French No campaigners launch new bid to bring back the franc

IRTradRU? · Post by **IRTradRU?** » Thu Jun 16, 2005 10:37 pm

http://news.scotsman.com/international.cfm?id=664902005

Right on the heels of Italy and the lira.

Flyingcursor · Post by **Flyingcursor** » Fri Jun 17, 2005 3:09 am

Actually I thought they'd just renegotiate the constitution but now it sounds like they're giving up the idea of a EU totally. What will converting back to national currencies do to the economy?

Matt_Paris · Post by **Matt_Paris** » Fri Jun 17, 2005 3:39 am

Hey!... De Villiers won less than 5% of votes at the last national elections he participated (1995). This guy represents nothing in France, but we hear him everytime people discuss about Europe, because he has very "original" opinions about it. Sad to see this clown has international recognition.

61% of french miss the franc... Possible, I don't think a majority of french actually want to go back to it. It would not be practically feasible, and would be a terribly expensive thing to do.

The situation about the No in France is also quite complicated: there are people that have almost nothing in common, socialists, communists, nationalists... In the "yes side", it's the same: socialists, moderates, conservatives, ecologists...

And now, nobody knows what to do. France is strange sometimes.

:roll:

Martin Milner · Post by **Martin Milner** » Fri Jun 17, 2005 4:15 am

For business purposes different currencies are a real pain - constantly changing exchange rates mean an invoice paid never matches the costs when it was raised, and the parasitic banks always steal their pound of flesh for performing the transaction. Hopefully over the course of the year things even out, but it's messy.

From my individual point of view, it really doesn't make much difference what the currency is. It's so easy these days to obtain cash through ATMs and use internationally accepted debit or credit cards, the only question is whether you are getting value for your money at resturants.

GaryKelly · Post by **GaryKelly** » Fri Jun 17, 2005 4:20 am

And from my perspective, a single currency wouldn't be so bad if a pint and a packet of fags cost the same in the UK as it does in say France or Belgium, or Spain. But that'll never happen.

Besides, if it *did* happen, there'd be no real point in visiting France or Belgium, or Spain, except perhaps for the weather.

missy · Post by **missy** » Fri Jun 17, 2005 5:23 am

Gary wrote:
"pint and a packet of fags cost the same in the UK as it does in say France or Belgium, or Spain. But that'll never happen. "

Gary - that doesn't happen state to state here!!!! Ohio has quite a large "sin tax" on alcohol and tobacco. Many people (especially those that live in Cincinnati, since Indianna and Kentucky are only a few miles away) drive across state lines to purchase these. Kentucky just raised the taxes on cigarettes - but before that a pack was almost a dollar cheaper in KY than in OH.
Of course there ARE laws about how much of either you can bring BACK into Ohio - personal consumption and all that. Used to be there would be Ohio tax officers sitting in Kentucky parking lots, monitoring the amounts people were buying and bringing back. I don't think that happens too much anymore.

And we still have "dry" counties in OH, KY and IN (and lots of other states) - so you'll have one county where you can buy alcohol, the next you can't. It's REAL evident where the county line is in these places - it's where all the drive throughs or carry outs are!!!!

Jack · Post by **Jack** » Fri Jun 17, 2005 5:43 am

I miss the franc.

dubhlinn · Post by **dubhlinn** » Fri Jun 17, 2005 5:48 am

Gary,
I feel your pain...every pub,factory,warehouse,building site and anywhere else people gather in these parts has a guy floggin' ciggies and baccy much cheaper than the shops and with all taxes paid at point of purchase.They can still turn a tidy profit...bloody government taxes!!!!

Missy,
I am gob smacked that the Land of the Free still has dry States...I was under the impression that went out years ago. Seems a very bizarre idea among a people who claim to be so "free"

Slan,
D.

missy · Post by **missy** » Fri Jun 17, 2005 6:07 am

Dub - it's really strange........

here's a link to the county status in KY
http://www.hultgren.org/library/misc/wet-dry.htm

A lot of these are "tourist" areas (Powell County has Red River Gorge, Edmundson is Mammoth Cave). That could be part of it. I know Powell County votes about every 5 years or so to change status, and it always gets defeated.

