人天生都是瞎子
從美國經濟學家 Greg Mankiw 的 Blog讀到一個劫富濟貧的經濟學故事：
Suppose that every day, ten men go out for beer and the bill for all ten comes to $100. If they paid their bill the way we pay our taxes, it would go something like this:
The first four men (the poorest) would pay nothing.
The fifth would pay $1.
The sixth would pay $3.
The seventh would pay $7.
The eighth would pay $12.
The ninth would pay $18.
The tenth man (the richest) would pay $59.
So, that's what they decided to do.
The ten men drank in the bar every day and seemed quite happy with the arrangement, until one day, the owner threw them a curve. "Since you are all such good customers," he said, "I'm going to reduce the cost of your daily beer by $20." Drinks for the ten now cost just $80.
The group still wanted to pay their bill the way we pay our taxes so the first four men were unaffected. They would still drink for free. But what about the other six men - the paying customers? How could they divide the $20 windfall so that everyone would get his 'fair share?' They realized that $20 divided by six is $3.33. But if they subtracted that from everybody's share, then the fifth man and the sixth man would each end up being paid to drink his beer. So, the bar owner suggested that it would be fair to reduce each man's bill by roughly the same amount, and he proceeded to work out the amounts each should pay. And so:
The fifth man, like the first four, now paid nothing (100% savings).
The sixth now paid $2 instead of $3 (33%savings).
The seventh now pay $5 instead of $7 (28%savings).
The eighth now paid $9 instead of $12 (25% savings).
The ninth now paid $14 instead of $18 (22% savings).
The tenth now paid $49 instead of $59 (16% savings).
Each of the six was better off than before. And the first four continued to drink for free. But once outside the restaurant, the men began to compare their savings.
"I only got a dollar out of the $20," declared the sixth man. He pointed to the tenth man," but he got $10!"
"Yeah, that's right," exclaimed the fifth man. "I only saved a dollar, too. It's unfair that he got ten times more than I!""That's true!" shouted the seventh man. "Why should he get $10 back when I got only two? The wealthy get all the breaks!"
"Wait a minute," yelled the first four men in unison. "We didn't get anything at all. The system exploits the poor!"
The nine men surrounded the tenth and beat him up.
The next night the tenth man didn't show up for drinks, so the nine sat down and had beers without him. But when it came time to pay the bill, they discovered something important. They didn't have enough money between all of them for even half of the bill!And that, boys and girls, journalists and college professors, is how our tax system works. The people who pay the highest taxes get the most benefit from a tax reduction. Tax them too much, attack them for being wealthy, and they just may not show up anymore. In fact, they might start drinking overseas where the atmosphere is somewhat friendlier.
每日，從小到大住在灣仔的
「可是」，她說：「你知道嗎？再過幾個月，我都不知該與菲傭到那裡買菜了。」
如果問大家整日辛勞工作所為何事，最基本的答案當然是為了三餐溫飽和一個安樂的家。有兒女的，希望能提供他們良好的教育；有父母的，希望能供養他們安享晚年；有家人病了，希望能有錢醫治他們的病。更進一步，大家都希望食住都可好些；週末能一家人飲茶；有餘錢買dream car買靚衫去旅行。
為何我們香港人能有機會改善自已的生活？答案大家都耳熟能詳：良好的司法制度；思想自由和言論自由；選擇職業的自由。我們香港人相信只要肯努力，以上種種都是垂手可得。
我不知道
不是司法制度思想自由和言論自由。不是經濟北移。不是2012沒普選。我說的是在我們眼前發生而大家沒有很留意的。是市區重建。正確些說，是市區重建加地產發展。
圍著市區重建地盤的圍板，上面印有市區重建的原因：活化經濟、美化環境、創造商機。可是，我看到市區重建換來的將會是惡夢：灣仔市民將會喪失生計和原來的社區及生活空間。重建一方面使灣仔市民不能經營街邊鋪，喪失生計；地產商為了賺回給政府的地稅和重建發展的成本，必會豪裝新的商場提高租金，引入有能力交貴租的大集團商店進駐新建的商場，就算原來的店鋪有能力交租，營利的大部分亦要用來交租。另一方面重建拆散灣仔街坊原來的社區以及生活空間，不會再有
不要說買dream car買靚衫去旅行，不能維持生計，如何改善自已的生活？如何能提供兒女良好的教育？如何能供養父母安享晚年？。不只是灣仔區，想一想香港有多少舊區要’重建’吧：中環擺花街附近的街市、深水埗和觀塘都會是下一個活化經濟、美化環境和創造商機的地段。
活生生在灣仔上演的市區重建，就是宣示香港未來的樣板戲。
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