07 January 2011

ROMANIA: Some Witches Resent New Tax, Vow Black Magic On President Traian Basescu .

AP/
    This witch tax story has played almost everywhere except the WSJ.
   Even the NYTIMES posted a short graph.
   But, since this blog covers Romania, we'll recap and link to it.
   In this age of EU austerity and in desperate need of more revenue after IMF loans of $26 billion USD, the government of President Traian Basescu (pictured below) has imposed a new 16% tax...on witches, as well as astrologers, fortune tellers, embalmers, valets and driving instructors, all previously ignored by the tax code.
     Of course, new taxes usually piss off those about to be taxed.
     None more than Queen witch Bratara Buzea (pictured), 63, who was imprisoned in 1977 for witchcraft under Ceausescu's repressive regime. She said she would lead a chorus in casting a spell using a concoction of cat excrement and a dead dog. "They want to take the country out of this crisis using us? They should get us out of the crisis because they brought us into it."
     Also threatened, a dozen witches will hurl a poisonous mandrake plant into the Danube "so evil will befall them."
     Basescu and his aides have reportedly worn purple before in an attempt to ward off evil. After all, look at what happened to Ceausescu and his wife while witch Buzea survived.
     The Basescu boys may have to make purple... a permanent fashion statement.