How come the most technologically advanced nation on earth (so they say) is
unable to do the simple maths needed to work out how much to pay each month
so that the total comes out close to correct...?
To understand an answer to that question fully, you would have to attend one
of our High Schools. "1+1 = whatever makes you _feel_ good."
Honestly, I get all of my Income Tax money back each year. My beef is with
the other taxes they take out and I'll never benefit from... Social
Security.
I _am_ glad we're not subject to socialized medical care though, so we _do_
have that one over you Anglos >:)
I've never quite got this - do you really not pay any tax all year and
then
suddenly get hit for it all in one go? Seems insane to me - just for
once,
I'm thankful for PAYE...
No, you get to pay all year, then find out you didn't pay enough and have
to
cough up more money for the anti-progress machine in D.C.
How come the most technologically advanced nation on earth (so they say) is
unable to do the simple maths needed to work out how much to pay each month
so that the total comes out close to correct...?
I _am_ glad we're not subject to socialized medical care though, so we _do_
have that one over you Anglos >:)
I live in France and can assure you that socialised medical care can work.
I've had three sets of major surgery over the last six years. In the UK I
would have been on a waiting list of over six months for two of the
operations. In France, I was admitted in under a week in both cases and
stayed in two-person rooms each time.
I had a two night stay in one of your hotels (er, sorry, hospitals) a couple
of years back and the bill, just for tests and board, came to over USD 5000.
The same tests carried out in France as a follow up cost less than USD
100...
If I lived in the US, I would not be able to get full insurance coverage.
So, what would you have people like me do...? Quietly collapse in a corner
and die?
And it will get worse no doubt under Dubya and company...
Honestly, I get all of my Income Tax money back each year. My beef is with
the other taxes they take out and I'll never benefit from... Social
Security.
> Honestly, I get all of my Income Tax money back
each year. My beef is with
> the other taxes they take out and I'll never
benefit from... Social
> Security.
I take it you plan on dying before age 65, then?
my beef is on the way that the pollies waste it to
bribe the people to vote for them, or on themselves.
I don't think SS is a waste (as people need money to
survive, and I would rather the goverment give it to
someone who is unemployed. The other option is them
stealing from me to get it. The magic question is 'how
much should a person be given', as some people realise
they are better not on unemployment).
_____________________________________________________________________________ http://store.yahoo.com.au - Yahoo! Store
- It's time you had your business online!
my beef is on the way that the pollies waste it to
bribe the people to vote for them, or on themselves.
I think you're confusing Social Security with other taxes. In most
countries, social security goes into an untouchable "pot" from which current
entitlements are paid out, which is why most social security systems will be
going bankrupt within a decade or two if nothing changes. Given the low rate
of the amounts paid, I can't see it being a bribe to vote...
Taxes are something else entirely. I am always stunned and gobsmacked at the
US system which permits all sorts of pork barrel projects to be tacked onto
any Bill going through Congress without regard for the relevance of the
project to the Bill in queston. Of course, this is the country that allows
representatives to read a telephone directory into the Congressional
Record... You'd be ejected from the House of Commons for trying such a
stunt.
I love the US, but it never fails to amaze me.
Gavin
PS Is Clint going to love the way we've hijacked this topic or what. Sorry,
Clint. And others. I changed the title to help those with a lighthouse
aversion.
heh I personally don't mind - there's always stuff to learn. Europe is such
a boring place in comparison to North America! On a gaming point if
player put Off-Topic; xxxx then that's good.
PS Is Clint going to love the way we've hijacked this topic or what.
Sorry,
···
Clint. And others. I changed the title to help those with a lighthouse
aversion.
heh I personally don't mind - there's always stuff to learn. Europe is such
a boring place in comparison to North America! On a gaming point if
player put Off-Topic; xxxx then that's good.
PS Is Clint going to love the way we've hijacked this topic or what.
Sorry,
Clint. And others. I changed the title to help those with a lighthouse
aversion.
Given the low rate
of the amounts paid, I can't see it being a bribe to vote...
It's not that it's so much money, it's that for many older 'Merkins it
is the only source of income, a trend which will continue since so many
companies have found various ways to back out of paying pensions.
In 'Merkin politics, promising to 'protect Social Security' is code for
pandering to the elderly, who not coincidentally have the highest voting
percentage of any segment of the population. It's been suggested that
if college students voted as reliably as senior citizens, the drinking
age would be back down to 18 and college would be paid by the
government.
Of course, this is the country that allows
representatives to read a telephone directory into the Congressional
Record...
Not Representatives - Senators (roughly equivalent to House of Lords).
The House of Representatives does not allow fillibusters.
The reason you can tack irrelevant amendments onto bills (the term is
'logrolling') is that the U.S. Congress does not use Robert's Rules of
Order. My dad could explain the relevant distinctions, but essentially
their system is designed to promote expedience and authority of the
leadership over efficiency and the voice of the individual member.
Also, as noted, each chamber has its own peculiar rules.
Yeh - but sometimes I go short on sleep then make up for it on the w/end.
There was an article in the times about it - so I find it evry difficult to
get up for normal working hours!!! But, contrary to popular belief, this
does not, necessarily, make a person lazy. I reserve the right to be lazy
though...
Clint
PS Blame it on me mam.
> heh I personally don't mind - there's always stuff to learn. Europe is
such
···
> a boring place in comparison to North America! On a gaming point if
> player put Off-Topic; xxxx then that's good.
>
>> PS Is Clint going to love the way we've hijacked this topic or what.
> Sorry,
>> Clint. And others. I changed the title to help those with a lighthouse
>> aversion.
Yeh - but sometimes I go short on sleep then make up for it on the w/end.
There was an article in the times about it - so I find it evry difficult to
get up for normal working hours!!! But, contrary to popular belief, this
does not, necessarily, make a person lazy. I reserve the right to be lazy
though...
As someone who hasn't kept "normal" working hours for at least the last ten
years, I can heartily concur!
On a gaming point if