Salzburg trip and an update on taxes

Thanks to Mike, and the wonderful software the Lucas is working on, I discovered FactCheck.org's excellent analysis of the "Fair Tax". This is relevant, as some of you may recall my posting on taxes last month (although I imagine most of you skipped that one). In it, I wrote about my desire for the U.S. to increase the sales tax, start taxing services (like lawyers and financial consultants) and to give further tax credits for renewable energy use, and stop subsidizing a lot of different areas. This would allow a decrease in the income tax rate, and by exempting basic consumables, would amount to a progressive tax. The "Fair Tax," often bandied about by conservatives, would eliminate income and social security taxes and attempt to collect all revenue from sales taxes. This approach would be egregiously regressive, as low income families spend a greater percentage of their income on consumables than do richer families. So, not fair at all, I suggest you check it out.


Last weekend I was in Salzburg, which I think has become the favorite city I've visited on this trip (oh and you can see all my pics from there on my web album. However, it will not hold that title for long, as I venture off to Barcelona in about two weeks, and then off to Rome in July.

It wasn't a perfect day in Salzburg, a bit overcast and some occasional sprinkles, but I was OK with that, it kept me nice and cool as I hiked up the mountain to the Festung Hohenzalzburg, the giant fortress in the pictures that construction began on in 1077. Many of the pictures in the album are either of the fortress or from it. Aside from the fortress, the wonderful architecture, being the birthplace of some dude named Mozart, and The Palace of Mirabel (where all the flower pics are from), Salzburg also gets a ton of tourists due to its prominent roll in The Sound of Music. There were a ton of tours offered to take one around to the sights from the movie. Having been scared at an early age by my mother's love (and what seemed like weekly consumption) of the film, I was unable to partake in the tour. I fear I may have ended up in a paroxysm of seizures. And yes, I have grown to appreciate the film a little bit over time (particularly Christopher Plummer's role), but I'm not ready to embrace it yet (I think that has to do with my loathing of Julie Andrews).

So, I just walked around the city, took lots of pictures, and had a nice time making fun of the other American tourists. As a solitary traveler sans fanny pack, I am not easily identifiable as an American or a tourist at all for that matter. In fact, my favorite part of the trip was when I went into a shop to buy some Mozart Balls (some kind of chocolate candy with pistachio in it), and I said in response to the shop keeper's queries that my German was not so good. She responded, "Ah, Italiano?" I then smiled, and sheepishly admitted that I was an English speaker. So, thank you Eastern European ancestors (that'd be you great-grandpa and great-grandma Zupancic) for allowing me to pass as Spanish, Italian, Croatian, Jewish - I love being a chameleon.

Not much else of interest to note. I went back to the hostel, was doing some reading, chatting a bit with some folks, when I was pulled into an enjoyable conversation on literature, philosophy and religion after one of the girls at the table was shocked to see that I was reading Ulysses for pleasure. Now, the quintessential description of James Joyce's Ulysses is that its a book that's more talked about than read. I quickly grew to understand the truth of that description, as it is a very difficult read. However, I knew that going in and chose it precisely for that reason. I knew I wouldn't have access to a library with books in English here, and I also know that especially when traveling, I zoom through novels. Case in point, I bought Bret Easton Ellis' latest Lunar Park, for the trip to Vienna - just a four hour train ride. But of course, with the train ride down there, and a little free time in Vienna, I was left with nothing to read for the return journey. So, I brought along Ulysses because its long, and I knew that its 'interesting' style would force me to read slowly and for short periods only. Now, bringing along something like The Brothers K or War and Peace would have given me something long to read. But I also would have been reading them compulsively - as I consider them spectacular and great fun to read. So, they would have lasted two weeks top. It all makes sense now, doesn't it?

So, that's my Salzburg trip. Next stop, Barcelona.