax is a regressive tax on the lower tax and it affects them more than it does the upper class.

2.

Cause/Effect

  • If the sales tax is lowered then New Jersey will collect less sales tax revenue.
  • If the sales tax is lowered then prepared meals will cost a little less after taxes than they currently do  now.

Definition/Class

  • I may need to clarify more what an EBT and SNAP benefits are.
  1. I feel that my thesis and arguments for my claim are good. I have examples and facts to prove my claims. Writing an essay about this claim should be easy for me. I have good sources to back up my claim also.

Blind Summary-Phillyfan321

The results of a mammogram are usually accurate, but the results may not be properly analyzed. A false positive can mean that someone will have to go have an unnecessary biopsy and a false negative can mean someone will have breast cancer unnoticed. Not treating breast cancer at an early stage can result in serious health problems. While many women do have regular mammograms, there are still women who end up having later stages of breast cancer due to mistakes in reading the mammogram results.

Polio Notes-Phillfan321

As of right now, I do not think that polio can be completely eradicated. While I do believe that polio has been eradicated in the United States and Canada, for it to be eradicated in the third world countries would take a lot of effort and time. Polio can be spread through bodily fluids. So in countries where hygiene is poor, polio can reappear quickly in society. Though if people are vaccinated against polio, they are much less likely to become infected and have a better chance of fighting it off before major symptoms occur.  Being vaccinated does not mean that someone is one hundred percent immune. So if there is not  a vaccine that can completely immunize someone against the virus, someone may still have it. As long as one person is infected, it will never be eradicated.

Practice Opening

Within twenty years I do not think that polio can be completely eradicated. Even though many people are vaccinated, were will always be someone in the world who is not.

E06: Safer Saws Claim: Phillyfan321

7A. In a memo by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, it is states that “The Commission voted unanimously (4-0) to approve publication of the draft notice in the Federal Register that will announce an extension of 60 days for the comment period for an advance notice of proposed rulemaking for performance requirements to address table saw blade contact injuries (Docket No. CPSC-2011-0074)”

7B. Lawmakers can discuss the idea of safe saws for 60 more days. This memo does not guarantee that any laws will be changed regarding table saws.

7C. The claim being made is that these table saws are dangerous and do cause many injuries to people.

7D. I think this claim is good because it is about the accidents that table saws cause. Table saw accidents are very serious because life-threatening injuries can occur.

7E. I think that table saw injuries are serious and these accidents should be addressed by the government.

 

1A.In the Pro Tools Blog, an opinion piece states “The additional cost to manufacturers to implement this technology is estimated to be between $150-$200 per product, an amount that will be passed on to the consumer.”

1B. These table saws cost more to manufacture because they have safe saw technology.

1C. The claim being made is that these table saws are very expensive to manufacture. This is a factual piece of evidence because adding new technology to table saws will cost more money.

1D. People should be safe around these saws or get the safety saw. I think people should be able to choose which type of saw they should be able to buy.

1E. While I think these safe table saws can prevent injuries, the cost hike can be very expensive and may be affordable for businesses that work in the hardware industry.

4A. In the article in the National Consumers League, an article in the health section says “Approximately 40,000 Americans go to hospital emergency rooms every year with injuries sustained while operating table saws.”

4B. Around 40,000 Americans seek medical attention for accidents due to table saws.

4C. The type of claim being made is that these table saws can be very dangerous. This is a factual claim because there is evidence to back up the claim.

4D. This is a rough estimate of Americans who go to the emergency room due to table saw accidents. I am sure these numbers are accurate.

4E. I think these many Americans who go the hospital for these types of injuries is horrible. If a safe table saw can prevent these injuries then it will prevent serious injuries and reduce health care costs.

6A. The Schmidt Firm is accepting table saw injuries for people who have been victims of table saw accidents. The firm even says “If you or somebody you know has been injured after using a table saw, you should contact our lawyers immediately”

6B. This quote is trying to encourage people who were victims of table saw injuries to  seek legal advice because they may be able to get compensated.

