Other Governments are Equally Efficient

It seems that other governments around the globe are just as efficient as ours.

Take, for instance, the sterling example of the German government.

The government of Germany taxes coffee. It is one of the few countries to have a special tax levy on coffee, and it seems they decided to crack down on German citizens who ordered coffee beans over the internet from other countries, but did not pay the tax.

There were 4,000 such law breakers, and the German government spent 800,000 Euros tracking them down, levying and then collecting fines and taxes.

In all, they collected back 25,000 Euros.

Who says going after law breakers doesn't work?


Today is:

Constitution Day, Thailand

Festival for the Souls of Dead Whales -- Inuit Eskimos

International Human Rights Day

Lux Mundi -- Ancient Roman Calendar (goddess of liberty)

National Day, Burma

National Lager Day

St. Eulalia's Day (patron of Barcelona, childbirth, sailors, travelers, calm waters; against miscarriage)


Anniversaries Today:

Mississippi becomes the 20th US State, 1810


Birthdays Today:

Raven-Symone, 1985
Bobby Flay, 1964
Kenneth Branach, 1960
Susan Dey, 1952
Dan Blocker, 1928
Dorothy Lamour, 1914
Chet Huntley, 1911
Emily Dickinson, 1830


Today in History:

Martin Luther publicly burns the papal edict demaning that he recant, 1520
Isaac Newton's paper De Motu Corporum in Gyrum, containing the derivation of Kepler's laws from his theory of gravity, is read to the Royal Society by Edmund Halley, 1684
The Massachusetts Bay Colony becomes the first American Colonial government to borrow money, 1690
The metric system is formally established in France, 1799
The first traffic lights are installed outside the Palace of Westminster in London, 1868
Women's suffrage is granted in Wyoming Territory, the first in the US, 1869
The 10,000,000th Model T Ford is assembled, 1915
The Grand Ole Opry makes its radio debut, in Nashville, Tn, 1927
UN General Assembly adopts the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 1948
Ralph J Bunche becomes the first black to receive the Nobel Peace Prize, 1950