The government of Belgium's French-speaking region of Wallonia, which has a population of about 4 million, has approved a tax on barbequing, local media reported.
Experts said that between 50 and 100 grams of CO2, a so-called greenhouse gas, is emitted during barbequing. Beginning June 2007, residents of Wallonia will have to pay 20 euros for a grilling session.
The local authorities plan to monitor compliance with the new tax legislation from helicopters, whose thermal sensors will detect burning grills.
I’m assuming these will be hydrogen fuel cell helicopters, of course….otherwise, can someone compute for me how many barbeques it would take to equal the CO2 output of a low-flying chopper, in the air for say, one hour, while carrying and powering a thermal sensor unit?
Seems to me like our moral and intellectual superiors in the heartland of the EU are going a little bit…
A) Overboard?
B) Insane?
C) Fascist?
Correct answer would be - D) All of the above....
freaking fascists is what they are - taxing barbeques? At essentially $25- US per? And enforcing it by black helicopter?
ReplyDeleteNothing personal, but it sounds so crazy that I'd like to see a second source.
Lots of blogs picked this up, but there is no additional sources; only a denial:
ReplyDeleteBRUSSELS, April 4 (RIA Novosti) - The government of Wallonia has refuted allegations of plans to introduce a tax on barbequing in this Belgian French-speaking region.
Reports appeared in local media earlier in the month that a law had been approved to charge residents of the 4-million-strong region 20 euros for each grilling session beginning in June.
http://en.rian.ru/world/20070404/63077075.html
Now, if I was a lefty I would use the Dan Rather-esque "accurate but false" excuse, but us conservatives have more scruples than that....