Actually in Germany that is not so easy a sum to achieve. I quote from an online magazine called Industry Week:
"Last year's biggest single earner was Volkswagen chief Martin Winterkorn, who earned a record 16.6 million Euro".
Let us settle for a paltry 6 million, which is equal to half-a-million a month. If what I have read is correct, the top tax rate is 45%. There may of course be other stoppages (retirement funds, health insurance usw).
Anyway for argument's sake let's say that I had to pay out stoppages of 80%. That would mean that I would have a miserable 100,000 Euro per month to live off.
Would I start screaming and shouting about all the deductions that I was obliged to pay out?
A clear and resounding NO!!!!
If you cannot live on 100,000 Euro a month, there is something seriously wrong with your approach to life and how you live and think - IMHO! Remember too that your health costs have already been covered.
The biggest outlay after that would be accommodation. We have at the moment a 74 square metre apartment. 2 bedrooms (one of which has become my wife's all-purpose utility room), a bathroom (which could do to be a bit larger), a kitchen (ditto), a spacious lounge. And really that is all we need. So an alternative on those lines in a more pleasant area maybe - but it wouldn't cost that much more (maybe 1,000 Euro a month rental altogether). More rooms that we would never use? Why?
The heating system where we now live is typical of an old house - we could do with a more modern, more environmentally friendly heating system, but over a period of time you would get your money back.
A few other things might be useful, the odd bit of furniture, both the PC and the laptop need replacing. And then there is the fact that my wife would like a car (although given the environmentally friendly and very convenient nature of public transport here, I do not see why). Some travel to interesting places (principally by train, I have grown to hate going anywhere near international airports with all the hassle involved).
Presto.
Not even one month's spending (see above) as far as I can see.
Then you can help charities and support other worthwhile causes quite happily.
But once you have everything that you need, why would you need more - just for the sake of having it?
The whole concept strikes me as being amazingly silly. Excess for its own sake, for me, equals waste!
And the money that they have taken off you? Well, you never had it in the first place, and there are a lot of things out there that need doing, which we often take for granted. Ever wondered about the maintenance of the sewage system for example? Necessary work and it needs someone to look after it. And I feel no need to concern myself directly with anything like that. Let them get on with it.
About the only thing that does concern me about government spending (national or local) would be if it were spent upon nuclear weapons, the need for which seems to me extremely dubious. But in Germany that does not apply (no nukes here), so no need to worry.
As long as there are excellent police and prison services (so that the ne'er-do-wells are rounded up and kept out of the way of the law-abiding public), the health service provision meets all our requirements, excellent public transportation is available, the future generations have all the educational possibilities that they require (including a well-rewarded team of excellent teachers), possibilities are made available to get people back to work and have the self-respect that proper employment brings, and the elderly can live out their lives comfortably and without too much discomfort - then fine, the money will find itself being put to good use! No complaints from me.
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