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I agree, they need to effectively make the cost of owning the car in the first place cheaper, and the per-journey cost more expensive. Public transport has always been cheaper than owning a car, but never cheaper than using a car. Because as it is, you might only really need the car for the weekly shop and Sunday trips with the kids, but once you've shelled out for it, your only concern is the cost of petrol vs. the cost of a public transport ticket, and the petrol almost always wins. But I'm not sure how great a cost road tax is in the grand scheme of insurance and depreciation, so I'm not sure how you would really enact this.
Still doubt it?
GWB made the term trillion become normal when he gave away tax cuts of a trillion dollars to the richest people in the land while your average worker got what ...seven hundred dollars?
The rest was sucked up to the top.
This GWB assured us would create jobs.
Most of us knew it wouldn't and he did too.
He left a bankrupt country behind.
The warnings were shouted loud and clear ...they'll be coming for your pension and your social security next ....
and people ignored the warning ...some still are.
Some are voting for our pensions and benefits and services to go.
This is madness.
The biggest financial institutions on the planet that's who.
Not just America ...not just the UK ...the whole western world.
They are coming for your pensions your wages your social security your property ...and they'll get it.
And so many of you are like turkeys voting for xmas.
How have they dumbed so many people down?
A lot of us have screamed from the rooftops ...they're coming to take everything.
Deaf ears mostly.
There is a crime ...a war ...being committed against you the people of the western world.
Just roll over folks.
He created one job. A bloody big one too.
This. The text book Laffer curve is entirely theoretical. The curve is difficult to derive with any reliability as any sample size of tax regimes is likely to be very small, which is why estimates for the peak vary between 30 and 70%.
Denamrk also seem to have a high rate of tax avoidance/evasion. They're even investigating the leader of the social democrats husband
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/denmark/7854836/Lord-Kinnock-son-accused-of-tax-evasion-in-Denmark.html
Also if you look at it in purchasing power parity the gap is much lower $35k against $37k (which incidentally puts low tax Jersey at $56k)
http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/eco_gdp_pur_pow_par_percap-purchasing-power-parity-per-capita
There's so many variables with economics that you can't compare country A with country B and say the reason for the difference is... or that because country A does something it will be the same result for country B. There are after all a lot of countries where the tax rate is low and are doing badly and countries where it is high where they are also doing badly (and vice versa).
And you are right the Laffer curve doesn't show where the curve starts going down. However, given that Govt was downsizing what it thought it would get from 50p (and it wasn't expecting a straight read across from income even with its previous figures)
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article7011728.ece
I would guess 75% on bonuses etc will lead to people changing their behavior (50% is a pyschological sticking point in that half your earnings go to the tax man - I've seen several economists argue that 49% would have got more, but I can see the 50% makes a better political headline)
Also it is arguable whether spending is better for the economy or richer people keeping more of their money, which is invested. A chunk of spending will always go abroad to buy exports, whereas more savings are either likely to be invested in the UK or via British banks abroad (which comes back as invisible earnings and to you and me via things like corporation tax on the banks and tax from bankers earnings).
Exactly. So what does that tell us? Well the one thing that it certainly does tell us is that all of the warnings that we often hear from people on the right are bollocks. There might be plenty of examples of successful low tax economies (I believe Ireland was just behind Denmark on the list), but if you look down the list high tax and low tax economies are dotted around all over the place. Now unless these countries have found some sort of magic formula, that suggests to me that the warnings of reduced productivity and all of the talent moving abroad spelling the end of any sort of economic prosperity are clearly wide of the mark. My argument isn't that high tax economies are more prosperous, or have better productivity (although I do think they're generally more equal, if done correctly, which has a plethora of social benefits), just that there are plenty of examples that prove wrong the idea that high taxes are necessarily economically damaging.
Well it makes my argument look better
Though to be honest I seldom use PPP, as you say it has flaws - the main one from my point of view is that it moves the UK from being the 13th richest to the 29th
True - though most of those tend to be nordic countries, which suggests there may be cultural reasons (I've done quite a bit of work with Swedes over the last year and they say it's due to the cold weather). I don't know enough about Denmark, but Sweden does well by cutting regulation - for example I was on a building site which was right next to a school, there was nothing to fence it off and kids just walked through it and none of the builders was wearing any safety equipment.
The British cult of individuality is different from the Nordic countries homogenity.
Left-wingers can't just point to a few countries where high-taxation has been less damaging (and Sweden had to make swingeing cuts in tax and services in the 90s as its competitiveness crumbled) and say it worked there, without saying why it hasn't worked elsewhere. If we're using GDP per capita the UK is 13th, the only high-tax countries above it are the Nordic States (one of which has oil and two of which have timber), Austria and Netherlands. It's obviously not enough on its own to have low taxes, but it does seem a very important part.
Don't you realise this a subsidy to the employers?
The ones who fought the minimum wage?
It means employers can continue to offer really shitty wages and the government will top them up.
I've discovered today that there are jobs in London going at twelve grand a year for forty hours!!!
This would just about pay the rent to live there in some shit hole but ...imigrnats will do it and live four to a single flat.
This is indeed broken Britain but not in the sense Cameron would have us believe.
New roads railways public transport systems?
Nope.
New schools upgrades more teachers etc ...nope.
A cut in the care standards of the elderly ...yup.
New sea defences along the North Wales coast/
Nope.
Wage rises?
Nope.
Billions of quids in bank bailouts?
Yup.
Help me out ...what exactly am I paying for here?
Your complicity in the usage of commercial paper in the financial world.
