It's a tax problem:
"Curses! Romanian government requires witches, fortune tellers to pay taxes" by Associated Press / January 7, 2011
CHITILA, Romania — Everyone curses the tax man, but Romanian witches angry about having to pay up for the first time hurled poisonous mandrake into the Danube River yesterday to cast spells on the president and government.
Maybe it's worth a shot, Americans.
Romania’s newest taxpayers also included fortune tellers — but they probably should have seen it coming.
Ha, ha.... ha.
Superstitions are no laughing matter in Romania — the land of the medieval ruler who inspired the “Dracula’’ tale — and have been part of its culture for centuries.
Am I putting up a smiley face?
Btw, "Dracula" by Bram Stoker was a fantastic novel (imho).
President Traian Basescu and his aides have been known to wear purple on certain days, supposedly to ward off evil....
Sure it is not in support of the militant gay agenda?
The new tax law is part of the government’s drive to collect more revenue and crack down on tax evasion in a country that is in recession.
It is getting to the point where PEOPLE WOULD BE BETTER OFF WITHOUT LOOTING GOVERNMENT!
All for what?
So bankers can get paid?
In the past, the less mainstream professions of witch, astrologer, and fortune teller were not listed in the Romanian labor code, as were those of embalmer, valet, and driving instructor. People who worked those jobs used their lack of registration to evade paying income tax.
Kind of like drug dealers, right?
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Come to think of it, both are selling a fix.
Under the new law, like any self-employed person, they will pay 16 percent income tax and make contributions to health and pension programs....
Queen witch Bratara Buzea, 63, sitting cross-legged in her villa in the lake resort of Mogosoaia, just north of Bucharest, said Wednesday she planned to cast a spell using a particularly effective concoction of cat excrement and a dead dog.
:-)
“We do harm to those who harm us,’’ she said. “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.’’
That's right!
“My curses always work!’’ she cackled in a smoky voice, sitting next to a wood-burning stove, surrounded by potions, charms, holy water, and ceramic pots.
If Romania's government falls like Iceland's, Ireland's, or Tunisia's, I will believe!
--more--"
Did you know the potion also contains the "liver of blaspheming Jew."
Shakespeare the anti-semite?
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