There is a website called www.bureaucrash.com that goes by the slogan, “Tax Slavery Sucks”.
Indeed, democracy is meaningless unless the tax payer is being faithfully represented.
In India, they represent the tax collectors and those who spend – and therefore live off – tax money.
Consider two news stories of today: one, on the sudden hike in excise duty for big cars – which ends up impacting poor rural Indians who ride about crammed into “utility vehicles” like the Toyota Qualis and the Chevrolet Tavera.
The sudden tax aims to hit buyers of big gas-guzzlers, but ends up hurting the poor.
In either case, environmental reasons for this tax are unacceptable, because Indian road conditions make every car a gas-guzzler. Indians waste fossil fuels because of bad roads. Unless roads are properly built, such taxes have no effect on the environment.
There is another story on the hike in excise duties for bar licenses in Andhra Pradesh, and the fine print is worth reading:
“The department has categorised bars into five groups. For bars to be set up in places where the population of the village or town does not exceed 10,000, the fee would be Rs 9.92 lakh.For places where population is above 10,000 but below 50,000, the licence fee is Rs 12.57 lakh. For bars in towns where the population is above 50,000 but below 3 lakh, the fee would be Rs 18.52 lakh. The licence fee is Rs 21.16 lakh for bars where the population is above three lakh but below seven lakh.And finally, for bars in places where the population is above seven lakh, the fee is Rs 23.81 lakh.”
Undoubtedly, this irresponsible excise department is affecting the profitability of an entire industry.
Indeed, in Delhi, this industry – bars, taverns, pubs and the like – has never been allowed to grow. It does not exist! People in Delhi buy their booze from government shops and take it home to drink. Young people have no places to “hang out”.
There is a Cat Stevens song called “Where Do The Children Play?” In Delhi, we might as well ask, “Where Do The Adults Play?”
Reminds me of a recent encounter I had with a Delhi cop.
Ramu and I were parked on a quiet side road, the music was on, and we were sipping beer, smoking a spliff.
Suddenly a cop came up to my window and asked, “Chachaji, aap kya kar rahey hain?”
Translated: “Respected Uncle, what are you doing?”
I replied, “Bhateejayji, hum beer pee rahay hain.”
That is: “Respected nephew, we are drinking beer.”
He said “yeh tho allow nahin hain” – this is not allowed – and I said that I was a visitor from Goa, where there is a bar every 15 yards. Where can I sit and drink in Delhi? I asked. And how can there be two different laws in the same country?
The cop insisted that we must move, get home, and then drink the beer. This was the Law in New Delhi.
And so we drove off.
Instead of peacefully sitting and drinking, we were now driving and drinking – for we had certainly not handed over our beers for destruction.
The Lesson: There are three aspects to the science of Economics.
The first is pure theory: here, they are dead wrong.
The second is public finance and taxation: here, they are dead wrong once again.
The third is public policy – and here, because they are wrong in the first two, there cannot be any sound policy whatsoever.
The Goal: A Policy-less Government.
Administer justice, build roads, catch crooks – and that is all.
Tax Slavery Sucks.
Fight this tyrannical, senseless beast called the excise department.
Indeed, democracy is meaningless unless the tax payer is being faithfully represented.
In India, they represent the tax collectors and those who spend – and therefore live off – tax money.
Consider two news stories of today: one, on the sudden hike in excise duty for big cars – which ends up impacting poor rural Indians who ride about crammed into “utility vehicles” like the Toyota Qualis and the Chevrolet Tavera.
The sudden tax aims to hit buyers of big gas-guzzlers, but ends up hurting the poor.
In either case, environmental reasons for this tax are unacceptable, because Indian road conditions make every car a gas-guzzler. Indians waste fossil fuels because of bad roads. Unless roads are properly built, such taxes have no effect on the environment.
There is another story on the hike in excise duties for bar licenses in Andhra Pradesh, and the fine print is worth reading:
“The department has categorised bars into five groups. For bars to be set up in places where the population of the village or town does not exceed 10,000, the fee would be Rs 9.92 lakh.For places where population is above 10,000 but below 50,000, the licence fee is Rs 12.57 lakh. For bars in towns where the population is above 50,000 but below 3 lakh, the fee would be Rs 18.52 lakh. The licence fee is Rs 21.16 lakh for bars where the population is above three lakh but below seven lakh.And finally, for bars in places where the population is above seven lakh, the fee is Rs 23.81 lakh.”
Undoubtedly, this irresponsible excise department is affecting the profitability of an entire industry.
Indeed, in Delhi, this industry – bars, taverns, pubs and the like – has never been allowed to grow. It does not exist! People in Delhi buy their booze from government shops and take it home to drink. Young people have no places to “hang out”.
There is a Cat Stevens song called “Where Do The Children Play?” In Delhi, we might as well ask, “Where Do The Adults Play?”
Reminds me of a recent encounter I had with a Delhi cop.
Ramu and I were parked on a quiet side road, the music was on, and we were sipping beer, smoking a spliff.
Suddenly a cop came up to my window and asked, “Chachaji, aap kya kar rahey hain?”
Translated: “Respected Uncle, what are you doing?”
I replied, “Bhateejayji, hum beer pee rahay hain.”
That is: “Respected nephew, we are drinking beer.”
He said “yeh tho allow nahin hain” – this is not allowed – and I said that I was a visitor from Goa, where there is a bar every 15 yards. Where can I sit and drink in Delhi? I asked. And how can there be two different laws in the same country?
The cop insisted that we must move, get home, and then drink the beer. This was the Law in New Delhi.
And so we drove off.
Instead of peacefully sitting and drinking, we were now driving and drinking – for we had certainly not handed over our beers for destruction.
The Lesson: There are three aspects to the science of Economics.
The first is pure theory: here, they are dead wrong.
The second is public finance and taxation: here, they are dead wrong once again.
The third is public policy – and here, because they are wrong in the first two, there cannot be any sound policy whatsoever.
The Goal: A Policy-less Government.
Administer justice, build roads, catch crooks – and that is all.
Tax Slavery Sucks.
Fight this tyrannical, senseless beast called the excise department.
And remember, whether in Hyderabad or Delhi, if you make bars unaffordable, you encourage people to drink in their cars. Take that for "public policy".
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