Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2012/03/22
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Ken, Take a look at Singapore to see how high forced savings rates (not tax) can benefit an albeit small country. There are many advantages in high tax - nobody actually minds if you get commensurate quality public sector services. It is tax without anything efficient in return in terms of public sector services (like India) that is intolerable - in fact we seem to have the worst of both worlds in basic stuff like health and education. Cheers Jayanand On Fri, Mar 23, 2012 at 6:32 AM, Ken Carney <kcarney1 at cox.net> wrote: > Yes, but that marginal federal rate does not begin until taxable income > somewhere around USD200,000. If you are paying an aggregate rate of 46%, > that is a much higher income than $200,000. In Finland, you would reach > that federal rate at about ?70,000. Then there are the local, municipal > and church taxes which will close to double that. We could build > comparative tax tables but I imagine the folks in Finland are being taxed > out the wazoo. Offsetting that, yes, my kids and grandkids went to good > private schools from elementary school onward, which cost $$$$. However, > the alternative was sending them to gangland. It is far from the (I would > say mythical) "1-percenters" who are sending their children to private > schools - it is committed parents who will sacrifice half their income to > bypass the public system. > > Ken > > > On 3/22/2012 6:15 PM, Nathan Wajsman wrote: > >> When I lived in NJ, I had to pay a federal tax of 31% plus a state tax of >> 7% (starting with the first dollar), a Social Security tax and Medicare >> tax >> adding up to 9% or so (also from the first dollar)--for a total of 46%, >> for >> which I got nothing except invasions of countries I did not care about >> etc. >> I was lucky that we lived in a town with good public schools, so I did not >> need to pay exorbitant fees at the local private school for the >> 1-percenters. >> >> Nathan Wajsman >> Alicante, Spain >> http://www.frozenlight.eu >> http://www.greatpix.eu >> http://www.nathanfoto.com >> PICTURE OF THE WEEK: http://www.fotocycle.dk/paws >> Blog: >> http://nathansmusings.**wordpress.com/<http://nathansmusings.wordpress.com/> >> >> >> YNWA >> >> >> >> On Mar 23, 2012, at 12:02 AM, Ken Carney wrote: >> >> Not too sure about the free part. According to my BNA country portfolio >>> on Finland, the marginal tax rate (national, local, municipal and church >>> taxes) hits about 50% on income between ?38,000 and 66,000 and is over >>> 55% >>> on income in excess of ?66,000. Then there is a VAT. I'm not going to >>> complain on April 15 this year! >>> >>> Ken >>> >>> On 3/22/2012 2:07 AM, Raimo K wrote: >>> >>>> Well, university education is free in Finland (like all other education >>>> as well). >>>> The Americans may call it socialism (but it isn't), we call it equal >>>> opportunities. >>>> In the future we may have to charge tuition fees from students outside >>>> the EU, though. >>>> All the best! >>>> Raimo K >>>> >>>> >>>> ----- Original Message ----- From: Henning Wulff >>>> To: Leica Users Group >>>> Sent: Thursday, March 22, 2012 8:20 AM >>>> Subject: Re: [Leica] Fuji X-Pro1 - Jim >>>> >>>> >>>> It's nearly as bad here in Canada. Tuition fees rise well beyond any >>>> concept of inflation. Meanwhile our education minister goes off to >>>> China to >>>> promote Canada as a place to come and get educated (for a price). >>>> >>>> Meanwhile, in the public schools.... >>>> We've just legislation from our provincial government denying the >>>> teachers any pay increases for the next while and at the same time >>>> retroactively taking away a number of hard won limits on class sizes, >>>> help >>>> for teachers with special needs students and other advances achieved in >>>> the >>>> last ten years. The legislation specifically states this 10 year >>>> retroactive roll back. >>>> >>>> Our premier meanwhile sends her son off to private school. She can >>>> afford it, as the pay raises for all the legislature has been >>>> substantially >>>> above the rate of inflation, and about as drastic as the increase in >>>> university fees. >>>> >>>> >>>> On 