Posts by giovanni tiso

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  • Hard News: Reporting Afghanistan,

    In the real world, words have meanings and facts aren't an optional extra. And I'm out...

    Sure. Let's try this one, then, on evasion vs. avoidance: when people on lower incomes want to hide some of their money from the IRD, they need to resort to illegal means; when wealthy people want to do the same thing, they can resort to legal means. Why? Because most of our laws are designed not to promote justice and fairness, but to protect property and wealth.

    And - here's the kicker - when we cut taxes to the highest earners, we call it "removing the loophole". Which is more or less like a bank fighting robberies by wiring the money directly to the robbers.

    Wellington • Since Jun 2007 • 7473 posts Report

  • OnPoint: Budget 2010: What’d you expect?,

    As with Sam Morgan, you are welcome to make additional direct payments

    Oh fuck off already. (Not you, Mr. English.)

    Wellington • Since Jun 2007 • 7473 posts Report

  • OnPoint: Budget 2010: What’d you expect?,

    This is a tax cut for the rich, yes, but I struggle to get too worked up about it

    I'm happy for you. For my part, I know that each dollar saved by the top earners equals one dollar less in the already pitiful services available to my daughter - which were cleverly cut ahead of time to make it look like my family is a winner on budget day.

    Pity we don't have the memory of gnats.

    Wellington • Since Jun 2007 • 7473 posts Report

  • Hard News: Reporting Afghanistan,

    That's my point Matthew. Rich people tend to avoid taxes legally (some undoubtably don't). The rest of us are probably more likely to use illegal measures to not pay tax.

    And the difference there is if the people in one category get caught, they pay big fines or go to jail. The others, not so much.

    By the way

    I run a system which has about 20 people doing a similar thing, though only a couple would earn over $1000/year doing it.

    You did what? And would you mind not using "us" in the rest of this conversation? Sounds like you might want to speak for yourself there.

    Wellington • Since Jun 2007 • 7473 posts Report

  • Hard News: Reporting Afghanistan,

    Might help if you didn't treat "avoidance" and "evasion" as interchangeable synonyms, which they aren't in the context of a useful discussion of tax policy.

    That's right, I looked them up.

    Avoidance, noun: tax evasion practiced by someone who can afford an accountant.

    Wellington • Since Jun 2007 • 7473 posts Report

  • 2010: The Cultural YTD,

    Stop the search. This is almost too clever to be legal.

    Wellington • Since Jun 2007 • 7473 posts Report

  • 2010: The Cultural YTD,

    bear soaked

    The number one threat in Dunedin: bears.

    Wellington • Since Jun 2007 • 7473 posts Report

  • Speaker: Seeking Better Science,

    Maybe you're gradually eroding it with all that cycling and it's getting less steep.

    Wellington • Since Jun 2007 • 7473 posts Report

  • OnPoint: Dear DomPost,

    The last time I bought the Dominion (it wasn't even Post yet) was shortly after my arrival, when they published an openly racist editorial against the French. Ok, it was the French, so they sort of had it coming, but still...

    I lie, actually, I did buy some copies during a holiday in Napier. However, I wouldn't completely discount the possibility that they did actually interpret the piece correctly and published it anyway in the interest of, you know, racism.

    Wellington • Since Jun 2007 • 7473 posts Report

  • Hard News: Reporting Afghanistan,

    _"I'm not prepared to send people to a destination that I'm not prepared to come myself."_

    If he promises to give mining an actual go, I'd be tempted to let them carve the national parks up at will.

    Wellington • Since Jun 2007 • 7473 posts Report

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