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Dirdem will give the citizens the power to have
the final word on any policy decision that is taken by their
governments. Below we list issues which are currently debated or
being decided and which should be subject to proper democratic control.
Most legislation masquerades under the description of 'directive',
'guideline', ordinance' etc. At least under the authoritarian
regimes a spade was still called a spade and when the ruler made a
new 'law' it was openly called 'ukas' or 'edict'.
Dirdem is not just raising its hands in despair when we put up this
woeful list of arbitrary and often discriminatory interference by
bungling officials that pretend to be the guardian of the citizen's
interest. We are convinced that most of these measures, all of which
cost money and restrict our freedoms just another bit more, would
find it very difficult to get passed if the citizens would have the
opportunity to vote before they are introduced. If anything, they
would have to be designed in a more intelligent way that saves money
and keeps their intrusive side-effects to the minimum necessary.
More importantly, we will also be actively - and continually -
campaign to the repeal of existing legislation. All too often public
debate is focused exclusively on new legislation and it is taken for
granted that any law - once passed - has become written in stone and
is to be taken for gospel truth. In reality, most legislation is
just a result of some temporary fad promoted by lobbies that have
the upper hand at a given point of time and deserves nothing better
than to be struck out at the earliest possible time.
Dirdem will be promoting ways to roll back the
reach of bureaucrats and will work for constitutional changes to
make it easier to repeal legislation and recall politicians that
neglect the will of the people.
You should be aware that most of these new 'initiatives',
'proposals' or 'schemes' - however worthy they may appear to some -
nearly always increase the tax burden on some or all citizens. The
tax may be an explicit one but in many cases it is likely to be
hidden or disguised as a 'fee', 'charge' or whatever else our
masters may think of. All 'schemes' will have to be administered on
an on-going basis by a pampered public sector.
Areas of Policy you would be able to influence:
Tax laws
Environmental Protection
Consumer Protection
International Development Aid
European and National Regulation
Allocation of National
and European Subsidies
Immigration Control
Protection of
Civil Liberties
Changes to the Constitution
Military Interventions abroad
General
Olympic
Games: who stops the waste of taxpayer money?
Discriminatory tax laws due to exemptions for special interests and
lobbies
Unequal regional distribution of tax burden
Forum demands that climate tax be redistributed on global basis
Former politicians cash in with books and lecture tours
Unequal regional distribution of tax burden
Global Humanitarian Forum wants Climate tax redistributed on
global basis
Chlorine in tap water - has anybody ever been asked to approve
it?
Carbon tax should increase to $200 a tonne says IEA
$US 50 Billion for Afghanistan agreed by Paris Donor Conference
Introduction of genetically modified food
Control of over-fishing in international waters
No country ever allowed citizens any say over immigration
(except Switzerland)
Cap-and-Trade of Carbon Permits and ideal vehicle for fraud
Green Energy plan may cost 17 times more than its benefits
Europe
MEP suggests that member states pay 5 to 10 times
more into EU Budge
European Investment Bank to lend another billion Euros to Arab
States
Data Retention Directive to extend politician's control over
citizens
EU Pharma Regulator joins Industry Lobby without cooling off period
EU Parliament travelling circus costs Euro 180 million per year
MEPs not required to disclose details on their allowance of
£91,000 a year tax-free expenses
EU watchdogs find errors in 90% of Brussels budget
Hungarian company paid more than £3200,000 by EU to build new
facilities for dogs
Tyrolian farmers paid £14,000 to "increase their emotional
connection with the landscapes they cultivate"
France and Germany spend Euro 400 million a year on Arte TV
despite declining viewer numbers
Structural Funds spend Euro 50 billion a year
Gipsies entitled to share of Euro 17.5 billion of structural funds
destined for 'vulnerable' groups
MEPs to get 736 more 'researchers' at a cost of £16,600 each to deal
with External Affairs questions
£163 million for schooling children of Eurocrats
EU wants to spend 6 per cent more next year
24 Million Euro subsidy for Hotel construction in Lanzarote
European Council members must put interest of the Union above those
of their own countries (Lisbon Treaty, Article 9)
EU prepares expanded sanctions against Iran
MEP wants tax on carbon-intensive products
EU wants introduction of body scanners on Airports
US to get access to customer bank accounts
'Only' 300 new diplomats for EU Embassies
EU plans green taxes to cut debt
104 lobby firms go in and out of EU ParliamentGreece gifted Euro 6.3
billion in 2008
8000 bureaucrats for 130 EU embassies
EU wants proceeds of financial transaction tax for itself
EU permits planting of genetically modified potato
EU wants to attract more refugees
EU Parliament costs Euro 1.5 Billion annually
EU wants to
attract more refugees
EU
Parliament costs Euro 1.5 Billion annually
Monster Trucks up to 60 tons may be allowed
One in three MEPs employs a family member
Spendthrift
countries bailed out by taxpayers in thrifty countries
Airlines compelled to use renewable energy
Unrestrained immigration into Italy
Excise taxes on Tobacco to rise again
EU wants to store airline passenger data
500 Million Euro for Kosovo
Non-Eu troops stationed in Europe
Ireland to vote again on Lisbon Treaty
'Green' plans could put £300 on prices of new cars
Tobacco-style health warnings on all car advertisements
New passports must include fingerprints from 2009
Air passenger information exchange with USA
EU control of climate strategy of member states
Free speech outlawed by EU bureaucrats
Fundamental Human Rights Agency opens in Vienna
Model History textbook planned
EU Officials vote to cut emissions
Euro-constitution is sneaking in by the back door
International
US special envoy says
Mubarak needs to remain in power
Bribery allegations at FIFA
Fraud suspected at Global Fund to fights Aids
United Kingdom
Do you want
to allow 'fracking' under your property?
