Wednesday, September 1, 2021

'Ratting' On Your Neighbors

 I noticed this short piece off N-TV (commercial news in Germany) today.  

So, down in the state of Baden-Wurttemberg....the state is run by a coalition...led by the Green Party.  

The Finance Ministry?  It's a Green Party instrument.  

The chief of the ministry got this idea and has implemented it.

There's a system to go on-line shortly....where you can go and anonymously 'rate' on your neighbor in terms of tax-avoidance.

If you knew your well-to-do neighbor was taking cash out of the country, or had some gimmick to avoid taxation.....you'd just lay out the details.

Naturally, this has gotten front-page attention in Baden-Wurttemberg, and turned into an election-period mess across the country.

Various opposition parties are chatting about this, and hinting that it's going to turn people against their neighbors.  

Where this will go?  Unknown.  Hurting the Green Party image prior to the election?  It might drag up questions....if you ended up with a coalition under the SPD....with the Green Party getting the Finance Ministry of the national government?  You might see this idea go national.    


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