Finnish Socialist want to Tax Inteligence

sinikettu · Post by **sinikettu** » Thu May 29, 2008 12:09 pm

I have always been a bit suspicious of left wing "equality" cries and feared what they were aiming for was a leveling down to their level rather than a raising up and improvement.

Now this news item gives me further grounds to believe that they dont like those who are clever and inteligent.

Under a (proposed SDP) graduate tax scheme, university graduates face a higher tax rate for income

http://virtual.finland.fi/stt/showartic ... p=Politics

**Sponsor:**

TampereOwl · Post by **TampereOwl** » Thu May 29, 2008 1:22 pm

It's hardly left wing to switch from a system whereby everyone pays the bill for jukka and jaana's six years of dossing, to one where they make a contribution themselves.

sinikettu · Post by **sinikettu** » Thu May 29, 2008 2:46 pm

TampereOwl wrote:It's hardly left wing to switch from a system whereby everyone pays the bill for jukka and jaana's six years of dossing, to one where they make a contribution themselves.

Those "dossing" will probably not graduate..The proposed tax will only be paid by those who succeed with their education.
The left have been the loudest shouters against the dropping of free university education so that seems to be in conflict also. With that argument the SDP would be saying..It is OK to doss and loff at university for free. But those who work and graduate have to pay extra tax.

TampereOwl · Post by **TampereOwl** » Thu May 29, 2008 3:40 pm

Those who work and graduate have more ability to pay tax, and got the full benefit of the education. It's only fair they contribute. If people don't graduate, for whatever reason, they will have less capacity to pay tax. It's a good policy.

TampereOwl · Post by **TampereOwl** » Thu May 29, 2008 3:44 pm

I also think you're over-estimating the standard of Finnish universities, if you think dossing and graduation are incompatible here.

Mook · Post by **Mook** » Thu May 29, 2008 3:51 pm

TampereOwl wrote:Those who work and graduate have more ability to pay tax, and got the full benefit of the education. It's only fair they contribute.

They do already. People with higher salaries pay more taxes!

It's funny how some people mistakenly measure tax as a percentage of income rather than as an absolute amount of Euros.

Even flat-rate tax systems are fair - if you earn twice as much money you pay twice as much taxes.

TampereOwl · Post by **TampereOwl** » Thu May 29, 2008 4:04 pm

That is true, but Finnish universities are @#$% expensive for the public purse and they want to claw that back from those who benefit, rather than the general tax-paying population. It is much fairer than the alternative, which is charging fees while students are studying. That just eliminates many students from poorer socio-economic backgrounds, as it has in the UK.

Rick1 · Post by **Rick1** » Thu May 29, 2008 4:05 pm

Not totally true Mook, Like in many civilized countries it is the middle incomes who pay the tax-burden. The rich and poor pay the least taxes e.g. tax on income out of intrest etc. is only 28 percent. tax on salary can go up to 50 percent (that's why politicians have some tax free income). This is why doctors and lawyers here start own company to pay only tax on income from shares or nothing at all.

The rich also can pay for good 'tax advise' which the middle income cannot.

I think however that this idea of extra tax is wrong by the way.

Hank W. · Post by **Hank W.** » Thu May 29, 2008 4:23 pm

The newspapers should be ripping a few headlines out of this... elections coming up and all.

sammy · Post by **sammy** » Thu May 29, 2008 4:26 pm

Finnish Socialist want to Tax Intelligence

Heck, that sounds good to me

Hank W. · Post by **Hank W.** » Thu May 29, 2008 4:34 pm

sammy wrote:Finnish Socialist want to Tax Intelligence

Heck, that sounds good to me

Another handout to the foreigners...
/get me coat

ajdias · Post by **ajdias** » Thu May 29, 2008 6:41 pm

It's just a thin thank report, someone from SDP will probably show up later to deny any ideas (the usual double speak).

TampereOwl wrote:It's hardly left wing to switch from a system whereby everyone pays the bill for jukka and jaana's six years of dossing, to one where they make a contribution themselves.

Are you confusing paying for tuition with paying because of tuition?

TampereOwl · Post by **TampereOwl** » Thu May 29, 2008 9:35 pm

ajdias wrote:It's just a thin thank report, someone from SDP will probably show up later to deny any ideas (the usual double speak).

TampereOwl wrote:It's hardly left wing to switch from a system whereby everyone pays the bill for jukka and jaana's six years of dossing, to one where they make a contribution themselves.
Are you confusing paying for tuition with paying because of tuition?

I don't believe I've used either phrase?

Tuition has different monetary values to different people. Someone who trains to become a teacher is going to get a lot less benefit than someone who trains to become a chief executive of a company. So if you're going to charge people for the services rendered, it is fairer to take a proportion of the premium on salary that the degree has brought its holder.

Mook · Post by **Mook** » Thu May 29, 2008 9:52 pm

But shurely people with degrees are a benefit to society e.g. teachers. Indeed almost everyone in FInland seems to have a degree in something from bog-cleaning to nuclear physics. F*ck It, why not charge a premium on those that went to school (in FInland)

As I stated earlier, those that go to University contribute more cash to society anyway. Why give them another reason to leave?

TampereOwl · Post by **TampereOwl** » Thu May 29, 2008 9:59 pm

'another reason to leave'? But everyone wants to live here, it's like winning the lottery to be born Finnish!

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