tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2170981338945747646.post5440806820491322383..comments2024-02-06T07:57:54.467+00:00Comments on underdogs bite upwards: Tax vs. health.Leg-ironhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04932361799889315359noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2170981338945747646.post-75428821398374527062010-06-14T19:17:15.789+01:002010-06-14T19:17:15.789+01:00From the article:
he British Medical Association ...From the article:<br /><br /><i>he British Medical Association has suggested a rate of 50p per unit of alcohol, which could mean <b>a pint of medium-strength beer costing £1.14</b></i><br /><br />Eh? WTF? £1.14? Maybe 15 years ago.Robnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2170981338945747646.post-82113976035642358152010-06-14T14:52:09.724+01:002010-06-14T14:52:09.724+01:00A big increase in the price of alcohol just won...A big increase in the price of alcohol just won't work. Wine from a kit works out at £1.20 a bottle - just from my quick retail investigation. Maybe not worth the bother to save £1.80, but certainly worth the bother to save £3.60 (£4.80 for 50p per unit). It's not going to happen.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2170981338945747646.post-79040295154604445062010-06-13T23:41:54.862+01:002010-06-13T23:41:54.862+01:00I’ve never quite been able to understand how non-s...I’ve never quite been able to understand how non-smokers and non-drinkers can continue to swallow – indeed support – the “discouraging” line on tobacco and alcohol taxes. Putting 20p on a packet of cigarettes which is already over £6 (most of it tax) isn’t going to stop anyone buying them. If they’re finding £6 a day, they’ll find £6.20 without any bother. Same with alcohol. <br /><br />Every time non-smokers and/or non-drinkers allow these increases to go through without so much of a whimper of protest they allow themselves – like politicians – to be financially backed into a corner which it will cost them a fortune to get themselves out of, and which render them effectively dependent upon we the sinful continuing to sin! <br /><br />So, bring it on Ozzy! The more you charge me, the more you need me ……..Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2170981338945747646.post-10991045359210997402010-06-13T21:49:03.362+01:002010-06-13T21:49:03.362+01:00Sorry for over commenting here but this is a dual-...Sorry for over commenting here but this is a dual-purpose one that covers this topic, the Just Sayings topic and my prior observations on tobacco taxes. The saying goes "Don't tax you, don't tax me, tax that fellow behind the tree".smokervoterhttp://smokervoter.webs.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2170981338945747646.post-70671746824524278832010-06-13T21:37:39.173+01:002010-06-13T21:37:39.173+01:00Indeed we are reaching that Laffer apex point wher...Indeed we are reaching that Laffer apex point where the produce-it-yourself option comes into play. I don't have the foggiest idea of what I'm doing but I'm looking at a mini-forest of tobacco seedlings emerging from the soil right now. I'm no farmer by trade but I know that if you dig down a little and put some seeds in the ground and water them and give them some sunshine, a useful plant will eventually materialize.<br /><br />The seeds are really teensy-weensy, by the way, almost invisible. I put them into a water container and poured the mixture into a long furrow and up popped this little canopy of plantlets.smokervoterhttp://smokervoter.webs.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2170981338945747646.post-59994135345028279752010-06-13T19:58:30.924+01:002010-06-13T19:58:30.924+01:00Yep, but as the Curmudgeon points out, the laffer ...Yep, but as the <a href="http://pubcurmudgeon.blogspot.com/2010/06/double-whammy-for-drinkers.html" rel="nofollow">Curmudgeon</a> points out, the laffer curve is exhausted in this area. <br /><br />The Tories should know all about this. After all, they were the ones who trumpeted the increase in tax yield when they reduced income tax in the 90s.<br /><br />It's daft policy, pure and simple.Dick Puddlecotehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01481866882188932892noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2170981338945747646.post-73144526378225089462010-06-13T18:34:47.606+01:002010-06-13T18:34:47.606+01:00I was listening to a financial radio program yeste...I was listening to a financial radio program yesterday and the host was discussing the PIGS deficit crisis. He singled out Angela Merkel and Ireland and praised them both for "biting the bullet" by raising taxes to balance their books. He then specified that "it goes without saying" that tobacco taxes would be raised and continued on to the spending cuts. Your words exactly.<br /><br />What he should have said was that the <i>smokers</i> of Ireland and Germany were making the tough sacrifices and anteing up to the treasury pot to make up the shortfalls, not the overall citizenry nor the leadership (unless Merkel herself happens to smoke).<br /><br />I sent the host an immediate email pointing out this slight rectification of the facts and, much to my surprise, when he came back from a commercial break, he spoke to it. He said words to the effect that regardless of what your opinion of smokers and smoking is, they deserve credit for stepping up to the plate and contributing out of pocket to the ultimate solution of revenue side shortages. He even continued on with some brief comments on the "tyranny of the majority". He definitely made a new radio program fan out of me.smokervoterhttp://smokervoter.webs.