Firstly, in the week that Lansley's health paper talked of further hiking of sumptuary taxation despite a noticeable increase in smuggling and counterfeiting (if you haven't yet seen Monday's Panorama, it is worth a watch), the Quiet Man points to the same consequence as a result of ideological climate change policies.
Referencing this Beeb article on a proliferation of cut-price hookey electricity pre-payment cards being touted by criminal gangs, he assesses the situation very sagely.
Over the last 13 years ever since governments got heavily into the climate levy scam, electricity and gas prices have risen well above that of inflation and this affects those particularly at the bottom end of the financial scale who struggle from week to week juggling their budgets and making decisions as to heat the house, top up the car or have something other than beans on toast as their main meal for once. So if someone comes along and offers a £10 top up for £5 what do you think is going to happen?Quite.
It will be unregulated uncontrolled and at times illegal and yes people will get caught, it won't stop others from doing it though and new scams will develop as the people doing it get more sophisticated.
It's also time for me to do a Shaw Taylor and ask you to 'keep 'em peeled' for more anti-smoker delinquency. There is still plenty about, as proven by Longrider and VGIF. If someone out there wished to caricature the insane, mouth-frothing mentality of a smoke-hater, they couldn't make it any more jaw-dropping than the arguably insane individual they have highlighted.
Lastly, my official theologian offers a concise roundup of recent righteous scapegoating, well worth a read.
Friday looks to be a lot less hectic, so I'll recuperate tonight with a Hamlet and a bag of ice for a public sector-induced frazzled head and hopefully come back with more end of week vigour tomorrow.
1 comment:
Yes, politicians always forget that increasing taxation beyond what the populace regards as bearable becomes analogous to prohibition with all that implies.
Cornwall's economy in the 18th century was dependent on it. Half a million gallons of brandy per annum were being smuggled through the little coves of the Cornish coast. The smugglers took pride in referring to themselves as "Free Traders".
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