Yes, I know. That doesn't make an assertion about the "pitfalls" of `self` less muddy. It's literally a variable. It's a code smell too, but that's another conversation. Are we calling out variables in JS now? Maybe we should just hold ourselves to bootcamp standards, copy and paste StackOverflow or something like that. Programming is hard, etc.
You sincerely believe that tax revenue would be lost to waste and graft with no benefit to the poor? Higher taxes sting me as much as the next USAer, but I think you're being obtuse.
If you're commuting in a Lyft/Uber, you're part of the problem. That aside, for better or worse, most of us city-dwellers are numbed to shocking! displays of hard drug use.