Hey gorgeous...bar's closing....wanna come over to my place? I've got a copy of the Debian docs autographed by Linus himself.
Posted on 08/13/2003 4:06:02 AM PDT by NativeNewYorker
Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen believes that the problems facing Finland and its ageing population cannot be solved simply by raising the employment rate and making changes to the pension system.
Finland should also attempt to raise its birth rate. In other words, the country needs more children. The 47-year-old Prime Minister has two school-age children.
Vanhanen's population policy would also include an increase in immigration. "I am quite certain that in 20-30 years, we will be more multicultural than today", Vanhanen observed in a radio interview on Sunday.
According to the Prime Minister,
his government faces a double challenge. The country must be guided through the economic slump, and the challenges of the ageing population must also be answered.
Vanhanen pointed out that this is the last full electoral term before the baby-boom generation begins to retire.
Vanhanen said that the employment rate must be raised in order to combat the changes in society caused by the ageing population. According to the Prime Minister, the easiest way to achieve this is to help young adults study and begin working faster.
Vanhanen commented that there will be 1.3 million people over the age of 65 in Finland around twenty years from now, half a million more than today.
Vanhanen also commented
that as Finland will soon lower its alcohol taxes, limiting the opening hours of bars and restaurants could be one way to combat the negative effects of the lower prices of liquor.
According to Vanhanen, the lower prices and an increase in imports from future EU member state Estonia could lead people to drink more at home, then continue on to restaurants at an even later hour than today.
Many Finnish bars can currently serve customers until 3:30 a.m. Vanhanen stated that a proposal to limit these hours will not be included in the alcohol tax package that will be discussed during the budget talks later this month. The Prime Minister himself never drinks alcohol.
Typical socialist. Wants more babies but also wants to close bars early. D'oh!
Hey gorgeous...bar's closing....wanna come over to my place? I've got a copy of the Debian docs autographed by Linus himself.
Doesn't want more babies as such, just wants more taxpayers in the future.The decision to have a child and nuture him/her to adulthood is often made on the basis of deliberation over more than the price of alcohol and the closing time of the bar.
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