German Taxation of Prostitution…

Doesn’t surprise me one bit… :roll:

The funny point is, though prostitution is not illegal, it’s considered “immoral” in legal terms. This means the prostitute has no legal means to get money from a “customer” who refuses to pay, no social security etc.
With this new plans (even if there are two examples in the article, it is plans to implement that tax for me) you would get into a kind of “no taxation without representation” problem.
One the one (tax) hand, it is considered “fully legal”, on the other, it is not.

Well, just a much too typical syndrome of our times i guess….

(and you could say the opposite to the US war against Iraq, which was illegal but “morally right”)

IMCFBO :o ? i’m gettin too old for all this internet slang! (and i’m 17 :wink: ) ooh i remember the ole “lol” days. I use lol, lmao, lmfao, brb, g2g, omg, hmmm i think that’s it! I refuse to use IMO for some reason…it just bugs me :x

How to solve this nation’s budget problems?

Legalize Prostitution and Marijuana. Tax the hell out of them.

Well, I haven’t heard much about tobaco black markets… Although that doesn’t mean they don’t exist I suppose.

I wonder if they legalized Marajuana, would they open up pot stores on the reservations?

Hmmmmm…

@Yanny:

How to solve this nation’s budget problems?

Legalize Prostitution and Marijuana. Tax the hell out of them.

That would do absolutely nothing to help us. We’d just end up with a plethora of social programs that we’d have to poor more money into. :roll: :roll: :roll:

How about get rid of the waste we already have? :o

@El:

dezrtfish, did Ah read somewhars that Stonewall Jackson’s father/father-in-law was a general on t’other side in the Civil War?

Nope…

His parents died when he was a child.

His first father-in-law was a preacher who did infact move back to the North. When in Virginia he was known to be a strong supporter of maintaining the Union, so when Virgina succeded he went back to Maryland where he was originaly from. He was known to preach to northern troops durring the war. He was however in his 70s I believe, and not in the military.

His second father-in-law also a preacher, was a North Carolinian and was not in the military either.

If you want to read some interesting things read up on Gen. Jackson. He is the type of man every combat soldier hopes they will be when they go in to battle, and the type that few ever are.

After the Spanish-American War General Winfield Scott, whom some consider to be the best American General of all time, met then Brevit Maj. Jackson in a recieving line. When he did he steped back and withdrew his hand. He said (paraphrased)“I don’t think I can shake the hand of a man who slaughtered so many poor spaniards” he was joking of course, but in doing so showed great respect for the future General.

How about get rid of the waste we already have? icon_eek.gif

]

Won’t happen, Bush is in office.

Vote Ventura!

@El:

Yanny, if legalized and overtaxed it will become black market, don’t you think?

Not in the beginning:
the illegal trade is a huge black market, even with overtaxing you can presume thatn the price will not rise. Therefore, the customer will try to get legal stuff. And if you license the salespersons (likeany pharmaceuticals), the black and white market will be easily distinguishable, and the customers will go and buy legally.

I don’t think the Black Market for Drugs and Prostitutes can get much larger :)

Yanny ur evil

@F_alk:

@El:

Yanny, if legalized and overtaxed it will become black market, don’t you think?

Not in the beginning:
the illegal trade is a huge black market, even with overtaxing you can presume thatn the price will not rise. Therefore, the customer will try to get legal stuff. And if you license the salespersons (likeany pharmaceuticals), the black and white market will be easily distinguishable, and the customers will go and buy legally.

not necessarily true.
For example, Canada taxes cigarettes much higher than the US (and some provinces - Manitoba, for example) tax higher than other provinces. There have been many arrests and confiscations for smuggling of cigarettes since the higher taxes came into play.
Sure, “legitimate” customers looking to “look clean” may only purchase sex etc. from taxable institutions, however you will not eliminate (or even significantly decrease - IMO) the black market for these goods.

@cystic:

@F_alk:

Not in the beginning: …

not necessarily true.
…

You are right, that’s why i wrote that first line. Later, once the stuff is legal anyway, the people will look for best prices more. But i think in the start they will look in the white market, especially as even a high taxed legal good (with smaller profit) will probably not cost as much as an illegal good with high profit. So, for the customers, there will be not too much of a price change in the beginning (from high profit illegal to low profit, high tax legal) so they won’t care for the price but for quality and legality. And quality is another point were the legal sources can “score” against illegal drugs.

@F_alk:

@cystic:

@F_alk:

Not in the beginning: …

not necessarily true.
…

You are right, that’s why i wrote that first line. Later, once the stuff is legal anyway, the people will look for best prices more. But i think in the start they will look in the white market, especially as even a high taxed legal good (with smaller profit) will probably not cost as much as an illegal good with high profit. So, for the customers, there will be not too much of a price change in the beginning (from high profit illegal to low profit, high tax legal) so they won’t care for the price but for quality and legality. And quality is another point were the legal sources can “score” against illegal drugs.

You may be right about your first point.
With regard to your second - well, quality might be an issue to you and i in terms of safety, however not knowing you very well, i am guessing that you’re key interest in life right now is not finding “safe cocaine”. If i was a user (and not trying to wean myself/clean myself) i think i would be less likely to go for some sanitized “safe” version of the government’s drug and more apt to opt for something a little more “interesting”. (sorry about all of the “”"'s) The more interesting stuff may establish a dealer’s reputation and may make them more profitible - the legitimate stuff might look more sterile in comparison and therefore without the kick and thus the added appeal. Am i making any sense this morning?

@cystic:

well, quality might be an issue to you and i in terms of safety, however not knowing you very well, i am guessing that you’re key interest in life right now is not finding “safe cocaine”.

You are right, at the moment i am looking for sleep :), finishing preparing my talk and getting some experimental data…

If i was a user … i think i would be less likely to go for some sanitized “safe” version of the government’s drug … The more interesting stuff … may make them more profitible - the legitimate stuff might look more sterile in comparison and therefore without the kick and thus the added appeal. Am i making any sense this morning?

Kind of :)… but i would guess the kick comes chemicals, and “safer” drugs would mean purer, therefore a smaller amount (and less money?) for the same kick…
This of course does not hold for mixtures (which seem to become more and more common), which you refered to AFAI understand. But then, if you have some brains left you could mix yourself. This of course may very well be problematic if you are a regular user (to have some brains left i mean).