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Comment by fasthands9 | Hacker News Reader

Luxury goods taxes are a textbook example of a progressive tax.

I think this example isn't super clean, but it's closer to that than a tax on the poor or even middle class.

It’s definitely a toll on the middle class. They’re also the ones more likely to be driving in to Manhattan on a daily basis rather than living there compared to the über wealthy.

The vast majority of commuters in NYC use public transit to get around. This idea that only the poor are forced to drive has no basis in reality.

I didn’t mention poor at all. Only middle class vs wealthy.

Middle class folks that work in the city don't drive from NJ into NY, and for the few that do, they should get on a train because it will save them money today and after this goes into effect.

If you're a firefighter or most kinds of laborers that bring tools to work, you're usually dealing with equipment and/or chemicals that are not safe or even permitted on the NYC subway.

You do know that firefighters don't bring their kit home with them, right?

Not true at all. There's literally videos from FDNY chiefs circulating on the NYC news shows complaining about this problem and how it affects them because they're mad about not being exempted.

https://nypost.com/2022/06/07/off-duty-firefighter-saves-chi...

https://www.reddit.com/r/Firefighting/comments/w008we/do_you...

Firefighter gear is covered in PFAS and is highly carcinogenic. I don't want them bringing that shit on the subway, no way.

If Firefighter gear is covered in PFAS, and highly carcinogenic, and you don't want them bringing it on the subway, why would you want them to bring it to their homes? The easy, obvious solution is to install safe storage at the fire departments so that the children of firefighters don't have to inhale carcinogens.

That's completely tangential to the discussion. I don't really want them having to bring it home either but that's what happens.

I'm sure they keep it in the trunk of their car or in their garage, etc.

So a progressive tax that disproportionally hurts poor people?

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