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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.
General
Should former politicians be allowed to cash with books and lecture
tours?
Unequal regional distribution of tax burden
Climate tax redistributed on global basis demands Global
Humanitarian Forum
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
Immigration Control
Climate Change and Population
Cap-and-Trade of
Carbon Permits and ideal vehicle for fraud
Green Energy plan may cost 17 times more than its benefits
Europe
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
United Kingdom
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
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
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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