Regarding the tax question only—I'm in favour of govts using tax to point people away from behaviour society believes to be bad, and towards behaviour they believe to be good. Pigouvian taxation, tax externalities to show full social cost not just market defined cost.
The problem here is that they're making a good/bad judgement based on their percevied right/wrong and making decisions based around faulty data about what society wants.
Fuel tax escalator, congestion charging, 'green taxes' generally are all examples of pigouvian taxes. This is an example of the govt being outmoded However, it plays well to the middle ground middle england voter that they need to stay in power. That's why they're doing it.
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gominokouhai's journal
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Date: Sat, Oct. 13th, 2007 23:18 (UTC)The problem here is that they're making a good/bad judgement based on their percevied right/wrong and making decisions based around faulty data about what society wants.
Fuel tax escalator, congestion charging, 'green taxes' generally are all examples of pigouvian taxes. This is an example of the govt being outmoded However, it plays well to the middle ground middle england voter that they need to stay in power. That's why they're doing it.
Electoral system again—my answer to everything.