Bush's Farewell Tour

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  1. #21

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    Quote Originally Posted by mrs. honu:
    I'm proud to say that I have NEVER voted for him (and I did vote). Count me in the group who prefers "differently bad."
    I'll admit that millions did not vote for him (twice), just not enough to make a difference. Or, in the few states that actually mattered, not enough to make a difference.

    And yes, gilleshk, france gets more vistors because they do not have a royal family. I am sure if you just--didn't you suggest use of the guillotine?--the British royal family, tourists would come flooding into Britain. I know literally thousands of people that tell me, "I'd love to see England, but they have a royal family and I just can't abide by that."

  2. #22

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    Well I suppose the guillotine is a little out of date...George would surely suggest lethal injection or maybe the electric chair? Mmm which is the only western democracy that still executes people? Something to be proud of..It obviously works so well as a deterrent, crime stats must be a lot better in the US than anywhere else!

    Oh, and while people enjoy visiting castles and such, I don't really know too many tourists that manage to have tea with the Queen...

    I doubt that the UK would lose many tourists with the royals... France cetainly fares OK without... Maybe the US should have King Bush...


  3. #23

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    Quote Originally Posted by gilleshk:
    By the way the cost of maintaining former presidents is less than the 40 million pounds you quoted and if you care to do the division using US taxpayers it would be even lower.
    The Duchy of Cornwall alone last year paid something in the region of £130 million in taxes, take away the £35 million or so in Civil List payments and that is a nett benefit to the Treasury of £95 million.

    I suspect that France attracts more tourists because of the weather, beaches, skiing and mountains not to mention that it is reached by land easily by its neighbours as well as by ferry for all the Brits buying cheap fags and booze to binge on.
    I'm sure the architecture and palaces built by the French royal family from the money plundered from the British are also an attraction.

  4. #24

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    Wasn't the land and property belonging to the Crown Estate, Duchy of Cornwall etc taken from and then paid for by the British people?

    If so, surely the profits rightly belong to them anyway, making the Royal family just an expense. Depends on your POV as whether this is beneficial to the UK or not.

    Trying to relate this to the OP -The Queen is quite an expensive tour guide for high profile foreign guests, although am sure there are no long stops at dodgy shops.

    Last edited by leghk; 18-06-2008 at 11:18 AM.

  5. #25

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    So the French were plunderers? Mmm what would that make the British? Why were the Brits in HK again? Was it to educate the natives? Mmm, that opium was very nice indeed. Does that mean we should call Brits drug dealers? I'm sure the royal family in the UK became rich by being philanthropists.

    Another interesting point I would be curious about...the Duchy of Cornwall isn't a corporation but a trust and doesn't pay taxes if i understand correctly, they are paid by the Prince of Wales on his income which is paid by the Duchy. Would you care to explain where you got your numbers? The revenues only appear to say about 20 million pounds?

    Again by your own reasoning, how much tax do you think that former presidents are paying on their income. It's estimated that the Clinton's paid about 5 millions in taxes last year...


  6. #26

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    It's all available on the internet.

    I'm not even British so don't care either way- just presenting the facts as I see them.

    Just because I said the French had done some plundering of Britain does not automatically say that the British didn't do any plundering of their own. Do your parents know you are using the family computer?

    gilleshk- is that you putting stupid messages in my 'reputation'? If not, can the idiot that is put his man pants on and make their comments publicly?

    Last edited by Lammarite; 18-06-2008 at 11:47 AM.

  7. #27

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    "The Duchy of Cornwall alone last year paid something in the region of £130 million in taxes"

    GillesHK is right - The Duchy of Cornwall does not pay corporation tax, Prince Charles pays tax of 50% (40% according to one website)on his income from the Duchy. 2004 - profit 13million, = 6.5 million in tax.


  8. #28

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    Quote Originally Posted by leghk:
    "The Duchy of Cornwall alone last year paid something in the region of £130 million in taxes"

    GillesHK is right - The Duchy of Cornwall does not pay corporation tax, Prince Charles pays tax of 50% (40% according to one website)on his income from the Duchy. 2004 - profit 13million, = 6.5 million in tax.
    As a Crown body, the Duchy is tax exempt, but The Prince of Wales voluntarily pays income tax (currently at 40 per cent) on his taxable income from it.

    Click on that to find out more. I'm done with it. If I'm wrong I'm wrong.

  9. #29

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    Ouch that hurts so much...

    Instead of embarrassing yourself with infantile insults, perhaps you would care to explain your numbers.

    as I said the Duchy of Cornwall doesn't pay any taxes but the Prince of Wales does. The revenue appears to be around 17 million pounds and the Prince paid 3.3 million Pounds last year. Your numbers don't match. Have you taken your meds?

    As to your reputation, I couldn't care less and I say what I have to say here...


  10. #30

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    Quote Originally Posted by gilleshk:
    As to your reputation, I couldn't care less and I say what I have to say here...
    I also don't care about my reputation, more that people are too chicken to say things out loud. If it wasn't you, I take it back and apologise.