Friday, July 31, 2009

Preferred Customers

Sen. PhogboundThe following joke came to us from GCFL.net, an email joke service that specializes in “Good Clean Funnies”.

If you want to subscribe to a (free) joke list that your kids can read, I recommend GCFL.

Community Service

One day a florist went to a barber for a haircut. After the cut he asked about his bill and the barber replied, “I cannot accept money from you. I’m doing community service this week.” The florist was pleased and left the shop.

When the barber came to open his shop the next morning, there was a “thank you” card and a dozen roses waiting for him at his door.

Later, a cop came in for a haircut, and when he tried to pay his bill, the barber again replied, “I cannot accept money from you. I’m doing community service this week.” The cop was happy and left the shop.

The next morning when the barber arrived at the shop, there was a “thank you” card and a dozen donuts waiting for him at his door.

Later that day, a college professor came in for a haircut, and when he tried to pay his bill, the barber again replied, “I cannot accept money from you. I’m doing community service this week.” The professor was very happy and left the shop.

The next morning when the barber opened his shop, there was a “thank you” card and a dozen different books, such as “How to Improve Your Business” and “Becoming More Successful.”

Then, a Congressman came in for a haircut, and when he tried to pay his bill, the barber again replied, “I cannot accept money from you. I’m doing community service this week.” The Congressman was very happy and left the shop…
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The next morning when the barber came to the shop to open up, there were a dozen Congressmen lined up waiting for a free haircut.

And that, my friends, illustrates the fundamental difference between the citizens of our country and the members of our Congress.

8 comments:

bewick said...

Nice one Baron.fits even better here in the UK

kepiblanc said...

And here in Europe the florist, the cop and the professor would receive a bill and a fine for 'forgetting' those services in their tax returns. And the barber would likewise receive a similar letter and a somewhat harsher fine from the treasury for 'forgetting' the gifts.

And that, my friends, is the difference between America and Europe...

Conservative Swede said...

Yes, the barber and the florist exchanging services (flowers and haircuts) in this way is a clear case of tax evasion. These selfish pigs, by exchanging services behind the back of the authorities, have thus avoided to pay VAT and other taxes to the Ministry of Goodness. Money which would have gone to the needy people, instead of staying with the rich egoists, such as themselves.

Orlando said...

I never even thought of the "tax evasion" angle. When voluntary exchange becomes a crime, you live in bondage.

Exile said...

Go Kepi! That's telling it like it is!

Anonymous said...

The barber, here, could not do his own barb in the shop, or he must bill it under "self-consume".

Conservative Swede said...

Yes, the florist, to be a good citizen, should not just take the flowers, he's giving away, directly from his business. He should first pay (his own business) for the flowers with his private money, for which he has already payed income tax (in the way he's doing it now he's actually avoiding this income tax). And he should pay the price with VAT. Then his business will send this VAT money to the Ministry of Goodness.

These are the first two taxes that he avoided. But it doesn't end there. When he bought the flowers from his own business, his business made a profit. This is ground for the profit tax. And later when he wants to take out what's left of that money, as salary, he'll have to pay income tax again, and not to forget the hidden income tax (sociala avgifter) that goes directly to the authorities. And when he finally buys something for the money that's left over, he's paying VAT again.

Look like a major case of tax evasion, Sherlock!

And all of the same holds true for the delinquent barber.

Zenster said...

Conservative Swede: Yes, the florist, to be a good citizen, should not just take the flowers, he's giving away, directly from his business. He should first pay (his own business) for the flowers with his private money, for which he has already payed income tax (in the way he's doing it now he's actually avoiding this income tax).

Enough of this Swedish pessimism!

What about if the florist and barber actually own their respective shops?

I'm quite confident that Europe still has a compendium of laws specifically geared to criminalize even this simple level of bartering.

Just one more reason why I French kiss my doormat whenever I return home from overseas.