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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
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| Rich Germans demand higher taxes | Rich Germans demand higher taxes |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| A group of rich Germans has launched a petition calling for the government to make wealthy people pay higher taxes. | A group of rich Germans has launched a petition calling for the government to make wealthy people pay higher taxes. |
| The group say they have more money than they need, and the extra revenue could fund economic and social programmes to aid Germany's economic recovery. | The group say they have more money than they need, and the extra revenue could fund economic and social programmes to aid Germany's economic recovery. |
| Germany could raise 100bn euros (£91bn) if the richest people paid a 5% wealth tax for two years, they say. | |
| The petition has 44 signatories so far, and will be presented to newly re-elected Chancellor Angela Merkel. | The petition has 44 signatories so far, and will be presented to newly re-elected Chancellor Angela Merkel. |
| The group say the financial crisis is leading to an increase in unemployment, poverty and social inequality. | The group say the financial crisis is leading to an increase in unemployment, poverty and social inequality. |
| Simply donating money to deal with the problems is not enough, they want a change in the whole approach. | Simply donating money to deal with the problems is not enough, they want a change in the whole approach. |
| "The path out of the crisis must be paved with massive investment in ecology, education and social justice," they say in the petition. | "The path out of the crisis must be paved with massive investment in ecology, education and social justice," they say in the petition. |
| Those who had "made a fortune through inheritance, hard work, hard-working, successful entrepreneurship, or investment" should contribute by paying more to alleviate the crisis. | Those who had "made a fortune through inheritance, hard work, hard-working, successful entrepreneurship, or investment" should contribute by paying more to alleviate the crisis. |
| The man behind the petition, Dieter Lehmkuhl, told Berlin's Tagesspiegel that there were 2.2 million people in Germany with a fortune of more than 500,000 euros. | The man behind the petition, Dieter Lehmkuhl, told Berlin's Tagesspiegel that there were 2.2 million people in Germany with a fortune of more than 500,000 euros. |
| If they all paid the tax for two years, Germany could raise 100bn euros to fund ecological programmes, education and social projects, said the retired doctor and heir to a brewery. | If they all paid the tax for two years, Germany could raise 100bn euros to fund ecological programmes, education and social projects, said the retired doctor and heir to a brewery. |
| Signatory Peter Vollmer told AFP news agency he was supporting the proposal because he had inherited "a lot of money I do not need". | Signatory Peter Vollmer told AFP news agency he was supporting the proposal because he had inherited "a lot of money I do not need". |
| He said the tax would be "a viable and socially acceptable way out of the flagrant budget crisis". | He said the tax would be "a viable and socially acceptable way out of the flagrant budget crisis". |
| The group held a demonstration in Berlin on Wednesday to draw attention to their plans, throwing fake banknotes into the air. | The group held a demonstration in Berlin on Wednesday to draw attention to their plans, throwing fake banknotes into the air. |
| Mr Vollmer said it was "really strange that so few people came". | Mr Vollmer said it was "really strange that so few people came". |