If you want on or off my aerospace ping list, please contact me by Freep mail.
Posted on 10/11/2006 5:20:21 PM PDT by ricks_place
The first beneficiaries of an international tax on air travel to help the world's poor will be 250,000 children suffering from HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis, French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy said Monday.
Douste-Blazy, who was appointed to head the agency overseeing the funds, UNITAID, said 19 countries have started taking steps to implement the levy.
It is expected to raise about EUR 50 million this year and EUR 300 million in 2007, he said.
"I can confirm that I am determined to launch very rapidly the first action by UNITAID," Douste-Blazy told journalists.
The first operation will involve supplying special medicines to about 100,000 children suffering from HIV/AIDS and 150,000 with tuberculosis late next year, he said.
In France, the tax championed by President Jacques Chirac adds a surcharge of between one and EUR 40 to an airline ticket, depending on the destination and class of seat.
Countries that have signed up to the initiative include Brazil, Britain, Chile, Cyprus, Congo, Ivory Coast, Jordan, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Mauritius, Norway, South Korea
The Geneva-based World Health Organisation is also involved in the venture, which is aimed primarily at medical projects.
The United States, Canada and Germany have opposed the levy. Several airlines have complained that it will add to the cost of air travel.
I suspect this is the first international tax to support the United Nations.
This is NOT a good thing.
Another good reason not to fly.
...the "administrators" of the tax.
"It is expected to raise about EUR 50 million this year and EUR 300 million in 2007, he said.
It is also expected that 90% of the funds will be used to cure our enemies in the third world instead of helping our own children.
"The first beneficiaries"
French pharmaceutical companies.
Including TSA collected items and lost luggage?
If the frogs have their hands in this pie I would asume that 90% will go into some frogs pocket.
Amen brother!
If you want on or off my aerospace ping list, please contact me by Freep mail.
Another moneybag for international bureaucrats to fill their pockets from.
Another good reason not to fly.
Screw this boondoggle.
and all the bureaucracy created to "manage" the distribution of funds. Taken right from the UN handbook.
This is the democrats and europes idea of job creation. Tax to create jobs.
Yes, it is another reason not to fly. This is just another step toward UN assessed taxes on US Citizens and one step toward One-World socialist government. ...depressing! AIDS is a behaviorally caused disease. Stop the behavior and the disease goes away (mainly homosexuals and drug addicts). Anyone supporting this is a socialist or plain stupid, IMHO!
Good for Bush and Bolton.
To hell with "It's for the Children"!
Every time they see a problem they assume the solution is the government needs to do something about it. Each time they add yet another new tax to pay for yet another inefficient government program.
They've fallen victim to the idea that it's the government's job to address all problems. All they need to do is complain tot he government and pay their taxes. The government is supposed to do the rest.
They hear the politicians talk about how they have a program to address all these things and help everyone, and pat themselves on the back for being part of such an enlightened society.
They seem to ignore that the government rarely solves any problems or even addresses them reasonably well. They listen to what their government says, not what they actually do and definitely not what they actually achieve.
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