[kcplate]

> Provide documentation and numbers, otherwise this alleged "significant" contribution is just hand-waving.

Last I heard Google employs around 70k people just in California and that has its genesis in Page and Brin inventing something. Thats pretty damn significant. Those people pay taxes, give to charities, etc…

> It's a total perversion of the fundamental idea of capitalism that governments are competing for companies and wealthy people. That's not how capitalist competition is supposed to work.

Exactly what authority or controlling doctrine are you appealing to here? Of course regional governments are going to try and attract local investment.

[lapcat]

> Last I heard Google employs around 70k people just in California and that has its genesis in Page and Brin inventing something. Thats pretty damn significant. Those people pay taxes, give to charities, etc…

So is your view is that a bunch of people much less wealthy than Larry Page paying taxes and giving to charities is equivalent to Larry Page paying taxes and giving to charities???

In other words, rich people don't have to pay taxes as long as their employees do? Bizarre.

And again, Page is not even involved much anymore in Google, which was founded in 1998. Does he for some reason get a free pass on taxes forever, because he did something in the 20th century?

> Exactly what authority or controlling doctrine are you appealing to here?

I'm appealing to economic theory, which posits the benefits of sellers competing with each other for consumers in a free market. It does not posit the benefits of governments competing with each other for sellers, and in fact that grossly distorts the market.

[kcplate]

> So is your view is that a bunch of people much less wealthy than Larry Page paying taxes and giving to charities is equivalent to Larry Page paying taxes and giving to charities???

What I said was his impact on California has been significant in part because of the business he created and the people that business employs having a significant impact.

> In other words, rich people don't have to pay taxes as long as their employees do? Bizarre

I never made this claim. Not sure why you are.

> Does he for some reason get a free pass on taxes forever

I hope you are not suggesting that he is breaking some law here by choosing to relocate to a more favorable financial environment for him. People of all incomes make (legal) financial decisions every day for their own benefit. Of you feel the laws are in some way unfair, elect people who will change them.

> appealing to economic theory…

There are lots of economic theories (especially around capitalism). You are assuming laissez-faire somehow trumps others? Why?