Re: HP calculator is back

"CBFalconer" <cbfalconer@xxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:450D5061.999065C4@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Meindert Sprang wrote:
"Mark Borgerson" <mborgerson.at.comcast.net> wrote in message

Oregon has both significant property taxes (about 1.4% of real
property value per year or $2800 on a $200,000 house.) We also
have a state income tax of about 10%. OTOH, we have
constitutionally mandated balanced budget, and if state revenues
exceed expenditures, they send out 'kicker' checks to refund
overpaid taxes.

C'mon guys, here in Europe, (Netherlands), we have an income tax that
starts at around 40%, a sales tax of 19% and a property tax of 1.2%
(I think). And apart from that, 75% tax on gas, which costs about
$6.50/gallon. So stop whining, you US citizens......

Not all that different, to my mind. Our (US) income tax starts at
around 30%, when you consider the actual deductions (15% for Social
Security). That doesn't include state taxes. The fact that the
employer pays 1/2 the SS portion doesn't matter, since it simply
means he doesn't give that to you. You have to also lump the
exorbitant cost of health insurance in with the income tax, which
probably makes the net well over 40%. When you consider the net
effect of various excise taxes etc. (which are then taxed again)
the sales tax gets up there too. The principle difference is the
fuel tax, which here doesn't properly discourage the use of gas
guzzlers.

I agree that that needs to be addressed. However, your big smokey
industries can keep on pumping out their CO2 because that keeps me in a
job :-)

Meanwhile we don't get the health care nor the guaranteed
pensions.

The UK state pensions are seriously in doubt. I'm 27 and I am certain
that the plug will be pulled on state pensions before I get to retiring
age. The age has already gone up from 65 to 67 since I started working.
Fortunately I've been contributing to a private pension since I started
working but even in that relatively short time I've been down-graded
from a nice final salary scheme (with death in service benefits
sufficient to not need to buy life insurance) to one of those thieving
money-purchase schemes in which the value of my fund depends on the
alignment of venus and jupiter.

Five years ago the government started a scheme whereby they gave GBP250
to newborn babies to invest in some kind of trust fund of their parents
choice. Now what might someone need a lump sum for when they are 18?
Methinks there is now 13 years until then end of the state pension is
announced :-(

Instead we have the privilege of paying for the
grandiose war schemes and funding the sort of corruption that in
turn fuels the Haliburtons of the world.

You don't have the monopoly on that believe me. At least some of the
money you put into Haliburton comes back to you - all we got for our
troubles was bombs on the underground and promises of scraps of work
that the US doesn't want.

Nor do we get a proper
public transportation network, thus ensuring the necessity of a car
for each individual. We also have the privilege of large suburban
areas on which to spread poisons to encourage grass and pollute the
water supply.

There was a time when the US had the worlds highest standard of
living. No more. However we still have the worlds highest per
capita usage of natural resources.

Who does have the highest standard of living I wonder? I imagine the
Canadians and the Germans are smiling now but perhaps things are
different from the inside. Having said that, compared to most of the
world the US and the UK have got it pretty good really.


.

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