There must be some mitigating circumstances.
What have I had that no one else before me had that's costing me so much?
Just as right-wingers can't come around telling us why unilateral faith based economic theories should work out in any area without an awareness of the existing sociocultural fabric of particular societies - because there similarly exists no strong evidence for such an assertion.
There does however, exist a recent and highly timely study on equality that you might do well to look at, and would go some well to going beyond your Scandinavian point.
http://www.penguin.co.uk/nf/Book/BookDisplay/0,,9780141921150,00.html
I'm afraid the future doesn't look too bright for those who still think inequality is better...
It might be the hand you were dealt, or perhaps you are one of the children of the future.
Sit back, relax and let me try to explain.
Once upon a time, five men, strangers all, took ship for a distant land. And whilst the ship was in the way, a fierce storm overtook it, and it sank, and all aboard drowned, save the five passengers, who swam to a desert island.
And when they awoke, they traversed the whole island, and found fruit and game in abundance, but very little in the way of entertainment.
Wherefore the first stranger, whose name was Everyman, said to his companions, Industry, Finance, and Government, Go to! Truly, we will die of boredom in this place long before starvation gets us. Let us therefore play a game of cards!
And Industry and Finance and Government did smile on Everyman, and rejoiced at this pleasant suggestion. But then sadness overcame them, and their countenances darkened, and Industry said, “Alas, cards have we none.”
Now the fifth stranger, Banker, stood in the coolness of the shadows eavesdropping, and when Industry discovered they had no cards, Banker stepped forward, out of the shadows, and whispered, Let not my brothers be downcast, neither let them fret for want of cards. For behold, said he, pulling a deck of cards from his pocket, See, cards have I in abundance, and I will lend freely, upon execution of certain necessary mortgages, notes, and encumbrances upon all your real and personal property.
And lo! The countenance of Everyman, Industry, Finance, and Government did brighten, and they rejoiced with one another, for they were simple men, and trusted themselves to Banker. For behold, said they, doth he not desire our good, and will he not freely lend us all things, even cards?
Then Banker did lend Everyman, and Industry, and Finance, and Government thirteen cards apiece, but upon this condition, that Everyman and Industry and Government and Finance might borrow the cards for but one hour only, and at the hour’s end each must return to Banker fourteen cards or forfeit. And in return for the thirteen cards they were lent, every player did execute certain necessary mortgages, notes, and encumbrances upon all their real and personal property.
And Banker had them.
And Banker knew it, but Everyman, and Industry, and Finance, and Government had not a clue.
And lo, the hour did end, and Everyman had but ten cards, while Government, Industry, and Finance were possessed of fourteen apiece, and with great shew of sadness and brotherly commiseration Banker did dispossess Everyman, and foreclose upon him, and did take his duffle bag, and all his coconut shells, and his flip-flops, and all his clothing, until Everyman stood naked under the sun, as in the day he was born, without a card to his name, and verily, he was out of the game.
Yet were not Government, Industry, and Finance downcast by Everyman’s loss, for in their haste to play cards, they forgot his need, and heeded not the warning of his downfall. So they clamoured to Banker, Give us cards again, that we may play, and make merry, and while away our time in this desert place.
And Banker came close, and said, Brothers, gladly will I lend again, only give me mortgages, notes, and encumbrances upon all your real and personal property. And they did execute the same.
And Banker did lend seventeen cards to Industry, and to Finance, and to Government, demanding at the hour’s end the return of eighteen cards apiece. And lo, they did play, and when the game was over, alas, Industry had but fifteen cards, and Government and Finance had eighteen.
And so Banker did foreclose upon Industry, and did take his duffle bag, and his pocket knife wherewith he made clever things for his brothers, and his sandals, and all his clothing, until Industry stood naked under the sun, as in the day he was born, without a card to his name, and verily, he, too, was out of the game, and busted clean flat.
And Government and Finance must play yet again, and Banker must lend to them, and he did, and they did, and Finance met the same fate as Everyman, and Industry, and they gathered themselves together, naked and wretched, under a palm tree, watching Banker and Government play the last hand. And lo, Banker did win, and took from Government all he owned.
Then Government joined Everyman and Industry and Finance, naked under the palm tree, and they lamented the low estate whereunto their borrowing had brought them, and wot not what next to do.
Then Government asked, Brothers, why sit we here idle? For although we be poor, mayhap have we something left we may offer as collateral, and yet play cards again. And the others said, Yea, and Amen, what else have we?
And they approached Banker right humbly, and gat them down on their knees, and entreated him, saying, O Banker, we have nothing left for collateral, but lo! in the future we will once again have stuff, and between now and then we will have stuff, and we will gladly execute in your favour mortgages, notes, and encumbrances on all our future stuff, but only lend us cards, for the boredom of this place surpasseth all bearing, and our souls are like to expire within us if we cannot play cards, and what availeth us life or liberty without cards?
And Banker smiled a great smile, and welcomed this offer, and did cheerfully and quickly offer for their signature mortgages, notes, and encumbrances on all their future stuff, and they did sign.
And Banker dealt out cards, and again they played. And in the course of time and cards, Banker did own all the future stuff of Everyman and Industry and Government and Finance. Verily, Banker did own it all, all their goods and their lands and their labours, and their children’s labours, and their children’s children’s labours, world without end. And Banker waxed fat.
And Everyman and Industry and Finance and Government were glad, and did honour to Banker, and rejoiced to serve him, for verily they loved playing cards, and unless they served him, how else could they get cards ?
So, Moroccan Roll, would you say that everyone cannot resist a game of cards ?