>It depends on your point of view whether you see this as people "fleeing" the country, or just another aspect of globalisation.

And it can be, when certain aspects are omitted, perfectly abused for political goals. Like the European nationalist right blaming "too many foreigners" on the emigration, or the American conservatives by making it look like the people flee the European social system.

OK it was a silly thing for me to post here - i regret it and a lapse of judgment though when folks do that - also uncalled for satire like on your part and about take it to the lounge i feel they should just not click on the post but not try to prevent discussion.

The trivia threads often lead to great discussions that make me a more informed traveler.

Sorry - apologeticPal

There is an excellent reason for not posting this on the lounge: avoiding BM.

well i was going to say exactly that - how one rotten apple can destroy the whole barrel, or lounge in this case.

Land has always been very valuable to the Dutch. There is a long history of them buying land in Canada and they have always been welcomed.
When we were in Holland there was a lot of talk about the government buying back land and having it remain as a trust. This is a switch from the effort to reclaim land from the sea. It also has far-reaching effects on farmers and their families. I would suspect that this has something to do with this emigration.

> I would suspect that this has something to do with this emigration.

I would assume rather the reverse. It is still very expensive to claim new land from the sea, and expensive to keep it dry. The farmers who own the land have to pay these costs, which don´t occur in Canada or Midwest USA. Going where agricultural land is cheap or changing the occupation is often the only choice for the farmers.

brennyp - in fairness to janisj, whose quote i copied from one of my posts that were not travel related - i don't think she would think your OP to be silly - just not in the right forum. To be honest the post she added that on of mine probably was a silly post. But yours is not so i errored in putting that word in her mouth here. These type of posts are what many Fodorites enjoy it seems as much as posts which i consider silly - like where is the best gelato in Italy.

agreed Palenq. Just trying to educate myself and find out more info. I just though it was interesting. Plus, I am very interesting in European news/current events and I find it hard to come by sometimes.

>>And they also traffic in cow sperm they export from here.<<

Sounds like there have been some interesting and unexpected developments in animal husbandry in the States! Is this something to do with all the hormones that are supposedly pumped into cattle over there, PalenQ?

I have a farming uncle who lives near a dairy farm that was bought by a dike jumper - and turned into a mega farm with over a 1,000 milking herd.

This farmer traffics in sperm but i think it was developed in Holland and he brought it over and started his own herd with the genetic trait that produces such huge cows and udders.

Me i find it udderly interesting - i think hormones are more pumped into steers to fatten and lesser into dairy cows, who however may be fed antibiotics - don't really know but the debate about cow doping, like the Tour de France doping, continues.

Hi A,

>...what I would pay in USA in terms of incoem taxes with the same income as I have now in Germany - and he came up with a pretty much similar number..

He actually filled out a form 1040 for you, or he checked the tax rate schedule and gave you a percentage?

You can do it yourself, if you wish. Download Form 1040 at www.irs.ustreas.gov/prod/forms_pubs/index.html

If you are still working, add 8% of your gross for FICA and Medicare.

Unless you live in a State that doesn't have income tax, you will have to also download a form for that State.

Sales tax is about 6%.

Property taxes vary by location.

I'd be quite surprised to find that your tax burden in the US would be as high as it is in Germany.

A quick update on Dutch emigration, based on new figures out today - the numbers emigrating is falling - 46,000 in the first 6 months of 2007 compared to 57,000 in the same period last year. Most popular destinations are Germany, Belgium, UK, Dutch Antilles and Spain. Less than 50% of those emigrating were born in The Netherlands. So it really is not so bad. Especially as those going to Germany/Belgium are still working in the Netherlands usually, just living over the border so officially they have emigrated.

>He actually filled out a form 1040 for you, or he checked the tax rate schedule and gave you a percentage?

No, he just estimated it based on what he gets and pays. Btw. he is based in NY (upstate).

>You can do it yourself, if you wish. Download Form 1040 at www.irs.ustreas.gov/prod/forms_pubs/index.html

Sorry, the link doesn´t work...

>If you are still working, add 8% of your gross for FICA and Medicare.

"Still"!! I have a few decades before me.
If FICA is something like pension fund -it is fully tax deductible here in Germany. The problem is only that you pay high taxes throughout the year, then spend days filling out numerous forms (do you know that over half of the world´s taxation-related literature is in German?), then wait another few months for the tax credit.