Stupidity at it's best

[Konigstiger205]

Hello guys,
Nice to be back on the forum. Sorry I haven't took the time to check the forum, but I've been rather busy lately. Anyway I'm writing this because the current global crisis really left its mark on my country as well. Now it's no secret that my country is being ruled over by idiots, but this time they have done it big time. As the crisis struck the country, lots of companies started firing people and lots of factories got closed. The main automobile producer in the country, Dacia, really got it bad so it had to stop production for the moment. Now the geniuses in the government decided that the people should be encouraged to buy new cars, more specifically Dacia Logan and Sandero, which I hate. The country is already full of them and they want to sell more, its like communism again, the whole country will be full of Dacia's. But how did they think they should encourage buying new cars, they tripled the first registration tax, for the cars brought from the outside. Which meant that if you bought yourself a second-hand VW Golf for 3000 euro, you would have to pay around 3000 euro, to register the car in Romania, which is bullsh*t. If the people cannot afford new cars, they won't buy new cars no matter what taxes you come up with. Every since the tax kicked in, Dacia hasn't sold any more cars than before and the tax is still in effect. Isn't this the biggest nonsense you ever heard?....

 

[Matt308]

Obviously you are not in the EU. Sorry to here that. This kind of stupidity is occurring everywhere. It's not just your country's politicians.

 

[Matt308]

Wait a minute... Romania is in the EU. How can an EU member impose a 100% tarriff on another EU member's goods imported? Isn't that contrary to the EU agreement?!?!

 

[BombTaxi]

Matt, the majority of EU rulings are honoured 'in the breach', as it were. There's only the UK stupid enough to do what Brussels/Strasbourg says all of the time. I don't think the EU will do much to punish member states who disregard the rulebook in the present circumstances.

 

[Matt308]

Wow! I thought it was much more formal in agreement. Sounds more like it is just another layer of beauracracy with little teeth. Thanks.

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

That is utter bullshit. I am interested in hearing what the other countries that import the cars have to say.

 

[Njaco]

Konig, take comfort in the fact its not just your country that has the idiots.

Now the geniuses in the government decided that the people should be encouraged to buy new cars,...

That actually makes a little sense unlike here in the States. The stimlus package we have includes millions for renewable energy ( how is that economic?) and over $200 million for furniture! At least in your country they understand that when the consumer consumes, the economy gets better - hopefully.

Not here in the US.

 

[seesul]

Nothing similar here. The crises decreased the prices of the new and used cars a lot. About 20% in some cases.
Sorry to hear it Königstiger.

 

[BombTaxi]

As I understand it, it is no longer a main aim of the EU to provide 'free and undistorted competition' within it's sphere of influence - Sarkozy had the wording removed during the Traty of Lisbon negotiations, although it still lingers on in other, less important documents. So from that angle, Romania is doing no wrong. However, thier actions still contravene the spirit of Article 12 of the EC treaty, which forbids discrimination on the grounds of nationality. Without seeing the actual Romanian legislation, it is impossible to tell if the Romanians are soing something illegal.

If they have imposed this tax against 'cars from countries other than Romania'. Brussels can throw the book at them - whether they will or not remains to be seen. If, however, imposed this tax on 'cars that are not made by Dacia', it could be very difficult for the EU to make a case, thanks to the modifications that Sarkozy had made.

EDIT: Have read a bit more, this activity also contravenes Article 25 of the Treaty, forbidding the charging of customs duties upon goods moving across borders between member states. Wonder what Brussels will do now?

(Source for all this is Wiki, articles on the 'European Union' and 'Four Freedoms [European Union] ).

 

[muller]

In Ireland if you import a car you have to pay a registration tax, and VAT and import tax. And get this, the registration tax is based on the 'fair market value' of the car, which means, what the same year/model irish car is worth.

Now a new car coming into ireland is subject to the same taxes, so the 'fair market value' of a 2nd hand irish car incorporates all the cost of taxes paid on it when it came into the country 1st. So in effect you are paying registration tax twice if you import a car.

But the falling value of Sterling against the Euro makes it a lot cheaper to import a car from the UK right now. Which is why new car sales here are down about 70% this year!

And our polititions are dumb-asses like yours Konig!

 

[Konigstiger205]

Well the tax addresses to cars that are not produced here and are registered for the first time in Romania. Although the prices dropped here as well at the beginning of the crisis, they have now rose again. The other stupid thing that amazes me is the fact that Dacia doesn't want to make bigger discounts on their car. For example a Dacia Logan can go up to around 8000 euro, but it costs only around 3000 euro to make one, so they could drop the price much lower than just a few hundreds euro. I'm afraid that at some point the greedy bastards will get to bankruptcy and the government will save them with our bloody money....

 

[seesul]

Königstiger, I´m looking 4ward 2 see your goverment people driving Sanderos8)

 

[Murray B]

Now it's no secret that my country is being ruled over by idiots...

Hello Konigstiger. Our politicians in Canada all retire wealthy so I expect that it is us citizens that are the foolish ones.

The economic problems have been years in the making but we now know what will happen if there is free trade without having a level playing field.

From where I sit it also looks like the Communist Chinese have not become capitalists as we have been told. Practically all of their growth has been at the expense of every other country in the world.

About the best an ordinary person can do is buy local products as much as possible. I always buy North American whenever I can even when it means extra work to find the products. If I buy an electric shaver made in U.S.A. then those folks can buy what we make. This makes sense to me. If I buy chinese then none of that money will return to buy our products. This makes no sense to me.

 

[Konigstiger205]

Murray B you have a point there, but I believe that that decision should be made by us, not forced by taxes. A Dacia is more cheaper than a rival car, but I just hate them and I don't see myself driving one. I rather get second hand car than a Dacia....

 

[Murray B]

Murray B you have a point there, but I believe that that decision should be made by us, not forced by taxes. A Dacia is more cheaper than a rival car, but I just hate them and I don't see myself driving one. I rather get second hand car than a Dacia....

There is a very famous car called the Trabant. Is this Dacia like that?

 

[Konigstiger205]

There is a very famous car called the Trabant. Is this Dacia like that?

Dacia was the mother of all cars for Romanians during the communism. Every single driver in Romania probably drove once once. Back in the "golden age" there where available only Dacia, Trabant and Russian brands. Later one the Oltcit appeared. Dacia was much better than Trabant and the new Dacia Logan is a modern car but I just don't like it.

 

[Murray B]

... Dacia Logan is a modern car but I just don't like it.

Is there any way for you to modify it so that you would like it more? Here in North America many people change their cars so they like them better.

 

[Konigstiger205]

Is there any way for you to modify it so that you would like it more? Here in North America many people change their cars so they like them better.

No...its more like a family car, its big and ugly. I"m only 20 years old, I want something that looks good and can run fast .

 

[FLYBOYJ]

No...its more like a family car, its big and ugly. I"m only 20 years old, I want something that looks good and can run fast .

What you need to do is to put a little "bling" on it!

 

[GrauGeist]

No...its more like a family car, its big and ugly. I"m only 20 years old, I want something that looks good and can run fast .

The car or the woman?