Curses! Romania's witches forced to pay income tax

[onager]

CHITILA, Romania (AP) — 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 on Thursday to cast spells on the president and government.

Romania's newest taxpayers also included fortune tellers — but they probably should have seen it coming.

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. President Traian Basescu and his aides have been known to wear purple on certain days, supposedly to ward off evil...

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.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.

Under the new law, like any self-employed person, they will pay 16 percent income tax and make contributions to health and pension programs.

Some argue the law will be hard to enforce, as the payments to witches and astrologers usually are small cash amounts of 20 to 30 lei ($7-$10) per consultation...

Such spiritualism has long been tolerated by the Orthodox Church in Romania, and the late Communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu and his wife, Elena, had their own personal witch.

Queen witch Bratara Buzea, 63, who was imprisoned in 1977 for witchcraft under Ceausescu's repressive regime, is furious about the new law.

Sitting cross-legged in her villa in the lake resort of Mogosoaia, just north of Bucharest, she said Wednesday she planned to cast a spell using a particularly effective concoction of cat excrement and a dead dog...

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/eu_romania_witchcraft

[varkam]

1. I don't know why I find it so funny that they threw mandrake into the river in protest.

But I do. I really do.

:rofl:

[Silent3]

2. I wonder if this will lead to a Romanian "Mandrake Party"?

People protesting taxes by throwing plant materials into bodies of water is a time-honored tradition, after all.

[TZ]

3. Now see, this is where Christine O'Donnell should hold office

Taxes on witches? Tea Party Witch to the Rescue

[varkam]

4. "I *AM* a witch, and these taxes are outrageous!"