6C.  This claim is an evaluation claim. The law firm believes that people who were injured by table saws are entitled to compensation.

6D.  This is a very logical claim because it is suggesting that people who have table saw injuries can sue in court for compensation. These type of liability cases are usually admissible in courts.

6E. I think that the situation for each case is very different and that should be taking into account by the court. I think being careless with a table saw is completely different than the saw malfunctioning or a true accident that occurred.

11A. In an article from the website Mother Jones, the author Myron Levins, writes about how table saws cause many injuries every year. The most shocking quote from someone who was a victim of a table saw injury was “Within a second my fingers were on the ground.”

11B. While this quote may not be an argument in itself, it is referring to someone who lost their fingers in a table saw accident. The sentences implies the claim that these table saws are dangerous.

11C. This would be a fact because the man claimed that his fingers were cut off from the rest of his hand.

11D. This claim is true because many people have had their fingers or arms cut off due to table saws. If an accident occurs, then a serious injury may follow.

11E. I do not exactly know how this accident happened, but it is bringing attention to the fact that these table saws can be very harmful to people.

3A. In an article by the Power Tool Institute, there is a claim that “The increased cost of even the least expensive table saws.” This claim is referring the safe saw technology that was recently introduced to the market and to rebuff the claim that only these saws should be sold.

3B. This quote means that the cost of table saws would increase and therefore people would have to pay more for them.

3C. This is a factual claim because whenever a new product is introduced, it is usually more expensive than the old or outdated one.

3D. I think this claim is logical. I can understand that new safe technology will cost more than regular table saws without the safe technology. The sensors cost money to make and manufacture which is an added cost to the table saw.

3E. I believe this is a valid claim that should be noted by those arguing against laws that mandate safe table saws only.

 

 

2A. In an article posted on http://www.sawstop.com, a customer was able to avoid a serious injury by using saw stop instead or a regular table saw.  The man, Robert S, said that Saved my thumb from a serious injury and saved my company lots of money.”

2B. Robert is trying to imply that if he did not have safe saw, he may had a more serious injury.

2C. This claim can be considered factual or opinion. We do not know for sure that if he did not have safe saw that he would have a serious injury, although safe saw most likely did prevent a serious injury.

2D. I think this claim is valid because Robert probably avoided a potential serious accident. If safe saw was not there he may have cut his hand or fingers. The fact that safe saw was there and he did not have a serious injury does help the claim that these saws are safe and good for customers.

2E. I know can believe that these safe saws do actually work and do have positive benefits. The most important benefit is that they can prevent serious injuries from occurring.

9A. In the article, Saws Cut Off 4,000 Fingers a Year. This Gadget Could Fix That, which was posted the website Mother Jones, Steve Grass says “I couldn’t imagine that anyone would not want to put this on the saws that they were offering to people.”

9B. Steve Grass is trying to make a claim that people should only buy these safe table saws.

9C. This is an opinion claim because there are people out there who would rather just have regular table saws because they already take safety precautions.

9D. I think this claim has some truth in it but it is not completely accurate. There are people out there who do not want to pay the extra money for a safe saw and know how to properly use a table saw to prevent accidents from occurring.

9E. I think that most people would want to buy a safe saw, including myself, there will always be those who just want to buy the cheaper saw without safe technology. So while this claim does have some truth, it is not completely accurate.

 

Visual Rewrite-Phillyfan321

Visual Analysis

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFXD_4rDZj0

0:00-0:02 A pick-up truck is dragging a boat and whatever is dragging the boat appears to be making sparks on the ground. The scenery is a type of forest because there are large trees in the background. The man can be described as middle aged, brown hair and brown beard with a camouflage hat. He is wearing an orange colored coat and gloves that someone who works outside would wear. This location could be anywhere where there is a forest.

0:03-0:06 The next scene is of the man bent over looking a the chains that were causing the sparks. The man must have exited his car, but this is not shown. Perhaps he is trying to see why his car chains were creating sparks. There is a flashlight on the ground, which is turned on.

