05-03-2003 15:33									#1
	We are ruled by idiots! Avatar Enlargement: We've got the solution

The local economy is sucking up, but the Financial Secretary is cutting expenses for the next fiscal year.

Has he gone insane? Fire the bugger!

	05-03-2003 15:37									#2
	Support Apolyton buy from Amazon

Learn to love your government

	05-03-2003 15:37									#3
	Help yourself to an AD-FREE life

Link? More details please!

	05-03-2003 15:45									#4
	Tired of ads?

Hong Kong to hike taxes

	05-03-2003 15:46									#5
	Full PM-box? Change here!

quote: Originally posted by Alexander's Horse Learn to love your government

Only if Anthony Leung is available freely for drop kicks

	05-03-2003 16:07									#6
	Enter the AD-FREE zone

I don't see what's wrong in hiking taxes. When the elections are coming and the politicians are competing on "who gives the biggest tax cuts", it's just populism.

Personally I'm pro higher taxes.

	05-03-2003 16:28									#7
	Tired of ads?

Raising taxes now will slow the already sluggish economy. What he could have is to replace the flat income tax with a progressive tax, that will increase income without adversely affecting the low income people.

Furthermore, those idiots are not elected, not now anyways. They are appointed.

	05-03-2003 16:40									#8
	Support Apolyton

UR is from Hong Kong? I am now beginning to understand his hysterical anti-Bush ravings a little more...

Raising taxes could be good if the government was facing a serious debt crisis. If it was then the long term down side to raising taxes would be less then the short term down side to raising taxes. Of course the best long term policy, since deficits can no longer be sustained, would be to cut spending instead of raising taxes.

Cutting spending would hurt the economy but raising taxes would hurt it more since the public sector is almost always less efficient then the privite sector.

	05-03-2003 16:45									#9
	Support Apolyton, buy Civilization III: Complete

About the politicians (a bit off-topic I'm afraid):

Yesterday I saw a program called "Politicians behaving badly". Violent gangfights in the parliaments of Taiwan, India and Turkey...

I got the idea that in Turkey it's OK (sometimes even preferable) to start a fight in parliament, because it is good for your public image No wonder they still have to negotiate about wether to illigalize torture or not. Wether??? Should I be scared of those Turks...?

Back on topic:
UR, I was just trying to live up the name "mad finn" you have given to me...

	05-03-2003 16:54									#10
	Increase the size of your Attachments

Oh come on UR - you live in Hong Kong for Christ sake - they have no taxes worthy of complaint.

	05-03-2003 17:19									#11
	Lose 30 kilos (of popups)

Oerdin,

I understand. When you can't argue with your opponents, you either concede defeat or try to paint them black. Usual political crap.


aaglo,

Yeah, the Taiwanese Parliament is a legend around this region. They fight each other all the time, and women MPs slapping each other. Gives "power politics" an entirely different meaning


Horse,

Well if the living standard isn't so high, taxes won't be so bad.

	05-03-2003 17:27									#12
	Got spare money?

Wow... UR is from Hong Kong, yet is a better "American" than most Americans.

	05-03-2003 17:28									#13
	Support Apolyton buy from Amazon

quote: Originally posted by Urban Ranger Oerdin, I understand. When you can't argue with your opponents, you either concede defeat or try to paint them black. Usual political crap.

My response is here and I will not bother to retype it. It is still better to raise taxes then to continue to fund deficits which the government can not afford to repay since that will lead to a default. A default on debt will have long term negative side effects which far out weight the short term negative stimulus effects of a raise in taxes.

	05-03-2003 18:44									#14
	Avatar Enlargement: We've got the solution

quote: It is still better to raise taxes then to continue to fund deficits which the government can not afford to repay since that will lead to a default. A default on debt will have long term negative side effects which far out weight the short term negative stimulus effects of a raise in taxes.

Wow, Oerdin... I'm surprised!

	05-03-2003 19:24									#15
	Help yourself to an AD-FREE life

quote: Originally posted by Sava Wow... UR is from Hong Kong, yet is a better "American" than (change to MANY ) Americans.

Well, hell. This is the same thing I've been saying for quite some time.
Need I name names?

	05-03-2003 19:35									#16
	Support Apolyton, buy GURPS/ Alpha Centauri

is there a big difference between MOST and MANY?

	05-03-2003 19:38									#17
	Get a bigger avatar today!

UR complaining about taxes?!?!

	05-03-2003 19:41									#18
	Support Apolyton, pre-order Civilization IV

Most indicates a majority.
Which is why I change to many.

It's more than mere semantics, Sava.

	05-03-2003 19:56									#19
	"We are ruled by idiots!" Increase Your PM Length

I thought for sure that this thread was about the OT.

	05-03-2003 20:07									#20
	Suffering from ads?

It is. Incognito.

	05-03-2003 21:20									#21
	Remove this text

Higher taxes are an excellent way to stimulate the economy. They allow the government to reinvest more in the country without lining the pockets of the rich with interest.

	06-03-2003 07:22									#22
	Support Apolyton, buy Galactic Civilizations

If they simultaneously increase spending, but they aren't. They are also cutting spending.

	06-03-2003 07:25									#23
	Remove this text

UR, over the long term governments must run balanced budgets. Otherwise they go bankrupt.

	06-03-2003 07:25									#24
	Tired of ads?

And, agreed with St Leo...

	06-03-2003 07:27									#25
	Suffering from ads?

quote: UR, over the long term governments must run balanced budgets. Otherwise they go bankrupt.

Not if the economy grows fast enough over the long term so that while continuously borrowing the GDP/debt ratio remains vaguely stable.

	06-03-2003 07:27									#26
	Support Apolyton, buy Civilization: The Boardgame

quote: Originally posted by St Leo Higher taxes are an excellent way to stimulate the economy. They allow the government to reinvest more in the country without lining the pockets of the rich with interest.

Yeah, like look at Saskatchewan. Brilliant strategy to kickstart an economy.

	06-03-2003 07:33									#27
	Support Apolyton or Terrorists Win

quote: Originally posted by Boshko Not if the economy grows fast enough over the long term so that while continuously borrowing the GDP/debt ratio remains vaguely stable.

Agreed...but generally budget swings are a lot larger than GDP growth rate. Which means that any government which runs balanced enough to keep debt reasonable over decades is effectively running a balanced budget.

	06-03-2003 07:35									#28
	Lose 30 kilos (of popups)

quote: Originally posted by Asher Yeah, like look at Saskatchewan. Brilliant strategy to kickstart an economy.

A lot of Sask's problems aren't due to their government spending policies. Many are due to the fact that they're saskatchewan...

	06-03-2003 07:35									#29
	Suffering from ads?

quote: Originally posted by Frogger A lot of Sask's problems aren't due to their government spending policies. Many are due to the fact that they're saskatchewan...

Oh come on...look at how many crown corporations they have. It's insane.

When the government keeps doing more and more with the economy you get to a point where everything stagnates since the government controls it all...Not to mention their high taxes and hostile attitude to many corporations, especially US giants.

	06-03-2003 07:38									#30
	Remove this text

Asher, why are Nfld, NS and NB poor?

What's happened to the family farm (all over NA, not just in Canada) over the last 40 years?

Saskatchewan has some interests in coal mining etc. but not enough to pull them out of the industry hole they're in...