DIRDEM     March 2010

 

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What you may be able to vote on
 

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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