0:06-0:11 While the man is still  trying to do something to the dragging the chains, the angle of the video appears to be high up and looking down at him. This could possibly mean that someone or something is looking down at him from  a tall tree. The angle shown is about twenty to thirty high.

0:11-0:14 The man is still trying to fix his chains that were causing sparks. He is still bent over doing something to his car. The man seems to be moving around the chains upward. This could mean that he is fixing the dragging chains that were causing the sparks.

0:15 The man stands up and a very large figure can be seen. This figure has no head shown but is covered in brown fur. The figure is clearly not a human but it is standing on two legs. The man is not yet aware of the figure behind him because he has no new facial expression.

0:16-0:18 The man turns around and comes face to face with this figure which seems to be a bear.  The man looks up at the bear and the man’s face cannot be clearly seen in this shot.The bear is much taller than the man and is wearing a park ranger type hat with only the two letters “sm” visible from this scene.

0:18-0:22 The bear seems to be Smokey the Bear. I recognized this because I have seen other public service ads to prevent wildfires with Smokey the bear. Smokey the bear then gives the man a big hug. Smokey seems to be doing this as a thank you for picking the chains that were causing sparks. I already knew that sparks can create fires. It can now be inferred that this an announcement is about preventing forest fires.

0:22-0:26 Smokey the bear and the man give each other a long stare. Smokey then pats the man on the shoulder multiple times. This seems to show that Smokey approved of the man for picking up the chains because he could have started a forest fire if he did not. Smokey the bear has been a figure for forest fire prevention for a long time.

0:26-0:30 Smokey then starts to walk away from the man. The man waves multiple times at the Smokey. Then the screen says in bold white letters “Only YOU Can Prevent Wildfires.” This  is obviously public safety announcement to prevent forest fires. The purpose of this video was to inform people how they can accidentally cause forest fires and educate them on what not to do. This is also letting people know that sparks from dragging chains can cause forest fires. Also,  #SmokeyBearHug is written on the bottom right corner of the screen and on the left there are three logos. The first says Ad Council, the second is of a tree, and the third is a logo shaped like a police badge that has a U, then a tree and then an A.

Open Strong-Phillyfan321

Out of all the taxes our government imposes on its citizens, the sales tax is the fairest and not regressive at all. The only reason this tax is not regressive is because it does not apply to basic items that humans need to survive. While the United States of America has no federal sales tax, individual States are free to enact sales taxes. Currently the State of New Jersey may have its sales tax lowered from 7% to 6.875% in 2017 and then to 6.625% in 2018. A tax that only applies to luxury items and not necessities, is not an unfair tax on the poor. So if any tax should be lowered, it should not be the non-regressive tax on the poor.

A05: Proposal+5—phillyfan321

The NJ Sales Tax is Not Regressive

Hypothesis: The current 7% sales tax in the State of New Jersey is not a regressive tax on the poor and is a fair tax for everyone, so it should not be lowered.

Proposal: There is no need to lower the New Jersey sales tax. This is a tax on luxury items which it is fair for the government to tax. Many basic necessities are tax free, so the sales tax does not hurt the working poor people of New Jersey.  Under a current bill passing through the New Jersey legislature, the sales tax would be decreased to 6.875% in 2017 and then to 6.625% in 2018. This is a tax on luxury and non-essential items, the current 7% seems appropriate.

Source #1

Sales Tax Exemptions for Groceries

Essential Content of Article: This article is mostly a map that shows which states exempt groceries from the sales tax. New Jersey is listed as a State where groceries are completely exempt from the sales tax. This only applies to unprepared food. Some examples of this include: canned soup, canned, raw, or frozen vegetables, milk, bottled water, and any non-prepared food. Soda is not exempt, because it is non-essential.

What it Proves: This proves that any food that someone cannot live without is not taxed at all. This tax does place an extra burden on the poor. People with low income are not paying a tax on items they need to survive, so lowering the sales tax would not save them money at all.

