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Shirtly Germans Giving Schroeder A Taxing Time
IOL ^ | 12-06-2002

Posted on 12/06/2002 2:53:35 PM PST by blam

Shirty Germans giving Schroeder a taxing time

December 06 2002 at 06:05AM

Berlin - Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder's morning postbag is a little heavier than normal these days as thousands of disgruntled Germans send him their shirts in a protest over new taxes.

A government spokesperson said 7 000 shirts had now arrived at the chancellery in Berlin, including 1 000 alone on Wednesday.

It follows a campaign launched over the Internet for Germans to show their anger at the government's tax and fiscal policies, akin to saying "you're taking the shirt off my back".

The shirts sent to Schroeder are being donated to a shop in Bielefeld, northern Germany, which sells secondhand clothes to the unemployed.

'Here's my last shirt to fulfil your biggest Christmas wish' The campaign was launched two weeks ago by Christian Stein, an estate agent from near Dortmund, who sent an email to 100 friends.

It snowballed from there, so he set up a website.

He suggests sending an accompanying note with every package along the lines of: "Happy festive season. Here's my last shirt to fulfil your biggest Christmas wish. Any more tax rises are pointless now as I haven't got anything left." Stein said he was receiving about 1 000 emails a day from people saying they had sent shirts to the chancellor. - Sapa-AFP


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: germans; schroeder; shirtly; taxing; time

1 posted on 12/06/2002 2:53:35 PM PST by blam
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To: blam
http://www.aktionletzteshemd.de
2 posted on 12/06/2002 2:59:04 PM PST by wideawake
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To: blam
Did any of them fit? Might be a good way to get some free shirts.
3 posted on 12/06/2002 3:00:54 PM PST by Still Thinking
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To: blam
So when are we doing this to the IRS?
4 posted on 12/06/2002 3:03:29 PM PST by anobjectivist
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To: blam; knighthawk
See a story about this from a couple of days ago here:

Taxed Germans Having Shirty Xmas
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/800893/posts
5 posted on 12/06/2002 3:09:29 PM PST by PAR35
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To: blam
...as thousands of disgruntled Germans send him their shirts in a protest over new taxes.

This can't be! The Modern German Socialist State was Bill Clinton's ideal government.

Seig Bill! Seig Bill! Seig Bill!

6 posted on 12/06/2002 3:14:44 PM PST by elbucko
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To: anobjectivist
Some years ago someone reportedly wrote a check to the IRS on his shirt - and the IRS deposited it and it cleared.
7 posted on 12/06/2002 3:18:34 PM PST by Larry Lucido
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To: Larry Lucido
Some years ago someone reportedly wrote a check to the IRS on his shirt - and the IRS deposited it and it cleared.

That is a true story.

A disgruntled taxpayer also once wrote a check to the IRS on toilet paper.

It cleared also.

No word on whether it was previously used or not.

Nowadays, the IRS discourages such frivilous activities and partaking in such, even if legal tender, would probably result in a life time supply of AUDITS.

8 posted on 12/06/2002 3:51:21 PM PST by OldSmaj
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To: MadIvan
Question, O Grammar Maven of the Isles: what does "shirty" mean over there? I have the impression it means something along the lines of "snippy," but with a bit more assertiveness.
9 posted on 12/06/2002 3:56:51 PM PST by Xenalyte
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To: Xenalyte
It's on a par with "snippy". ;)

Regards, Ivan

10 posted on 12/06/2002 10:53:56 PM PST by MadIvan
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To: blam
This further supports the theory that Germans love David Hasselhoff.
11 posted on 12/06/2002 11:03:56 PM PST by Lancey Howard
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To: Xenalyte
Is it shirty or shirtly?
12 posted on 12/06/2002 11:05:18 PM PST by Lancey Howard
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