the corner office : Marriage tax breaks

Marriage tax breaks

.. and today it's the Tories buying votes with a kick-back for being married. You may have studies saying that a society with 'married' couples is less messed up than a society without, but it strikes me as sheer cargo-cultism to believe that people being married makes a society better. Maybe the causality is the other way round?

Regardless - what people like David Cameron don't understand is that sometimes it's better for families to not be together. Creating financial incentives for marriages means parents are more inclined to get and/or stay together when they're unhappy, which isn't good for the parents, or their children. And if they're not happy, how can you in good conscience believe that's better for society?

{2010.04.10 14:01}

Comments:

1. kaeryd (2010.04.15 - 17:54) #

£150 a year surely isn't enough to convince someone either way...is it?
£1,500, and we'd be talking (!)

2. Colin (2010.04.17 - 05:54) #

I think it's wrong in principle but true, it's not much. I read that Nick Clegg's retort was "I married for love, not 4 quid a week".

3. Ronwen (2010.04.21 - 13:02) #

Perhaps with enough husbands you could make worthwhile?