We are ruled by idiots!

[Urban Ranger]

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!

[Alexander's Horse]

Learn to love your government

[Solly]

Link? More details please!

[Urban Ranger]

Hong Kong to hike taxes

[Urban Ranger]

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

Only if Anthony Leung is available freely for drop kicks

[aaglo]

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.

[Urban Ranger]

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.

[Dinner]

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.

[aaglo]

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...

[Alexander's Horse]

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

[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.


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.

[Sava]

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

[Dinner]

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.

[Sava]

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!

[SlowwHand]

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?