What would you cut?

[Trolldor]

Cut out the Liberal party, and religious support.

[Mr P]

Invade the Vatican loot it's treasures and hold the pope for ransom ?

Need to be careful of the Swiss guard - perhaps they can be bribed with part of the loot...

There will be the odd ones that can't be bribed, and believe me you don't want to be on the wrong end of one of those attachements for getting stones out of horses hooves!!

[Berthold]

Total debt is around a £1trillion.

Have a look what that means in cash?

[Mallardz]

My science teacher says legalise all drugs and tax them stupidly high.
That way they sell but only to make money for the government as opposed to the criminals who currently pull in the cash.

[Pappa]

My science teacher says legalise all drugs and tax them stupidly high.
That way they sell but only to make money for the government as opposed to the criminals who currently pull in the cash.

Actually, that would be a stupid idea. Tell your teacher I said so. If they were taxed stupidly high, they'd have a huge black market to deal with and all the police/customs expense that it would entail. Much better to legalise and tax moderately so they are slighly cheaper than criminals can provide them for.

[AnInconvenientScotsman]

George Osborne's throat, thank you.

[Berthold]

People still would smuggle. With cigarettes in continental Europe it's in the two-digit percent range of the market, as far as I know. (responding to Pappa's post)

[Mallardz]

My science teacher says legalise all drugs and tax them stupidly high.
That way they sell but only to make money for the government as opposed to the criminals who currently pull in the cash.

Actually, that would be a stupid idea. Tell your teacher I said so. If they were taxed stupidly high, they'd have a huge black market to deal with and all the police/customs expense that it would entail. Much better to legalise and tax moderately so they are slighly cheaper than criminals can provide them for.

I think that was the idea....
When I say stupidly high i just mean as standard considering they cost relatively little and most of their cost comes from risks in illegal trade the legal trade would reduce the price slightly with the risk cost simply converted to taxing.

I did argue for ages legalisation of most drugs is stupid in general but am now thinking it'd be funny.

[devogue]

My science teacher says legalise all drugs and tax them stupidly high.
That way they sell but only to make money for the government as opposed to the criminals who currently pull in the cash.

Actually, that would be a stupid idea. Tell your teacher I said so. If they were taxed stupidly high, they'd have a huge black market to deal with and all the police/customs expense that it would entail. Much better to legalise and tax moderately so they are slighly cheaper than criminals can provide them for.

I think that was the idea....
When I say stupidly high i just mean as standard considering they cost relatively little and most of their cost comes from risks in illegal trade the legal trade would reduce the price slightly with the risk cost simply converted to taxing.

I did argue for ages legalisation of most drugs is stupid in general but am now thinking it'd be funny.

Why not make them tax free and just save all the money on the "war on drugs"?

[Mallardz]

Why not make them tax free and just save all the money on the "war on drugs"?

Why would they make them tax-free they'd be like the only thing tax free?
They just lose out on the chance to make more money they wouldn't bother.

[Rum]

The govmint have stopped the 'CAA' (Comprehensive Area Assessment). Just like that! This is like Osted (school inspections) but for local authorities. Half my life over the last few years has been spent preparing for these fucking things and making sure useless and meaningless 'performance indicators' would be 'green' and not 'red' when the inspectors arrive (with no notice..the twats!)

They are replacing the CAA with......nothing.

It will save millions, but at this point it is leaving some of us scratching our heads, cos it has been the driver for so much activity for the last ten years.

[Pappa]

People still would smuggle. With cigarettes in continental Europe it's in the two-digit percent range of the market, as far as I know. (responding to Pappa's post)

Something like 80% of rolling tobacco smoked in the UK is smuggled in, selling for half its legal retail price. If tax on tobacco was halved, the majority of people would probably buy legal supplies rather than resort to a slightly cheaper illegal alternative. But the government have boxed themselves into a corner on that one.

[Svartalf]

My science teacher says legalise all drugs and tax them stupidly high.
That way they sell but only to make money for the government as opposed to the criminals who currently pull in the cash.

Actually, that would be a stupid idea. Tell your teacher I said so. If they were taxed stupidly high, they'd have a huge black market to deal with and all the police/customs expense that it would entail. Much better to legalise and tax moderately so they are slighly cheaper than criminals can provide them for.

I think that was the idea....
When I say stupidly high i just mean as standard considering they cost relatively little and most of their cost comes from risks in illegal trade the legal trade would reduce the price slightly with the risk cost simply converted to taxing.

I did argue for ages legalisation of most drugs is stupid in general but am now thinking it'd be funny.

Why not make them tax free and just save all the money on the "war on drugs"?

Because governments are always in need of cash, and saving the funding on the war on drugs is peanusts if you can plug that drain and turn it into a cash cow

[Svartalf]

People still would smuggle. With cigarettes in continental Europe it's in the two-digit percent range of the market, as far as I know. (responding to Pappa's post)

Something like 80% of rolling tobacco smoked in the UK is smuggled in, selling for half its legal retail price. If tax on tobacco was halved, the majority of people would probably buy legal supplies rather than resort to a slightly cheaper illegal alternative. But the government have boxed themselves into a corner on that one.

that much? you sure that figure is reliable?

[devogue]

My science teacher says legalise all drugs and tax them stupidly high.
That way they sell but only to make money for the government as opposed to the criminals who currently pull in the cash.

Actually, that would be a stupid idea. Tell your teacher I said so. If they were taxed stupidly high, they'd have a huge black market to deal with and all the police/customs expense that it would entail. Much better to legalise and tax moderately so they are slighly cheaper than criminals can provide them for.

I think that was the idea....
When I say stupidly high i just mean as standard considering they cost relatively little and most of their cost comes from risks in illegal trade the legal trade would reduce the price slightly with the risk cost simply converted to taxing.

I did argue for ages legalisation of most drugs is stupid in general but am now thinking it'd be funny.

Why not make them tax free and just save all the money on the "war on drugs"?

Because governments are always in need of cash, and saving the funding on the war on drugs is peanusts if you can plug that drain and turn it into a cash cow

Yeah, but tax free means there will never be a need for a black market - look at cigarettes.