Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Takes one to know one

Our PM claims continuously that the Opposition are running a scare campaign against their taxes . They will be good for us, we are told. Parenting may not be popular but its certainly practiced by polys - or is it nannys
These are taxes that are " fundamental "--we are told . We are told that the new bureaucracy will NOT soak up much tax in its attempts to create the parallel taxation system that is more complex and much less clear and predictable ( ever tried to nail down soil carbon credits?)than the current one attempts ( the legislation the CT is many thousands of pages long already )
The CT must be an absolutely wonderful and necessary thing. Its promoters hope its big enough and well targeted enough to be effective in changing behaviour.The veidence is it will affect the poor but unlikly to influence the behaviour of the rich . The popularity of its simplicity with wannabes is completely understandable .
Just how much tax needs to be applied to tobacco or alcohol to change behaviour would prove sobering.
Clearly a new generation of wannabes will go back to using legislation rather than taxes to change behavoiur after the fad is finished?
" WE are NOT running a fear campaign!" BUT " You will ALL cook if YOU don't do exactly as WE say this week"
The problem is that any accusation. unless carefully considered, as we learn in the schoolyard, may well reflect more on us, than it does on those on whom it is projected.