[url]http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/8321967.stm[/url]
[quote=BBC News]
A group of rich Germans has launched a petition calling for the government to make wealthy people pay higher taxes.
The group say they have more money than they need, and the extra revenue could fund economic and social programmes to aid Germany's economic recovery.
Germany could raise 100bn euros (£91bn) if the richest people paid a 5% wealth tax for two years, they say.
The petition has 44 signatories so far, and will be presented to newly re-elected Chancellor Angela Merkel.
The group say the financial crisis is leading to an increase in unemployment, poverty and social inequality.
Simply donating money to deal with the problems is not enough, they want a change in the whole approach.
"The path out of the crisis must be paved with massive investment in ecology, education and social justice," they say in the petition.
Those who had "made a fortune through inheritance, hard work, hard-working, successful entrepreneurship, or investment" should contribute by paying more to alleviate the crisis.
The man behind the petition, Dieter Lehmkuhl, told Berlin's Tagesspiegel that there were 2.2 million people in Germany with a fortune of more than 500,000 euros.
If they all paid the tax for two years, Germany could raise 100bn euros to fund ecological programmes, education and social projects, said the retired doctor and heir to a brewery.
Signatory Peter Vollmer told AFP news agency he was supporting the proposal because he had inherited "a lot of money I do not need".
He said the tax would be "a viable and socially acceptable way out of the flagrant budget crisis".
The group held a demonstration in Berlin on Wednesday to draw attention to their plans, throwing fake banknotes into the air.
Mr Vollmer said it was "really strange that so few people came".[/quote]
Never seen that happen before...
Thought they meant they were going to raise taxes for everybody, not just the wealthy people.
That is pretty odd.
Damn. Germany has far better rich people than the rest of us.
Germany is all backwards. They're supposed to be signing a petition to make poor people work in slave labor camps.
[quote]Mr Vollmer said it was "really strange that so few people came".[/quote]
Gee, I wonder why.
[QUOTE=Mr. Mcguffin;17975123]Germany is all backwards. They're supposed to be signing a petition to make poor people work in slave labor camps.[/QUOTE]
Avon bitching in 3...2.....
Crazy Germans.
That's nice of them to do that.
how cool
[quote]The petition has [b]44 signatories so far[/b], and will be presented to newly re-elected Chancellor Angela Merkel.[/quote]
Not as nice news as you think, not that many people have signed so far...
[QUOTE=:smug:;17975361]Not as nice news as you think, not that many people have signed so far...[/QUOTE]
Just that there are 44 rich people IN THE WORLD that supports higher taxes is enough for breaking world news.
somehow they're trying to get more money out of it
clever girls
Yes! The bourgeosie are converting!
Marx will be please
You know who else wanted socialist policy's in Germany. . . .
Willy Brandt?...
I hope that's who you're thinking of...
[QUOTE]The group say they have more money than they need, and the extra revenue could fund economic and social programmes to aid Germany's economic recovery.[/QUOTE]
Why not just donate the extra money then?
I got more people to sign a 'no school uniform' petition in 10 minutes than they got in howeverfuckinglongittook
Goddamn communists.
[QUOTE=TH89;17976828]Goddamn communists.[/QUOTE]
I know, right!?
[editline]03:07PM[/editline]
Fuckin' reds
Isn't that what donating is for?
what a bunch of idiots!
What happens if they get taxed to the point where they're out of money? Are they going to sign a petition to stop taxes?
[QUOTE=Emperor Scorpious II;17977098]What happens if they get taxed to the point where they're out of money? Are they going to sign a petition to stop taxes?[/QUOTE]
For a university student you are fucking retarded.
Germany, manufacturing elegantly simple products, superior mass produced tanks and now people with decency.
-pun-
Maybe there trying to make up for something... Hmmm...
[QUOTE=Emperor Scorpious II;17977098]What happens if they get taxed to the point where they're out of money? Are they going to sign a petition to stop taxes?[/QUOTE]
Actually, if you remove 5% of something, and then again, and again... You always remove smaller bit than last time.
This way, they would lose less and less, and just became not wealthy enough to make the tax apply.
[QUOTE=Latias;17975227]That's nice of them to do that.[/QUOTE]
Too bad not everyone else in Germany seems to agree with him... =/
[QUOTE=Awesomecaek;17977446]Actually, if you remove 5% of something, and then again, and again... You always remove smaller bit than last time.
This way, they would lose less and less, and just became not wealthy enough to make the tax apply.[/QUOTE]
Doesn't that assume that one will always lose money at a steady rate? What if they suddenly go bankrupt, and the money that was lost from taxes could of prevented it?
Just putting ideas out there
[QUOTE=Mr. Mcguffin;17975123]Germany is all backwards. They're supposed to be signing a petition to make poor people work in slave labor camps.[/QUOTE]
Hello Mr. Troll. Please get out.
If you have no idea about our country, then don't post this shit.
[editline]08:59PM[/editline]
[QUOTE=Tu154M;17975178]Avon bitching in 3...2.....[/QUOTE]
Zero.
Seriously. Always the same time, when some idiots come and reply with nazi-comparison as soon as they read "Germany". I hate those ignorant and stupid idiots.
[editline]09:01PM[/editline]
[QUOTE=Pretiacruento;17977539]Too bad not everyone else in Germany seems to agree with him... =/[/QUOTE]
The tax is only for rich people. And that's ok. If you earn 4000 € (middle class) a month, you won't get the extra taxes applied. But if you earn 100,000 € or even more a month, the additionally 5% (5000 €) don't bother you, since you still have 95,000 left.
This type of tax has been suggested many many times before and if even the rich people now sign a petition to introduce it, it mustn't be wrong. I doubt many will complain about this.
I wish more rich people were like that.
[QUOTE=aVoN;17977672]Hello Mr. Troll. Please get out.
If you have no idea about our country, then don't post this shit.
[editline]08:59PM[/editline]
Zero.
Seriously. Always the same time, when some idiots come and reply with nazi-comparison as soon as they read "Germany". I hate those ignorant and stupid idiots.
[/QUOTE]
Wow, sure is butthurt around here.
I'm glad to see this.
[editline]09:27PM[/editline]
[QUOTE=Emperor Scorpious II;17977098]What happens if they get taxed to the point where they're out of money? Are they going to sign a petition to stop taxes?[/QUOTE]
How the fuck is 5%=100%?
What kind of fucked up universe do you live in?
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