Spain Blots Out the Sun, wonders why their economy sucks...

[benjamindees]

http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com/2013/07/spain-levies-consumption-tax-on-sunlight.html

Proving that idiocy truly has no bounds, Spain issued a "royal decree" taxing sunlight gatherers. The state threatens fines as much as 30 million euros for those who illegally gather sunlight without paying a tax.

(This must be what Einstein felt like, when a solar eclipse provided opportunity to test his theories.)

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[Hailo]

What bulls*** is this. Lol

[Luciddd]

They need money for when people do this for terrorist purposes perhaps? lol.

[Ekaros]

Is the tax a fee for those times when there is no sun as backup power must be kept operational?

I'm okay with wind and solar as long as people don't use electricity when there is no production. Or maybe they should force variable rates on those users...

[vokain]

the common sense, does it exist?

[justusranvier]

Oh come on, this is perfectly logical and shouldn't be the slightest bit surprising to anyone.

The government is nothing more than the strongest mafia to occupy a particular geographic region.

This particular mafia has some friends who have done them some favors in exchange for the mafia using their guns to making sure those friends don't have to worry about competitors. If the peasants were allowed to produce their own electricity it would cause the mafia's cronies to lose money, therefore the mafia is acting to prevent this.

They are just doing what mafias do.

[vokain]

Oh come on, this is perfectly logical and shouldn't be the slightest bit surprising to anyone.

The government is nothing more than the strongest mafia to occupy a particular geographic region.

This particular mafia has some friends who have done them some favors in exchange for the mafia using their guns to making sure those friends don't have to worry about competitors. If the peasants were allowed to produce their own electricity it would cause the mafia's cronies to lose money, therefore the mafia is acting to prevent this.

They are just doing what mafias do.

they need to be afraid again

[EskimoBob]

USA is no better
http://www.pakalertpress.com/2013/04/29/video-collecting-rainwater-now-illegal-in-many-states/

[Carlton Banks]

I predict that we'll genuinely end up with a tax on oxygen. The obscenities of these protection rackets know no bounds.

[Behemot]

The question is how is the situation about solar power plants in there. Because of subvention huge amounts of them were built and now for example here in Czech republic we will pay incredible bilions in future decades. It is almost not possible to legaly built SPP even for yoru own use because of that.

Of course, the problem is in ESSR regime and the fact something as subvention actually exist. Trying to fix one screwup (subvention) with another screwups (regulation and taxation). Sane people know where it leads, right?

[marcus_of_augustus]

Interesting that mafia is already mentioned ... I believe the whole solar subsidy industry in Spain is a well-known corrupt mafioso rort for at least 5 years now.
No surprises that they managed to now get the govt. on side to protect their racket.

[ElectricMucus]

Wow we truly are in the golden age of Bureaucracy.