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International-UN-NGOs
Chirac calls for airline tax to aid Africa
2005-03-29
"You look tired. Lemme hold your wallet!"
French President Jacques Chirac called Monday for a tax on airline fuel and tickets by the end of the year to fight epidemics in Africa in what could be a test for a more far-reaching tax on financial transactions. Chirac made his proposal at the end of a three-day visit to Japan, which was marked by a dispute over his push to lift a European Union embargo on selling weapons to China. "France and Germany together are calling for the creation by the end of the year, along with all countries that wish, for a first international solidarity tax on kerosene and airline tickets to fund the fight against AIDS and the great pandemics that are decimating Africa," Chirac said. "More than three million lives saved each year: that's what is at stake," Chirac told a French-Japanese economic forum in Tokyo. The French leader said he presented the idea during talks Sunday with Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and wanted to take it forward at the July Group of Eight summit in Scotland and the September summit of the United Nations in New York. "I hope strongly that we can accomplish these goals together in the upcoming G8 and United Nations summits," Chirac said.
Posted by:Seafarious

#22  If the airline tax doesn't, um, fly, I propose he'll propose a soap tax.

After all, his people won't have to pay.
Posted by: jackal   2005-03-29 10:42:02 PM  

#21  But Frank, it doesn't count unless it goes thru Annan's (and Chirac's) sticky fingers.....

... at least according to Chirac and the UN.
Posted by: CrazyFool   2005-03-29 9:44:01 PM  

#20  How about we just give Chirac AIDS and send him to Africa?
Posted by: tu3031   2005-03-29 9:15:47 PM  

#19  We will just deduct the tax from the aids contributions or deduct the aids contributions from the tax, bwahahahahaha!
Posted by: Alaska Paul   2005-03-29 9:10:04 PM  

#18  hmmmm - a lot of American money goes to Africa to fight AIDS, epidemics, improve water supply/quality, living conditions. It's called charity, and we don't need a corrupt frog taking it as a tax. We do it willingly. That's what makes us better than you, Jack
Posted by: Frank G   2005-03-29 8:33:29 PM  

#17  Let's do a feasibility test of this tax, by putting it on all Air France flights. Then if after, say ten years, it seems to be working we can talk about extending it.
Posted by: DMFD   2005-03-29 8:24:23 PM  

#16  Phil_b, it's not just an EU tax he wants - US airlines typically fly longer distances, using more fuel.
Posted by: too true   2005-03-29 12:19:44 PM  

#15  This is just Chirac getting funding for Third World leaders so they can funnel kickbacks to him.
Posted by: Zhang Fei   2005-03-29 12:17:03 PM  

#14  Well, Kojo is looking for another job...
Posted by: Desert Blondie   2005-03-29 10:10:19 AM  

#13  There is trial in Paris involving politicians for corruption. They are accused of taking 90 (ninety) million euros in kickbacks That is six times the French anual budget for fighting AIDS. If my memory doesn't fail me just some weeks ago Chirak proposed an international tax for fighting AIDS...
Posted by: JFM   2005-03-29 10:10:17 AM  

#12  How about an international tax on the purchase of that Aerobus bloat-hog aircraft? It could go to building one new runway a year that they could actually land the damn thing on.
Posted by: Anonymoose   2005-03-29 9:50:52 AM  

#11  This is Chiraq's second attempt at an airline tax. I think the first time around he justified it as support for Kyoto (?).
Posted by: trailing wife   2005-03-29 5:56:00 AM  

#10  Europe has a problem which the USA and Australia don't share which is most short haul flights are between different tax regimes and airlines naturally buy fuel where it is cheapest. Its a bit like gasing up your car in the place that has the cheapest fuel. This is really about replacing national taxes with EU wide taxes. Saving Africa is just a piece of theatre to help the pill go down.
Posted by: phil_b   2005-03-29 2:23:39 AM  

#9  Africa's frogistan's domain - you broke it, you fix it.
Posted by: anonymous2u   2005-03-29 2:03:20 AM  

#8  How about a 100% tax on whine.

I would favor a tax on kickbacks instead, but Chirac opposes it. For obvious reasons.
Posted by: JFM   2005-03-29 1:08:44 AM  

#7  This fool doesn't give up.
Eat feces and die you pig.
Posted by: Sock Puppet 0’ Doom   2005-03-29 12:45:06 AM  

#6  French President Jacques Chirac called Monday for a tax on airline fuel and tickets by the end of the year to fight epidemics in Africa in what could be a test for a more far-reaching tax on financial transactions.

Nobody's stopping the jerk from imposing his own taxes on his own subjects. Just leave us the hell OUT of it.
Posted by: Bomb-a-rama   2005-03-29 12:42:30 AM  

#5  How about a 100% tax on whine.
Posted by: ed   2005-03-29 12:38:09 AM  

#4  I think the way to aid Africa is not just do nothing, but to actively deny the whole continent food and water. It's humane, painless and it's the new morality.
Posted by: badanov   2005-03-29 12:36:16 AM  

#3  a "tax on somebody to pay for my current get out of jail idea!"
Posted by: Frank G   2005-03-29 12:25:50 AM  

#2  Africa has always been a French, Belgium, Port, Spainish, English sphere of influence. They can levy the tax on themselves all they want and call it paying for colonial sin if they want to ... just don't include the US.
Posted by: 3dc   2005-03-29 12:25:09 AM  

#1  Nuther inane Chirac idea. Tax is all he knows, it seems: "A problem? Tax someone!"
85% admin cost;
15% actual proceeds. As always.
Well, he can tax his subjects, if they are so inclined.
Posted by: Sobiesky   2005-03-29 12:15:50 AM  

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