The good people of the Netherlands like to think of their country as a democracy where everyone is equal. In fact, it is a monarchy, which makes it incompatible with actual democratic principles, of course. The royal family — clearly more equal than others — receives public welfare a handout a stipend of at least seven million dollars a year. Taxfree. That's despite the fact that, with estimated wealth of 2 to 5 billion dollars, Queen Beatrix is among the world's richest women (she literally has more moolah than the Queen of England). Much of that is blood money: it has been extracted from former overseas "possessions" (colonies), and from ordinary Dutch people, over generations, going back to feudal times.
And the Dutch are still paying. In a move that redefines the meaning of the word chutzpah, three national lotteries — controlled by the government — withdrew money from millions of lottery players' bank accounts the other day, about seven dollars per person. The idea was to buy the Queen a nice present for her 25th anniversary as a monarch. The banking customers never authorized the withdrawal, but that was of no import to Attorney General Piet Hein Donner, who had given the plan his advance blessing.
Despite the rulers having so decreed, many of the 3.5 million people whose pockets were picked didn't like it one bit. They wanted their money refunded. The lottery officials' response? People who don't want to participate can call a toll number, for about 20 cents a minute. The profit generated by these calls is split between the phone service provider and — sure enough — the lotteries themselves.
UPDATE: To avoid being tarred and feathered and run out of town, Donner has pleaded with the lotteries to make the opt-out number toll-free; and in their magnanimity, they have finally complied.
Crazy what citizens put up with and keep education us on this stuff. But please make sure to have your facts right in order to maintain believability; Beatrix is not the richest woman as per your own link but the Walton heiress is. She is according to the article the richest queen however. Also in the lottery article it states that the money for the special drawing was to go to four good causes designated by Beatrix. Where is it stated that the money was for a present for her?
Posted by: josie | Thursday, March 24, 2005 at 02:23 PM
See http://tinyurl.com/569pq
The money IS her present. That she has picked 'good causes' to spend it on hardly mitigates the manner in which it was raised.
Posted by: Rogier | Thursday, March 24, 2005 at 03:10 PM