Sam Gage

@RichardN7 Going to need a concrete consultant for that, preferably one with an economics degree and a relative in government.

Why does a runway take 10 years to build? It's just a flat bit of concrete with lights in.

@MollyJongFast Aside from this being an obvious scam, he doesn't have $25b worth of anything. You couldn't cash that much out without crashing the price.

@LeePrevost @InnoSpg @IPS_DC @owenslindsay1 @Groundwork @propublica The bank could choose to lend you the money with no collateral, but they choose not to. What happens if you borrow and the house price crashes? They factor that in. Nothing about taxing gains is unfair, you just don't like that it wouldn't benefit you personally.

@Scampleton @InnoSpg @IPS_DC @owenslindsay1 @Groundwork @propublica I think that HELOC would cost something like 37%-40% of the loan amount first year plus closing costs if any. That’s your solution?

NEW: Trump's 2017 tax cuts delivered a cut for the richest 0.1% of Americans that was 277x larger than the one teachers and firefighters got, nearly doubling U.S. billionaire wealth. Lawmakers must prevent a repeat in 2025. @owenslindsay1 of @groundwork: otherwords.org/trump-plans-a-…

@LeePrevost @InnoSpg @IPS_DC @owenslindsay1 @Groundwork @propublica The point is you took advantage of the gains, you're actively using them for financial benefit. You don't have to do that, much like you don't have to sell shares, it's up to the person to decide if it's worth it.

@Scampleton @InnoSpg @IPS_DC @owenslindsay1 @Groundwork @propublica So your 20k loan against your own equity costs you the interest on that plus the taxes on a 25k gain. That prob works out to 5-10k in loan costs first year. Talk about a payday loan at usury rates! And then what happens if home value subsequently declines by 10%?

@LeePrevost @InnoSpg @IPS_DC @owenslindsay1 @Groundwork @propublica If you want to get the economy moving then raising the lowest end of income tax is the simplest, fairest and most effective way.

@Scampleton @InnoSpg @IPS_DC @owenslindsay1 @Groundwork @propublica In my opinion (and many others) if you start taxing unrealized gains, you shut down our economy and create misery in the US.

@LeePrevost @InnoSpg @IPS_DC @owenslindsay1 @Groundwork @propublica You're leveraging against 1/4 of the value, so you'd be realising 1/4 of the gains (25k).

@Scampleton @InnoSpg @IPS_DC @owenslindsay1 @Groundwork @propublica So, if you take out a home equity loan against the equity in your home then you then need to fully realize the gain on your homes value??? Eg. Home with 100K of equity. Paid 400 but with 500. You borrow 20k but now owe taxes on 100k unrealized gain.

@LeePrevost @InnoSpg @IPS_DC @owenslindsay1 @Groundwork @propublica There's nothing wrong with leveraging against assets. I'm saying the rule should be if you leverage against an asset gain, it should be classed as realised.

@Scampleton @InnoSpg @IPS_DC @owenslindsay1 @Groundwork @propublica Many asset classes are based on leverage against assets. Oil, energy, housing, commercial real estate, financial markets. And when leverage gets expensive and asset prices are high, people get burned whether rich or poor. Leverage important part of capitalism.

@LeePrevost @InnoSpg @IPS_DC @owenslindsay1 @Groundwork @propublica Whether the gains are unrealised is unfortunately largely irrelevant as long as people can use it as leverage to borrow. That trick is hardly a secret, and should be outlawed.

@InnoSpg @IPS_DC @owenslindsay1 @Groundwork the top 1% pays almost half the taxes in the US. The bottom half of income earners pay less than 3% of the taxes. The statement by the White House and @propublica about rates lower than teachers and firefighters is based on deception: it treats unrealized gains as income.

@CreativeDeduct @BBCNewsnight Seems like the only alternative to oligarchs is a different set of oligarchs, who are mostly the same oligarchs. I just want people with the best ideas to be heard, not the person with the most money.

@Scampleton @BBCNewsnight I get your point. But unlike in 2020, there is no proof of any shadow banning or fiddling with algorithms at X or Facebook in 2024. In 2020 you could easily argue that social media was part of the Democratic campaign.

"The UK is so vulnerable to being influenced by money coming in from people like Musk into our political system because we don't have any checks and balances." Former Green Party leader Caroline Lucas discusses Musk and British politics. #Newsnight

@CreativeDeduct @BBCNewsnight Does the £44bn by Musk not count?

@Scampleton @BBCNewsnight Kamala Harris massively outspent Trump in the recent election. Money is no guarantee for success. You have to have the right arguments.

@CreativeDeduct @BBCNewsnight If I wanted to stick my oar into the political system I'd run as an MP and do my best to represent the constituents. I don't feel the need to, so I vote, and occasionally write to an MP. The idea of outspending other people to get my way in a democracy gives me the creeps.

@Scampleton @BBCNewsnight You mean you are not willing to spend your money to back up your opinions.

@CreativeDeduct @BBCNewsnight I'm not spending billions to exert undemocratic influence over global politics, if that's what you mean.

@Scampleton @BBCNewsnight I think that, like you and me, he voices his opinions because he believes in what he's saying. I don't suspect you of having some ulterior, nefarious motives for being on X. Am I right?

@CreativeDeduct @BBCNewsnight So do you think Musk is in it for personal gain, or for some noble cause that benefits the public?

@Scampleton @BBCNewsnight Of course it does not. I was just wondering how you made determinations on people's motives. Seems you think a politician is more likely to have noble intent than a business man. I disagree.

@CreativeDeduct @BBCNewsnight As a public servant, probably moreso than a billionaire. That has no bearing on whether Musk is self-serving.

@Scampleton @BBCNewsnight Is Starmer serving anyone but himself?

@CreativeDeduct @BBCNewsnight Do you actually think he's doing it for the benefit of anyone but himself? Oh to be so innocent.

@BBCNewsnight Politics is about ideas. If Musk’s money can change the ideas that drive Britain for the better, then it’s obviously a good thing.

@peterrhague @BBCNewsnight He bought Twitter. That's buying his way into every country's politics.

@BBCNewsnight He hasn’t spent a single penny on UK politics at this time though. So this isn’t the actual complaint

@ChimeraX2021 @BBCNews But why do we link the percentage that isn't from gas to the price of gas?

@Scampleton @BBCNews Because the UK is still heavily reliant on gas for energy supplies. More than most other countries.

Energy bills 'to rise further' and world rings in 2025 bbc.in/4gHP0m3

@BBCWorld It's hardly a complex issue. MAGA hats hate immigrants and billionaires love money. Those aren't compatible ideals.

What we know about US H-1B visas Trump supporters are clashing over bbc.in/3Dwqo0Q

@BBCWorld From the video the main issue looks to be the massive earth bank at the end of the runway. Would a sand trap or something be feasible at airports which don't run on to open fields?

Could a bird strike have caused S Korea plane crash? bbc.in/3VXCDtP