Greece...

Generali

FTBFun wrote: »

Gen, that's right for Italian footballers but people in the diplomatic services are specifically excluded from personal taxation. Remember the hoo-haa over US diplomats and the congestion charge?

I do but I'm not sure whether or not the MD of the IMF counts as a diplomat. From the press release version of the contract the position appears to be that of a US-based employee, hence the 401k.

I don't think the IMF is a UN, EU or other supra-national mandated body as such.

As ever, I'm happy to be shown to be wrong. )

vivatifosi

Generali wrote: »

To be fair, her contract states that she is paid a certain net amount rather than a gross amount. Taxes are still paid I would imagine.

Ok, serious question here. I am noticing an increasing disconnect between "them" (the politicians in charge, irrespective of where they are or what body they represent) and "us" (everyone else). Case in point today in the UK, doctors taking on government over pensions. But the MPs still have arguably the best pension of all. How can you expect to get the respect of the populace, be it in Greece, Germany, the UK or wherever else, when everyone making the decision appears to have their snout in the metaphorical trough?

This is a nasty, bitter, recession where everything is someone else's fault, be that the bankers, the government, people on benefits, the very rich, pensioners, the Greeks, the Germans, people who avoid taxes, BTL landlords... How can anyone in power expect to turn that around without leading from the front? If you expect people to share the pain of a recession, it has to be joint and several.

CLAPTON

vivatifosi wrote: »

Ok, serious question here. I am noticing an increasing disconnect between "them" (the politicians in charge, irrespective of where they are or what body they represent) and "us" (everyone else). Case in point today in the UK, doctors taking on government over pensions. But the MPs still have arguably the best pension of all. How can you expect to get the respect of the populace, be it in Greece, Germany, the UK or wherever else, when everyone making the decision appears to have their snout in the metaphorical trough?

This is a nasty, bitter, recession where everything is someone else's fault, be that the bankers, the government, people on benefits, the very rich, pensioners, the Greeks, the Germans, people who avoid taxes, BTL landlords... How can anyone in power expect to turn that around without leading from the front? If you expect people to share the pain of a recession, it has to be joint and several.

I'm not sure that your example is a very good choice as doctors get paid more than MPs and they get higher pensions too.

Graham_Devon

CLAPTON wrote: »

I'm not sure that your example is a very good choice as doctors get paid more than MPs and they get higher pensions too.

They don't get their meals, mortgage interest on second / main homes, every single item of expenditure, regardless as part of their salary though.

Oops, I mean, expenses to live their life.

Doctors even buy their own lunch. Get that!

Generali

vivatifosi wrote: »

Ok, serious question here. I am noticing an increasing disconnect between "them" (the politicians in charge, irrespective of where they are or what body they represent) and "us" (everyone else). Case in point today in the UK, doctors taking on government over pensions. But the MPs still have arguably the best pension of all. How can you expect to get the respect of the populace, be it in Greece, Germany, the UK or wherever else, when everyone making the decision appears to have their snout in the metaphorical trough?

This is a nasty, bitter, recession where everything is someone else's fault, be that the bankers, the government, people on benefits, the very rich, pensioners, the Greeks, the Germans, people who avoid taxes, BTL landlords... How can anyone in power expect to turn that around without leading from the front? If you expect people to share the pain of a recession, it has to be joint and several.

It's the modern way: people should be paid a ton of cash for doing a job that is a duty and a calling rather than a career.

Lady Thatcher as PM didn't draw a salary. Dennis Skinner drew a salary equivalent to the average blue collar wage in his constituency. That's how it should be IMO, not filling your boots by staying at your sister's place and claiming a grand a week for it.

Thrugelmir

vivatifosi wrote: »

Ok, serious question here. I am noticing an increasing disconnect between "them" (the politicians in charge, irrespective of where they are or what body they represent) and "us" (everyone else). Case in point today in the UK, doctors taking on government over pensions. But the MPs still have arguably the best pension of all. How can you expect to get the respect of the populace, be it in Greece, Germany, the UK or wherever else, when everyone making the decision appears to have their snout in the metaphorical trough?

This is a nasty, bitter, recession where everything is someone else's fault, be that the bankers, the government, people on benefits, the very rich, pensioners, the Greeks, the Germans, people who avoid taxes, BTL landlords... How can anyone in power expect to turn that around without leading from the front? If you expect people to share the pain of a recession, it has to be joint and several.

The wider concern is that ultimately this disconnect could raise itself in an ugly form somewhere within the Eurozone. The history of the past is far from buried either.

worldtraveller

ChiefGrasscutter wrote: »

D.Telegraph is today quoting a rumour from Bank of Tokyo-Mitsuibishi that they (the bank) expect a Greece exit from the euro over the weekend of 2/3 June.

I was thinking about this again last night and the effect that our extended weekend, with the Spring Holiday & Queen's Diamond Jubilee, would be. Basically we would pretty much all be screwed, as the London Stock Exchange is closed from close on Friday until Wednesday, 6th June and there would be very little that anyone with UK listed stocks could do in reaction. Payback time for the EU?

I always get a little nervous with our extended weekends, when other markets are open on the Monday, as invariably some things happen at weekends which can have significant effects on financial markets.

Graham_Devon

Heard a really sobering story this morning on the radio.

The presenter was standing near a tree where some poor bloke, who could no longer afford his medication thought it would be best for his family to go and deal with the situation himself, and control the situation himself, and take his life.

Without the medication the outcome would have been the same, but at least his family could eat for a few more days.

This is reality, and something many of us, including us in the UK just cannot grasp, have no understanding of, and likely never will.

Meanwhile, as one of the commentators stated....all the EU officials can do is say more cuts, more taxes. Yet this is reality, people cannot even afford their medication, just how do these officials believe they can afford to hand over new taxes?

Norman Lamont stated the worst thing the EU officials can do in this crisis is drag it on and on and on and on. However, that's exactly what they will do. Why? Because they are all paid sums that would keep entire greek villages fed, watered and medicated, and they have not the slightest clue what's actually going on.

In his words, we need to stop the crisis, now. We need to deal with it. To do so, we need people who can at least see the problem from the floor, instead of behind the bullet proof glass in their ivory towers waited on hand and foot.

ILW

So this mans friends, neighbours, family etc, who have most probably been evading paying their due taxes for years feel no responsibility?

It's always somebody elses fault.

pqrdef

ILW wrote: »

So this mans friends, neighbours, family etc, who have most probably been evading paying their due taxes for years

An atrocious and appalling statement. Even for you this is shocking.

Anyway, the government presumably got as much revenue as it thought it wanted. Tax rates would have been lower if collection rates had been higher.