2012-03-21, at 2:05 PM, scleroplex wrote: >>>> >>>> exactly!! >>>>> >>>>> everyone is talking about the rise in healthcare costs. >>>>> no one is comparing the rate of rise of higher education costs. >>>>> it is 6 times that of health care! >>>>> >>>>> all the universities are raking it in and putting up flashy buildings >>>>> with >>>>> gay abandon. >>>>> and no one is even looking at abuse of HEFA loans, which is as big a >>>>> scandal as mortgage loans if not bigger. >>>>> >>>>> university boards are packed with real estate developers who get HEFA >>>>> loans >>>>> from the government and spend the money on construction projects. >>>>> >>>>> a good percentage of the loans are also invested in the capital >>>>> markets by >>>>> university endowment funds and multiplied. >>>>> essentially rolling cheap tax money. >>>>> when there is a profit, the university keeps it. >>>>> when there is a loss, it is a public write-off. >>>>> >>>>> nowadays whenever i see students and their parents touring the >>>>> universities >>>>> here in boston, >>>>> i only think, here are the next lot of mugs! >>>>> these are the people who are deliberately left in huge debt, >>>>> which they then concentrate on paying off the next 30 years, >>>>> with no time for the policing of democracy at the local or national >>>>> level. >>>>> >>>>> bharani >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> Message: 16 >>>>> Date: Wed, 21 Mar 2012 09:07:49 +0530 >>>>> From: Jayanand Govindaraj<jayanand at gmail.com> >>>>> Subject: Re: [Leica] Fuji X-Pro1 - Jim >>>>> To: Leica Users Group<lug at leica-users.org> >>>>> Message-ID: >>>>> <CAH1UNJ1=+AvJ7=jCJXTvdUnRM7o4**DyhFqgib_OiKAHsMVxGP4g at mail.** >>>>> gmail.com <jCJXTvdUnRM7o4DyhFqgib_OiKAHsMVxGP4g at mail.gmail.com>> >>>>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 >>>>> >>>>> It is still considered a part of the parent's duty to fully educate >>>>> their >>>>> offspring here in India (I am talking lower middle class and above >>>>> here). >>>>> Of course, there is some self preservation involved, as it is still >>>>> considered a part of the offspring's duty to look after the parents in >>>>> their old age. My parents in law have always stayed with me, and my >>>>> parents >>>>> with my brother - and they have done so for the past 20-25 years. The >>>>> old >>>>> joint family systems have not noticeably broken down as yet, though in >>>>> urban India it is starting to happen. >>>>> >>>>> As far as the USA is concerned, it is my considered view that the only >>>>> bubble that has not collapsed yet is in education - both in terms of >>>>> affordability, and the sheer weight of student loan debt that has no >>>>> chance >>>>> of being repaid. >>>>> >>>>> Cheers >>>>> Jayanand >>>>> >>>>> ______________________________**_________________ >>>>> Leica Users Group. >>>>> See >>>>> http://leica-users.org/**mailman/listinfo/lug<http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug>for >>>>> more information >>>>> >>>>> >>>> Henning Wulff >>>> henningw at archiphoto.com >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> ______________________________**_________________ >>>> Leica Users Group. >>>> See >>>> http://leica-users.org/**mailman/listinfo/lug<http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug>for >>>> more information >>>> >>>> >>>> ______________________________**_________________ >>>> Leica Users Group. >>>> See >>>> http://leica-users.org/**mailman/listinfo/lug<http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug>for >>>> more information >>>> >>>> >>> ______________________________**_________________ >>> Leica Users Group. >>> See >>> http://leica-users.org/**mailman/listinfo/lug<http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug>for >>> more information >>> >>> >> ______________________________**_________________ >> Leica Users Group. >> See >> http://leica-users.org/**mailman/listinfo/lug<http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug>for >> more information >> >> > > ______________________________**_________________ > Leica Users Group. > See > http://leica-users.org/**mailman/listinfo/lug<http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug>for > more information >