[Culturechat] CH Votes Sunday, 2 Dec.

[Vance Roy]

There are nationwide votes on several initiatives this coming Sunday, 2
December.

There is a vote on a mandatory debit ceiling for the government
retroactive to 22 June, 2001. This is one of those things where the
conservative party (Swiss People's Party) and the moderates agree and
support it. The Social party, the Green Party, and the workers unions
are against it for fear that social programs will suffer. The
organizations representing businesses are for it also.

A proposal to secure the Swiss social security system by means of an
energy tax instead of a tax on income sees the moderates and the
conservatives in bed together again to oppose it. The liberals are for
this, with the business organizations opposing it.

There is an initiative proposing the abolishment of the Swiss army. This
has been on the ballot before, and each time, more are in favor of it.
The army would be replaced by a civil defense force. This time, the
opposition is all of the parties except the Greens. Both the unions and
the Social Party have no position on it.

The proposal for a civil defense force is only supported by the unions,
the Green, and the Social Party.

The last proposal is to institute a capital gains tax in CH. Again, the
unions, the Greens, and the Socials are the only ones in favor.

How will all this turn out? Who knows? There are here in CH, as
elsewhere, a lot of folks who don't vote a straight ticket. Time will tell.
-- 
Vance Roy
gigli.saw@dplanet.ch.