Rich Germans Demand Higher Taxes

From the BBC:

A group of rich Germans has launched a petition calling for the government to make wealthy people pay higher taxes.
The group say they have more money than they need, and the extra revenue could fund economic and social programmes to aid Germany's economic recovery.

If someone believes that government spending is the answer, and that person voluntarily throws more money into the gaping maw of the beast, that person is worthy of our grudging respect.

If someone believes that government spending is the answer, and that person advocates forcing others, at gunpoint, to throw more money into the gaping maw of the beast, then that person is beneath contempt.

Germany could raise 100bn euros (£91bn) if the richest people paid a 5% wealth tax for two years, they say.

But do you think they would leave their 100% intact in Germany to allow earnest pocket-pickers to have their way with it? Or do you think this wealth tax would have some unforeseen effects?

The petition has 44 signatories so far, and will be presented to newly re-elected Chancellor Angela Merkel.
The group say the financial crisis is leading to an increase in unemployment, poverty and social inequality.

Which is more likely to increase unemployment - allowing the wealthy to invest their money in whatever they they believe will create the biggest return on investment? Or letting the government spend the money on some random unholy cause?

Simply donating money to deal with the problems is not enough, they want a change in the whole approach.
"The path out of the crisis must be paved with massive investment in ecology, education and social justice," they say in the petition.

Call the folks at the Good Intentions Paving Company. The road to hell is about to get some work.

Those who had "made a fortune through inheritance, hard work, hard-working, successful entrepreneurship, or investment" should contribute by paying more to alleviate the crisis.
The man behind the petition, Dieter Lehmkuhl, told Berlin's Tagesspiegel that there were 2.2 million people in Germany with a fortune of more than 500,000 euros.
If they all paid the tax for two years, Germany could raise 100bn euros to fund ecological programmes, education and social projects, said the retired doctor and heir to a brewery.

Idea for a short-lived blog....a list of succesful government funded social projects.

Signatory Peter Vollmer told AFP news agency he was supporting the proposal because he had inherited "a lot of money I do not need".

Pete, here's an idea. Invest your money with someone who wants to grow and hire people. Put it to work. Don't invest it in a grievance factory.

He said the tax would be "a viable and socially acceptable way out of the flagrant budget crisis".

That was the #2 money quote right there. Socially acceptable. Because creating jobs by producing things people need is just so....tacky.

The group held a demonstration in Berlin on Wednesday to draw attention to their plans, throwing fake banknotes into the air.

Here comes the #1 money quote, and it's a good one:

Mr Vollmer said it was "really strange that so few people came".

Peter Vollmer, please step away from the Kool Aid.

Picture of Euros being pointlessly burned came from here.