More politics (was Re: BOFHs requiring license)
On or about Mon, May 14, 2001 at 10:37:23AM +0100, Cross David - dcross typed: Here's a pretty fundamental issue. Why do so many people seem to think that low taxes are good? Because many people think that they are better judges of how their own money should be spent than the government (of whatever flavour) is. I suspect that if they were allowed to choose _how_ money was spent (and yes, I do know the arguments against this) they would be a lot more willing to pay it. Roger
RE: More politics (was Re: BOFHs requiring license)
Here's a pretty fundamental issue. Why do so many people seem to think that low taxes are good? Because many people think that they are better judges of how their own money should be spent than the government (of whatever flavour) is. This is something I've always wondered about. Given the economy of scale etc, how do people think that they could get a cheaper service individually? Hiring a few guys in a lorry to come to their house once a week and cart off their rubbish, security guards to make sure your house isn't robbed, paying for construction workers to fix holes in your road, private school and medicine and so on. Has anybody worked out how much it would cost to buy the same services as a private citizen compared to the cost that the state charges in tax? Also, how is a privately-run service more efficient if you have shareholders creaming money off the top. Enlighten me. -- matt | I mean to make you move with my planet infallible
Re: More politics (was Re: BOFHs requiring license)
Matthew Jones [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: medicine and so on. Has anybody worked out how much it would cost to buy the same services as a private citizen compared to the cost that the state charges in tax? People have tried to do this and the figures I saw suggest the private sector can supply, on average, any service at half the price of the public. Of course I am sure it isn't difficult to get the figures to say other things as well. Also, how is a privately-run service more efficient if you have shareholders creaming money off the top. Enlighten me. Because it's easier to get rid of them and get someone else to supply the service if they are crap. -- 1024/D9C69DF9 steve mynott [EMAIL PROTECTED] abandon the search for truth; settle for a good fantasy.