tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3083855923964640893.post1513052202164270505..comments2023-11-05T10:53:07.638+00:00Comments on Patently Rubbish: Tax, Incentives, and Common Sensepatentlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00602962323262055007noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3083855923964640893.post-66370543753446040452009-09-22T15:32:35.616+01:002009-09-22T15:32:35.616+01:00If this is the sort of thing that they are conside...<i>If this is the sort of thing that they are considering, then we have too many of them in the first place...</i><br /><br />Julia, I do believe you've just found a useful place to put an "efficiency saving cut" which will actually improve "front-line services".Alberthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12407051721186824991noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3083855923964640893.post-43551637464593147042009-09-22T10:31:29.129+01:002009-09-22T10:31:29.129+01:00"No wonder they need to fill their minds with...<i>"No wonder they need to fill their minds with ways to interfere with people like hard-working Mrs. P to justify their own existence."</i> <br /><br />If this is the sort of thing that they are considering, then we have too many of them in the first place...JuliaMhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07844126589712842477noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3083855923964640893.post-30442066202239792142009-09-21T22:55:26.376+01:002009-09-21T22:55:26.376+01:00Few friends are 'laffing' so you are in go...Few friends are 'laffing' so you are in good company. It appears saving private schools is on no political agenda save those directly concerned. At least, your German mistress still seems worth the extra expense for the pleasure she provides.<br /><br />I will put <a href="http://www.taxpayersalliance.com/research/2009/09/new-book-reveals-the-total-cost-of-gordon-browns-mishandling-of-the-economy-as-3-trillion-or-3000000." rel="nofollow">Fleeced! by the Taxpayers' Alliance</a> on your Christmas present list. ;-)measuredhttp://twitter.com/measurednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3083855923964640893.post-25705669032735737412009-09-21T13:11:03.564+01:002009-09-21T13:11:03.564+01:00Just bought myself one of those big Bavarian beast...Just bought myself one of those big Bavarian beasts. The difference in tax was £45 between the old eco model and the new 4x.4<br /><br />But government policy and media pressure have made a difference.<br />The new Quango 4x4 is a 2.0d instead of the old 3.7. Without getting too Clarkson for a modest 10bhp loss i will gain about 10mpg. Seems a fair swap.The insurance is a bit less too.{less than the non 4x4 car}<br />But this is manufacturers responding to consumer demand. <br />A vehicle that can fit 3 kids with child seats in and shopping and performance , tax, economy similar to an average motor car.<br /><br />Governments can claim some success in 'influencing' decisions. But who knows if the car designers would not have made a more economical, more compact, more eco greewash friendly anyway?Bill Quango MPhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14861116614665461655noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3083855923964640893.post-9020089557418430602009-09-20T20:46:43.470+01:002009-09-20T20:46:43.470+01:00Spot on, both of you....Spot on, both of you....patentlyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00602962323262055007noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3083855923964640893.post-74631298056330605112009-09-20T12:40:41.250+01:002009-09-20T12:40:41.250+01:00Won't Mrs P's customers decide who is prov...Won't Mrs P's customers decide who is providing a service of the right quality and at the right price? Oh I forgot, in New Britain customers are deemed too stupid to make their own rational decisions in a free market.<br /><br />Economists refer to elastic and inelastic pricing. There are some things (like fuel) which people have to buy whatever the price (although presumably fuel price will influence the next car purchase) and other things which are much more price sensitive. I would say that working hard was pretty price sensitive. If it's not worth working those longer hours, why would you do it?Old BEhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06974090439936326476noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3083855923964640893.post-22779662818503858362009-09-20T11:21:14.445+01:002009-09-20T11:21:14.445+01:00"sin taxes"...are meant to adjust our be...<i>"sin taxes"...are meant to adjust our behaviour to confirm to officially-sanctioned norms, whereas the taxes aimed at raising cash are all assumed to leave us unaffected.</i><br /><br />And since a contradiction in itself conveys no information whatsoever, the Government's position is utterly and literally vacuous. No wonder they need to fill their minds with ways to interfere with people like hard-working Mrs. P to justify their own existence.<br /><br />The extent of this pathological need to interfere is astonishing. There was a report this week that the Government has plans to ban children under 14 from appearing on factual TV programmes like <i>Blue Peter</i> and <i>Newsround</i> - apparently to prevent them being exploited or emotionally harmed. Meanwhile, every 25 seconds a child is aborted in the EU, but that doesn't worry anyone very much. If the Government is constantly to interfere with everything, can we at least have some consistency please?Alberthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12407051721186824991noreply@blogger.com