BBC anthem?
Harry’s place has a bit of musical satire about Auntie. Wonder if John can write a tune for it? Probably better not; several members of the band would be rather miffed if we got banned from TOTP.
1 commentGuess who?
Someone was plotting to blow up the Holocaust Memorial in Hungary. Was it neo-Nazi “right-wing” wackos trying to re-instate the Third Reich?
Nope, it was our ROPMA friends again, trying to kill as many Jews as possible.
Update: And the “spiritual leader” of local Muslims was one of those arrested.
Comments are off for this postTaxer justifies report
Re: Whose advantage?
Date: 13 April 2004
Sir – You correctly point out that the Adam Smith Institute’s proposals for a locally set sales tax would affect almost everyone (leading article; Business, Apr 10), but why do you describe this as an advantage?
The increased role of sales taxes, combined with a shrinking role for progressive income tax, is one of the principal factors behind the current situation in which the poorest in our society pay a higher proportion of their income in tax than the most wealthy.
The institute’s ideological adherence to competition is well known, but local competition on sales tax levels would increase inequality, as there is not a level playing field. Neighbouring local authorities frequently face different levels of service demand; have different balances of residential and commercial property; and have different sized retail economies per capita. This would give some local authorities a distinct advantage in the level of sales tax they could set, resulting in a retail drain from neighbouring areas and funding shortages for local services.
The institute has also failed to consider the future need to internalise the environmental costs of our consumption. For some environmental challenges this can best be achieved through mechanisms such as producer responsibility or emissions trading. However, extending the use of variable VAT rates to favour the most environmentally favourable products also holds considerable potential.
This would be far harder to achieve if sales taxes were set locally and competitively.
From:
Tim Nichols, London N16
This letter writer has made the case against his own way of thinking, at least for me. All the negatives he points to are in fact good things. Generally local authorities have “higher demand” for taxes because of their political affiliation, not because of the real needs of their citizens. Is it me, or does this person think competition and choice are evil things?
2 commentsLeftie radio comes acropper in NYC
“The last thing Progress Media’s Air America liberal radio network wanted to do was trigger animosity from part of its desired target audience. But that’s precisely what happened in New York City when it debuted March 31. Longtime African-American talk station WLIB suddenly changed identities. Instead of being a local voice for black community concerns, it was suddenly part of this new national network, as a result of a partnership between Air America and Inner City Broadcasting Corporation, parent owners of WLIB. Now, instead of adoring praise for its left-wing programming, Progress Media finds itself under fire from African-American publications nationwide for its role in silencing a unique entity. The move also makes what’s supposed to be a progressive alternative operation look like just another conglomerate raider uninterested or unconcerned with maintaining community traditions and ensuring diversity.” (04/12/04)
This bit of amusing PC-infighting comes via Rational Review.
Comments are off for this postNader paranoid about the draft
“Presidential candidate Ralph Nader this weekend warned his constituents that a military draft is pending, and asked younger voters to prepare. The independent candidate noted that the federal government is filling seats on local draft boards as preparation for a reinstatement of the draft, which was eliminated in 1973. ... Another third-party candidate, Libertarian Aaron Russo, has joined Mr. Nader in warning Americans that a draft is a real possibility, despite denials from all quarters of the Bush administration.”
(04/13/04)
Via: Rational Review
4 commentsJust wait for the squealing and bleating to start!
Good CEOs are always prepared to change things when it is patently obvious that the enterprise is on a steep slide into danger and destruction. President Bush is faced with just such a decision [reg. required], but the nattering nabobs of negativity are just waiting to pounce. Not that they have anything useful or productive to offer, of course, but, being negative is their only stock in trade, as it’s the only dubious ‘talent’ they possess.
Their ‘object du jour’ at the moment is that deadline for the handover of rule in Iraq. It’s very similar to a doctor faced with the decision of when to discharge a patient from hospital. Following a tentative projected discharge date and working to rules, la the NHS, the patient is summarily thrown out the door, ready or not, when that day arrives.
A good doctor simply does not do this, though. If the patient is not recovered to a degree that would ensure survival and continued improvement, then the patient is simply kept in hospital longer, regardless of the original date of discharge projected back when first admitted, and regardless of any bleating or wailing from the bean-counters or nay-sayers.
Iraq is NOT ready for self-rule! President Bush has seen this fact very clearly for quite some time. Hopefully the decision to delay the hand-over will be taken with due regard to all concerned for the benefit of the world, but, political reality says it’s going to be a VERY tough thing to do. We’ll just have to hope that best treatment prevails over idiocy and stupidity and political avarice.
1 comment