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2170981338945747646.post-27538543562340919822010-06-13T16:03:01.720+01:002010-06-13T16:03:01.720+01:00I'm sure that buried in the figures for rising...I'm sure that buried in the figures for rising alcohol tax there's an algorithm that will yield a series of concentric circles centred on Dover/Folkestone that shows at what duty level it's worth going to France to stock up. You just wait till the "tidemark" reaches your address then book your ticket for a day trip.<br /><br />I see Tesco (that staunch supporter of minimum alcohol pricing) are currently offering a 4:1 conversion rate on their Clubcard vouchers. So for around £14 you can go to France with Eurotunnel....and coincidentally there's a nice big Tesco selling nothing but wine, beer and spirits really close to the tunnel exit that I guess they'll hope you use to buy your cheap booze and deprive George of his tax take.<br /><br />I find a trip over there twice a year keeps me stocked up. <br /><br />Have fun jacking up the prices George.JohnRShttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07021101596935644363noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2170981338945747646.post-14316763420414637372010-06-13T12:08:25.737+01:002010-06-13T12:08:25.737+01:00hah ... l'm currently helping fellow citizens ...hah ... l'm currently helping fellow citizens to import as much as they want. Could reach level where the UK could intiate tax hikes as much as they want ...and all to no avail because it'll all come from EU.<br /><br />Dedicated my blog to tactics used by UK Customs and experiences of. :)Smoking Hothttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04534745989363293923noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2170981338945747646.post-41628712565997484852010-06-13T10:35:42.036+01:002010-06-13T10:35:42.036+01:00Dear Mr Leg-iron
Re: An aside
Your story of the ...Dear Mr Leg-iron<br /><br />Re: An aside<br /><br />Your story of the apples eaten ‘on the branch’ was the subject of a Thelwell cartoon, almost certainly included in his book ‘Up the Garden Path’ (1967), which also gave guidance on snail disposal, which I still recommend to friends, vis. chuck ‘em over the fence.<br /><br />Whether Thelwell’s cartoon was the source of your acquaintance’s story or whether the story was inspiration for the cartoon is moot.<br /><br />DPAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2170981338945747646.post-81726531020001318622010-06-13T08:32:17.588+01:002010-06-13T08:32:17.588+01:00Things of beauty.
Me, I'm growing hops and ju...<a href="http://www.copper-alembic.com/" rel="nofollow">Things</a> of beauty.<br /><br />Me, I'm growing hops and just planting out the barley. (don't that much to make 5 gallons or so)<br /><br />JohnWAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2170981338945747646.post-32517004836830753282010-06-13T07:33:07.405+01:002010-06-13T07:33:07.405+01:00As for yeast, well, that's not likely to be an...<i>As for yeast, well, that's not likely to be an issue. </i><br /><br /><br />Can't shift the thrush? <br /><br />XDmanwiddicombehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02499331812704446499noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2170981338945747646.post-9084684425668359072010-06-13T05:38:51.845+01:002010-06-13T05:38:51.845+01:00"There's no mention of tobacco but that i...<i>"There's no mention of tobacco but that increase goes without saying. Again, it's not to 'reduce consumption', it's to increase the tax take."</i><br /><br />I haven't seen anywhere - and I've been looking - about any ConDem plans to abolish the Labour 'newsagants must not display tobacco' wheeeze. <br /><br />Are they planning to just let it quietly die, or support it?JuliaMhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07844126589712842477noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2170981338945747646.post-42760669250081095462010-06-13T04:33:11.766+01:002010-06-13T04:33:11.766+01:00Someone needs to get George to re-sit his Economic...Someone needs to get George to re-sit his Economics O-level, giving special attention to the 'elasticity of demand' bit.<br /><br />From your link<br /> "The duty paid on beer and wine has risen 26 per cent since the start of 2008, while for spirits it has risen by 22 per cent.<br />However, the overall tax "take" from alcohol fell £730 million, from £15.117 in 2008 to £14.386 billion, in 2009"<br /><br />You can only milk us so far George, then it becomes counter-productive.bannedhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02406037760273820029noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2170981338945747646.post-14587619293319604682010-06-13T04:17:19.670+01:002010-06-13T04:17:19.670+01:00It depends on your home distillation skills.
Then...It depends on your home distillation skills.<br /><br />Then again, if you can afford Glenfiddich, why mix it?Leg-ironhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04932361799889315359noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2170981338945747646.post-41308073010564243532010-06-13T03:23:03.696+01:002010-06-13T03:23:03.696+01:00apparently if you mix, glenfiddich and your home d...apparently if you mix, glenfiddich and your home distillation 50/50, it tastes reasonable or should i say magnificentAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com