Double drink prices, urges doctors -

The Telegraph - UK ^ | March 5, 2004 | Celia Hall

[Gabz]

LOL!!!

and it gets worse - I was born and raised in the big city and CHOSE to move to a small town and then again to a rural area, my husband is also very conservative (sometimes more than me), we were married before I got pregnant, and we have always chosen to go the way of doing what is necessary to pay our billsl without relying on the government.

I've got one strike against me - our daughter goes to public school - but we chose to move here specifically because the district is so good. Now that she is in school I would like to go back to work doing what I enjoy - but it's difficult because my husband's hours are erratic and one of us must be here for school dismissal or the bus arriving - and that is mostly going to be me.

I'm not complaining at all - this is a choice we made when we decided to become parents.

But since we do all the right things - some people seem to think that we would willingly accept more rules, regulations and TAXES nice and quietly - they've got another thing coming.

[Madame Dufarge]

Perhaps the Socialists should take a lesson from the Communists:

The Gorbachev lesson

Putin has not forgotten his history lessons. The last Russian leader to interfere with his countrymen's drinking habits was former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev, whose well-intentioned attempt in the 1980s to reduce alcoholism was a political disaster.

Appalled by statistics that reported up to 40 percent of the Russian adult male population was alcoholic, "Misha" cut back production and hours that vodka could be sold -- earning the utter disdain of the Russians.

Although the benefits were obvious -- longer life expectancy, fewer divorces and accidents -- Russians hated sobriety by government decree.

Gorbachev's efforts resulted in huge revenue losses, lengthy lines and a booming black market in alcohol. More than that, they lost Gorbachev the affection he expected from the Russian people for Glasnost; instead he received only their loathing.

Gorbachev reportedly tells this story: "This guy," he says, "was standing in line for 10 hours to buy vodka, and finally decided to go to the Kremlin to kill Gorbachev. The next day, the guy was back in the vodka line: 'It didn't work,' he tells the others. 'The line to the Kremlin is even longer.'"

A brief history lesson

[SheLion]

So long as government pays for medical expenses

How about those of us that HAVE our own health insurance?

[SheLion]

I'm glad we moved to a small farm - I'll start growing my own tobacco and then start adding the beer making crops.......

The Pork Barrel Government is becoming more pig-like every day! If that's possible!

[SheLion]

I think the times, they are a changin' (for the better, obviously).

For the BETTER?! I don't think all this government intrusion into our lives is a GOOD thing! It's becoming a bit scary, IMHO!

[SamAdams76]

Doubling alcohol prices = increased poverty.

This is because alcoholics will put their alcohol purchases ahead of everything else including food and shelter for them and their families.

As for everybody else, there will be a lot more homebrewing going on.

[realpatriot71]

Don't we have laws prohibiting that?

You can brew beer, but not spirits, currently. Get rid of the laws preventing people from making their own - wouldn't bother me any.

[realpatriot71]

I see that I am mistaken and that real patriots should be supportive of the government's right to take as many dollars of mine in taxes as they desire

Its a consumption tax, if you don't want to pay it, don't buy the alcohol.

[realpatriot71]

I agree it is a choice. My disagreement comes with your apparent willingness to ok a tax on what you would call a "vice". Taxes such as that, always well intentioned (like the road to hell), are in my experience, miserable failures. In the end, small businesses such as bars and restaurants will get crushed, black or gray margets will emerge, and the "health benefits" that everyone should enjoy due to higher taxation turn out to be a myth. It's my hope that most voters, and their representatives, are reluctant to promote more taxation for something as ridiculous as limiting someone's personal legal freedoms.

Look I'm not trying to stop anyone from buying a beer(s). I don't advocate limiting anyone's "freedom" - if you can buy the booze, you can drink it. If you don't want to pay the tax don't drink.

[swarthyguy]

The frog never notices the rising water temperarute.

Instead of the Eagle, a better symbol might be Kermit.

[E Rocc]

The academy's report, Calling Time, also proposes limits on the amount of alcohol people can bring in from Europe and lower drink driving limits - down from 80mg per 100ml of blood to 50mg and to zero for drivers younger than 21.

Any reputable scientist not blinded by a non-scientific agenda knows there is no such thing as "zero" in chemical analysis.

-Eric

[E Rocc]

Alcohol is a vice

Vice: something other people do that one disapproves of.

-Eric

[E Rocc]

If some tavern owner had utilized his Second Amendment perogatives when Carrie Nation started damaging his property with an axe handle, the country would have been saved quite a bit of aggravation.

-Eric

[Great Dane]

They just don't quit, do they.

[Great Dane]

This compares with the 11.1 litres now consumed. The figures represent a rise of 50 per cent in 30 years.

Not surprising...... our politicians are driving us to drink.

[Shryke]

LOL, I mean what is coming, SheLion, not now.

[SheLion]

LOL, I mean what is coming, SheLion, not now.

LOL! What? You lost me! heh! :)

[CSM]

"Its a consumption tax, if you don't want to pay it, don't buy the alcohol."

Yep, but if everyone chose not to purchase it the "lost revenues" would cause the gubmint to find other "consumption taxes". When they finally get to taxing water consumption, will you take the same attitude?

[sweetliberty]

This is completely outrageous. Anybody who has ever been closely involved with an alcoholic knows that nothing is going to stop them from drinking. This would lead to three things....the alcoholic spending his familiy's money to support his habit, alcoholics resorting to stealing and other criminal behavior to finance their habit and a new black market distributing alcohol. Look what has happened with tobacco. Who'd have ever thought it would be a crime to circumvent the government to buy cigarettes at a reasonable price? I'm beginning to think you have to have the IQ of a potato to be a bureaucrat.

[realpatriot71]

When they finally get to taxing water consumption, will you take the same attitude?

Water is a nutrient - a necessity - smoke is not. Try living without water, then try living without smoke . . . I'd be interested in your findings.

"One of these things s not like other . . ."