Ohio also still has "blue" laws on the books. Alcohol cannot be sold until after 1:00pm on Sunday, and there's no hunting on Sunday.

Jack · Post by **Jack** » Fri Jun 17, 2005 6:20 am

I never really understood why France would go to the Euro system in the first place...

Flyingcursor · Post by **Flyingcursor** » Fri Jun 17, 2005 6:27 am

If that map is correct, most of Kentucky is dry. It's mind boggling. Gobsmaking, if you will.

amar · Post by **amar** » Fri Jun 17, 2005 6:27 am

missy wrote:Dub - it's really strange........

here's a link to the county status in KY
http://www.hultgren.org/library/misc/wet-dry.htm

A lot of these are "tourist" areas (Powell County has Red River Gorge, Edmundson is Mammoth Cave). That could be part of it. I know Powell County votes about every 5 years or so to change status, and it always gets defeated.

Ohio also still has "blue" laws on the books. Alcohol cannot be sold until after 1:00pm on Sunday, and there's no hunting on Sunday.

hey, that looks a bit like austria.

missy · Post by **missy** » Fri Jun 17, 2005 7:01 am

Fly - that's a map of the LEGAL selling of alcohol.......

Doesn't say anything about the moonshine type of stuff.

Which reminds me, Cocke County Tennessee is also dry. That's the setting for the movie "White Lightning"...........

Redwolf · Post by **Redwolf** » Fri Jun 17, 2005 8:40 am

dubhlinn wrote:Gary,
I feel your pain...every pub,factory,warehouse,building site and anywhere else people gather in these parts has a guy floggin' ciggies and baccy much cheaper than the shops and with all taxes paid at point of purchase.They can still turn a tidy profit...bloody government taxes!!!!

Missy,
I am gob smacked that the Land of the Free still has dry States...I was under the impression that went out years ago. Seems a very bizarre idea among a people who claim to be so "free"

Slan,
D.

Actually, those states are exercising their freedom to determine their own liquor laws, as liquor is regulated first at the state, and then at the county level. "Land of the Free" doesn't mean "free to do anything you want." People in those areas have chosen to regulate liquor in the way that they do, and could change the laws, if they so wanted, by voting for change. Or, if they really dislike the laws and can't be arsed to work for change, they are free to move.

All "dry" means, by the way, is that liquor can't be sold in those areas. There are no laws about bringing it in from other areas, and people who live in dry counties and choose to drink do exactly that.

Every state regulates liquor a little differently. Here in California, you can buy liquor in the grocery store or in independently owned and operated liquor stores. Prices are extremely competative. Where I grew up in Washington state, however, anything stronger than wine had to be sold in a state-owned liquor store (you had to be 21 even to enter the premises!) and the prices were astronomical.

Before the Federal government stuck its nose in, states also used to set their own drinking age.

Redwolf

Random notes · Post by **Random notes** » Fri Jun 17, 2005 9:33 am

Missy wrote:Fly - that's a map of the LEGAL selling of alcohol.......

Doesn't say anything about the moonshine type of stuff.

It's not just 'shine - every dry county has it's bootleggers and eveyone knows who it is. Of course, he's good friends or kin with the Sheriff (or "Sherf" as we say down here), Mayor, etc., and it all goes on with everyone getting a little sugar along the way.

Not too long ago there was a wet/dry vote in a dry county in central KY. A liquor store owner just over the line in a wet county called a preachin' friend of his from out of state and offered him a wad of cash if he would come up and hold a revival meeting in the dry county and another wad if the county was still dry after the vote. The county is still dry, the preacher made his bonus and the liquor store still does a lot of business across the county line.

(Reminds me of a joke:

Q: What's the difference between Baptists and Methodists?

A: Methodists say Hello when they see each other in the liquor store.)

As far as I am concerned, the "morality" of the dry county is more than offset by the hypocrisy and pervasive corruption that results. But I'm not a regular churchgoin' guy, so what do I know about morality.

BTW, is this thread thoroughly hijacked yet?

Roger