£2.9
billion to be given to developing countries to help them fight
global warming
Government plans compulsory fingerprinting of school children
Aid budget to increase sharply despite severe cuts to domestic
spending
New energy policies may cost up to £300 billion over next 10 years
Anonymity plan for rape defendants is dropped
BBC not worth TV licence fee say over-55s
Pakistan is biggest recipient of British foreign aid
Benefit overpayments total £1.1 billion - National Audit Office
report
Young Britons more than twice as likely to claim incapacity benefits
- OECD study
Scotland handed additional £12 billion fiscal powers
Met Office costs nearly £200 million a year
Barnet Councillors vote to double their pay
Asylum seekers moved to £2million home after complaining that they
disliked 'poor area' they were in
CBI calls for global 'cap and trade' tax
Councillor Brian Coleman claims he does not have to justify what he
earns
Tory MPs ordered to attend Commons sessions as hardly any MPs attend
regularly
NHS chiefs set for payoffs of up to £900,000 each
$700 million a year for Afghanistan
Minister states: British forces will be among the last to come home
from Afghanistan
Wind farms will increasingly dominate most picturesque landscapes
7.6 billion car trip entries stored by police
Cost of wars reaches £20 billion
'Bloody Sunday' inquiry cost £191 million
BBC disregards public sector pay guidelines
US wants Britain to send more troops to Afghanistan
Housing association chief on £400m a year
Local Council bans white applicants
Parents may lose right to boycott school sex lessons
Britain to support $ 500 Mio donation to Taleban
Committee calls for additional tax on air travel
Parents may lose right to boycott school sex lessons
Britain to
support $ 500 Mio donation to Taleban
Committee calls for additional tax on air travel
Fuel Duty
up by another 2p
Clamping
Fee free-for-all
Scotland gets 20pct more public spending per head
Eco-towns
plan £13,000 'stealth' parking charge
Excessive powers of bailiffs to enter homes and seize property
Innocent people's DNA to be kept for 12 years
Pupils to get power to fight school expulsions
Families will have to recycle all food scraps
Taxes will rise after the election
27-year old criminal seeks lifetime anonymity at great expense to
taxpayer
Energy Security put at risk by British Energy Sell-off
Fraud at Housing Associations cost taxpayer up to £400 million a
year
Local Councils want to take 'fat' children into care
£100m to expand permanent Gipsy sites
Married couples punished by tax system
Criminal record checks on School Children doing work experience
Independent Safeguarding Authority -one more Quango
Mosley Libel case - more constraints on press freedom
Parents to be punished for children's internet piracy
England without democratic representation
Olympic budget may rise above £10bn
7,000 wind-turbines to transform the British landscape
Heathrow pollution control axed in favour of expansion
Mothers will be forced to name baby's father on birth
certificates
11 Million people face checks to work with children - database to
cost £84 million
Two-class pension system - ordinary taxpayers fund gold-plated
pensions for Public Sector
Change of airline tax to raise extra £520 million a year
Police allowed to detain suspects for 42 days
Role in Afghanistan to last for decades
How often is your rubbish bin emptied
Distribution of National Lottery funds
Reform of House of Lords
Introduction of Road Pricing
Government wants to fingerprint 11-year olds
Discriminatory airplane ticket tax increased
Black box for road pricing could cost £600
Police trace drives via congestion cameras
'Nice neighbourhoods' face higher council tax
Germany
57% reject 'Euro Bonds'
Hartz IV Recipients don't pay for Electricity, Gas
Solar Subsidy reaches 20 billion Euro
New tax on USB memory sticks
Free Gas, Power for Unemployed, Hartz recipients
100 Million Euro for Kosovo
An Additional 1000 soldiers to be sent to Afghanistan
Carbon Tax on Cars to start in 2010
420 Million Euro for Afghanistan
Participation in Afghanistan Intervention
Continued subsidies for East Germany
Acceptance of net payment to EU budget
Increase in VAT rate
Austria
Teachers on
High Schools spend only 589 hours a year in Classroom
Farmers get
further tax breaks - practically tax-exempt in any case
State TV/Radio ORF does not have to publish directors' pay
Government ignores Constitution - new budget delayed until December
VAT thresholds manipulated
Teenagers over 16 allowed to vote
Parties change Members of Parliament at will
Compulsory Kindergarten for five-year olds
TV license must be paid by internet user
Kid's play in Parliament - New Elections
Tax on turnover of pharmaceutical industry
New constitutional privileges for Chambers
Another hike in the gasoline tax
Extension of legislative period to five years
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