Source #2

http://www.metro.us/philadelphia/new-jersey-gas-tax-hike-announced-alongside-a-sales-tax-decrease/zsJpiD—TvZpjkpErKkek/

Essential Content of Article: On January 1st, 2017 the sales tax in NJ will decrease by .125% and then on January 1st, 2018 the sales will decrease by .25%. These sales tax decreases will not lower prices at all for the poor. Calling this a tax cut for the poor is ridiculous because people who can only afford to buy necessities are not paying the tax regardless and even those who do buy luxury items are saving very few pennies.

What it Proves: Lowering the sales tax by such a small amount is doing nothing. This will hardly save people money when they pay the tax at a restaurant or on a luxury item. If someone goes to the Wawa and buys a $1 coffee after the sales tax decreases, they will pay seven cents sales tax because the percentage will be rounded up.

Source #3

http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2016/06/9_facts_on_the_nj_sales_tax_which_may_be_going_dow.html

Essential Content of Article: The State of New Jersey exempts clothing from the sales tax. So clothes are cheaper in New Jersey that in a State that taxes clothes. Everybody needs to buy clothes, so it is considered an essential item. So this tax  does not affect the poor who need to buy clothes

What it Proves: This article is just another example of how the New Jersey sales tax is not regressive. Clothes are necessary for everyone to have and winters can be cold in New Jersey so everyone has to stay warm.

Source #4

Click to access sales_and_use%20tax.pdf

Essential Content of Article: While many items are exempt from the New Jersey sales tax, this article provides a list of non-exempt items. Some of these items include: alcoholic beverages, balloons, pet food, candy, tobacco, and many more non-essential items.

What it Proves: All of the items listed above are non-essential items. None of those items are necessary for a human to survive so there is a tax added on to them. So the sales tax on these items is not hurting low income people because there is no added tax on what they need to survive.

Source #5

NJ Raising Gas Tax 23 Cents to End Road Funding Crisis

Essential Content of Article: Under a bill that the New Jersey Assembly, New Jersey Senate, and Governor Chris Christie have agreed on, the sales tax will become 6.875% on January 1st, 2017 and 6.625% on January 1st, 2018. These politicians think they are helping the poor but they are not making any difference to the average  or even poor person in New Jersey. Since the sales tax is not applicable to basic necessities, it is not helping the poor or middle class by lowering it by less than .5%.

What it Proves: This articles proves that sometimes politicians like to say they lowered taxes on people, but the tax is so small it will not save people a lot of money. The poor should not pay sales tax regardless and the middle to upper class will saves pennies on the dollar.

Source 6

 

http://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/eligible-food-items

 

Critical Reading-Phillyfan321

Beginning of Hour One

Is PTSD Contagious?

  • How can something that is non-viral or non-bacterial be contagious?
  • Possibly the signs of PTSD can be passed from one person to another, but I do not know if contagious is the right word.
  • Very controversial statement and there can be arguments for and against it.
  • Does this statement mean all PTSD symptoms? I do not think it can include flashbacks if someone was never in war.

“Brannan Vines has never been to war. But she’s got a warrior’s skills”

  • What exactly are warrior skills?
  • How did she acquire these skills?
  • Who is Brannan Vines?

“hyperawareness, hypervigilance, adrenaline-sharp quick-scanning for danger, for triggers. Super stimuli-sensitive. Skills on the battlefield”

  • These are skills that most average people do not need.
  • How did she even become that way if she has never been to war?
  • Hyperawareness and hypervigilence could also be signs of paranoia.

“Her nose starts running she’s so pissed, and there she is standing in a CVS, snotty and deaf with rage”

  • Maybe being sick is making her angry?
  • Most people do not like waiting in lines, but being full of rage is extreme.
  • Something else is making her full of rage. Just waiting in line at the CVS is not something that usually makes people very upset.
  • Perhaps her home life?
  • Is a runny nose a sign of stress?

End of Hour One