Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2012/03/22
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Hi Jayanand Thanks for highlighting Singapore - but what you should also know : - we have the most expensive car ownership scheme in Singapore - right now A Certificate of Ownership for 1600cc cars cost US$61,500.00 - Car insurance for a 1600cc model is Us$923.00 per year - Road Tax US$1308.00 per year - Gas is US$1.73 / litre - on top of these we pay Electronic Road Pricing entry of US$1.15 to 2.30 per entry - Parking in the CBD ranges from US$3.08 to Us$5.38 per hour Life is not cheap Joseph in Singapore -----Original Message----- From: lug-bounces+joelct=singnet.com.sg at leica-users.org [mailto:lug-bounces+joelct=singnet.com.sg at leica-users.org] On Behalf Of Jayanand Govindaraj Sent: Friday, 23 March, 2012 10:55 To: Leica Users Group Subject: Re: [Leica] Fuji X-Pro1 - Jim Ken, Take a look at Singapore to see how high forced savings rates (not tax) can benefit an albeit small country. There are many advantages in high tax - nobody actually minds if you get commensurate quality public sector services. It is tax without anything efficient in return in terms of public sector services (like India) that is intolerable - in fact we seem to have the worst of both worlds in basic stuff like health and education. Cheers Jayanand On Fri, Mar 23, 2012 at 6:32 AM, Ken Carney <kcarney1 at cox.net> wrote: > Yes, but that marginal federal rate does not begin until taxable > income somewhere around USD200,000. If you are paying an aggregate > rate of 46%, that is a much higher income than $200,000. In Finland, > you would reach that federal rate at about ?70,000. Then there are > the local, municipal and church taxes which will close to double that. > We could build comparative tax tables but I imagine the folks in > Finland are being taxed out the wazoo. Offsetting that, yes, my kids > and grandkids went to good private schools from elementary school > onward, which cost $$$$. However, the alternative was sending them to > gangland. It is far from the (I would say mythical) "1-percenters" > who are sending their children to private schools - it is committed > parents who will sacrifice half their income to bypass the public system. > > Ken > > > On 3/22/2012 6:15 PM, Nathan Wajsman wrote: > >> When I lived in NJ, I had to pay a federal tax of 31% plus a state >> tax of 7% (starting with the first dollar), a Social Security tax and >> Medicare tax adding up to 9% or so (also from the first dollar)--for >> a total of 46%, for which I got nothing except invasions of countries I >> did not care about etc. >> I was lucky that we lived in a town with good public schools, so I >> did not need to pay exorbitant fees at the local private school for >> the 1-percenters. >> >> Nathan Wajsman >> Alicante, Spain >> http://www.frozenlight.eu >> http://www.greatpix.eu >> http://www.nathanfoto.com >> PICTURE OF THE WEEK: http://www.fotocycle.dk/paws >> Blog: >> http://nathansmusings.**wordpress.com/<http://nathansmusings.wordpres >> s.com/> >> >> >> YNWA >> >> >> >> On Mar 23, 2012, at 12:02 AM, Ken Carney wrote: >> >> Not too sure about the free part. According to my BNA country >> portfolio >>> on Finland, the marginal tax rate (national, local, municipal and >>> church >>> taxes) hits about 50% on income between ?38,000 and 66,000 and is >>> over 55% on income in excess of ?66,000. Then there is a VAT. I'm >>> not going to complain on April 15 this year! >>> >>> Ken >>> >>> On 3/22/2012 2:07 AM, Raimo K wrote: >>> >>>> Well, university education is free in Finland (like all other >>>> education as well). >>>> The Americans may call it socialism (but it isn't), we call it >>>> equal opportunities. >>>> In the future we may have to charge tuition fees from students >>>> outside the EU, though. >>>> All the best! >>>> Raimo K >>>> >>>> >>>> ----- Original Message ----- From: Henning Wulff >>>> To: Leica Users Group >>>> Sent: Thursday, March 22, 2012 8:20 AM >>>> Subject: Re: [Leica] Fuji X-Pro1 - Jim >>>> >>>> >>>> It's nearly as bad here in Canada. Tuition fees rise well beyond >>>> any concept of inflation. Meanwhile our education minister goes off >>>> to China to promote Canada as a place to come and get educated (for a >>>> price). >>>> >>>> Meanwhile, in the public schools.... >>>> We've just legislation from our provincial government denying the >>>> teachers any pay increases for the next while and at the same time >>>> retroactively taking away a number of hard won limits on class >>>> sizes, help for teachers with special needs students and