The welfare state

Russell Shorto of the NY Times compares the Dutch welfare state to America’s notion of socialism. The author jaunts through a list of perks for paying a heftier income tax, such as the $4,265 that was deposited in his account last May for vakantiegeld, or in English, vacation money.

For that matter, even if you are unemployed you still receive a base amount of vakantiegeld from the government, the reasoning being that if you can’t go on vacation, you’ll get depressed and despondent and you’ll never get a job.

I’ve been having some thoughts about moving out of San Francisco for a little while now, though I’d have to do more research before seriously considering it. I promise I’m not being motivated by the vakantiegeld.