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October 01, 2004
Tax and spend returns ....
The old joke used to be that the Chancellor had a simplified new Tax Return Form in mind. It only had four questions:
Where do you live?
How much do you earn?
Where do you keep it? and
Do you want to give it to us in cash or cheque?
That joke seems to get closer to the truth every time Labour or Lib Dem (and who the heck can tell the difference these days?) politicians opens their mouths. It's always in the interests of a fairer, more open, more equitable society, of course. It will pay for improvements to health, education, "services", or whatever is the current buzzword, we are told. Yet somehow it never quite seems to work that way, does it?
Recently it was reported that Neil Kinnock was retiring from the European Commission, and the photo showed his huge smile. Given that the man has never held a real job and is now retiring on a pension that you and I will pay for, he has reason to smile. My own pension is likely to be one tenth of his, and I would claim to have spent most of my working life actually in the service of the people and the country. But then, I got it wrong right from the start - if I wanted an easy life and the fat returns for minimum investment and work - I should have entered politics. I probably wouldn't have been able to live with my conscience but, hey, if you get rich enough on other people's hard work and taxes - even the most sensitive conscience has its price! Feathering of nests has now become the priority of our Illustrious Parliamentarians, and it's thee and me that are suffering. So much for all the cant and the piety of the conference speakers!
Interesting, too, the range of things that are being touted in this "conference" season. All at our expense, of course! Don't the politicians ever stop and think or even better - listen? I suppose not; after all, it's not their money, it's ours - and we are stupid enough to keep voting for this shower of complete idiots. Oops, that's an oxymoron - they can't be idiots - they make us pay for everything including their jollies! That takes cunning; hmmmm, maybe I better review my stance on entering politics - I could do with the lifestyle and the income - not to mention the pension. And the rest of you oiks can pay for it!
Right, vote for me next May!
Posted by The Gray Monk at October 1, 2004 10:47 AM