other >>>> advances achieved in the last ten years. The legislation >>>> specifically states this 10 year retroactive roll back. >>>> >>>> Our premier meanwhile sends her son off to private school. She can >>>> afford it, as the pay raises for all the legislature has been >>>> substantially above the rate of inflation, and about as drastic as >>>> the increase in university fees. >>>> >>>> >>>> On 2012-03-21, at 2:05 PM, scleroplex wrote: >>>> >>>> exactly!! >>>>> >>>>> everyone is talking about the rise in healthcare costs. >>>>> no one is comparing the rate of rise of higher education costs. >>>>> it is 6 times that of health care! >>>>> >>>>> all the universities are raking it in and putting up flashy >>>>> buildings with gay abandon. >>>>> and no one is even looking at abuse of HEFA loans, which is as big >>>>> a scandal as mortgage loans if not bigger. >>>>> >>>>> university boards are packed with real estate developers who get >>>>> HEFA loans from the government and spend the money on construction >>>>> projects. >>>>> >>>>> a good percentage of the loans are also invested in the capital >>>>> markets by university endowment funds and multiplied. >>>>> essentially rolling cheap tax money. >>>>> when there is a profit, the university keeps it. >>>>> when there is a loss, it is a public write-off. >>>>> >>>>> nowadays whenever i see students and their parents touring the >>>>> universities here in boston, i only think, here are the next lot >>>>> of mugs! >>>>> these are the people who are deliberately left in huge debt, which >>>>> they then concentrate on paying off the next 30 years, with no >>>>> time for the policing of democracy at the local or national level. >>>>> >>>>> bharani >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> Message: 16 >>>>> Date: Wed, 21 Mar 2012 09:07:49 +0530 >>>>> From: Jayanand Govindaraj<jayanand at gmail.com> >>>>> Subject: Re: [Leica] Fuji X-Pro1 - Jim >>>>> To: Leica Users Group<lug at leica-users.org> >>>>> Message-ID: >>>>> <CAH1UNJ1=+AvJ7=jCJXTvdUnRM7o4**DyhFqgib_OiKAHsMVxGP4g at mail.** >>>>> gmail.com <jCJXTvdUnRM7o4DyhFqgib_OiKAHsMVxGP4g at mail.gmail.com>> >>>>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 >>>>> >>>>> It is still considered a part of the parent's duty to fully >>>>> educate their offspring here in India (I am talking lower middle >>>>> class and above here). >>>>> Of course, there is some self preservation involved, as it is >>>>> still considered a part of the offspring's duty to look after the >>>>> parents in their old age. My parents in law have always stayed >>>>> with me, and my parents with my brother - and they have done so >>>>> for the past 20-25 years. The old joint family systems have not >>>>> noticeably broken down as yet, though in urban India it is >>>>> starting to happen. >>>>> >>>>> As far as the USA is concerned, it is my considered view that the >>>>> only bubble that has not collapsed yet is in education - both in >>>>> terms of affordability, and the sheer weight of student loan debt >>>>> that has no chance of being repaid. >>>>> >>>>> Cheers >>>>> Jayanand >>>>> >>>>> ______________________________**_________________ >>>>> Leica Users Group. >>>>> See >>>>> http://leica-users.org/**mailman/listinfo/lug<http://leica-users.o >>>>> rg/mailman/listinfo/lug>for more information >>>>> >>>>> >>>> Henning Wulff >>>> henningw at archiphoto.com >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> ______________________________**_________________ >>>> Leica Users Group. >>>> See >>>> http://leica-users.org/**mailman/listinfo/lug<http://leica-users.or >>>> g/mailman/listinfo/lug>for more information >>>> >>>> >>>> ______________________________**_________________ >>>> Leica Users Group. >>>> See >>>> http://leica-users.org/**mailman/listinfo/lug<http://leica-users.or >>>> g/mailman/listinfo/lug>for more information >>>> >>>> >>> ______________________________**_________________ >>> Leica Users Group. >>> See >>> http://leica-users.org/**mailman/listinfo/lug<http://leica-users.org >>> /mailman/listinfo/lug>for more information >>> >>> >> ______________________________**_________________ >> Leica Users Group. >> See >> http://leica-users.org/**mailman/listinfo/lug<http://leica-users.org/ >> mailman/listinfo/lug>for more information >> >> > > ______________________________**_________________ > Leica Users Group. > See > http://leica-users.org/**mailman/listinfo/lug<http://leica-users.org/m > ailman/listinfo/lug>for more information > _______________________________________________ Leica Users Group. 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