Bloody rates bill has arrived

Originally Posted by Flamin_Squirrel

I don't understand why council tax or poll tax is required. We pay income tax, based on the money we earn, what more do they want?

I hope Gordon Brown takes control of the government and calls a general election soon, so we can boot the greedy gits out

Agreed, tax should be at a single point. It would cost a fraction of what it does currently in the way in which it is collected and administered and it would also significantly reduce people's ability to dodge it, both of which would significantly lower the total amount of tax for most people, without depleting what was actually in the government coffers (they have to have some to p155 away on pointless fripperies, right?)

Originally Posted by K

... and as Virgin Media have discounted my TV bill I'm quids in for my year ahead...

how much did they discount it? i'm paying and the cable now is pretty much freeview with a few advert channels, i was thinking of writing to ask them what the deal was. They've also cut back on the free on demand service recently.

Originally Posted by Jabba

.......except aeroplane fuel.

you couldn't tax it though. No country does. If they did then aircraft would stop flying here to save money - and the effect on the economy would be terrible!

Originally Posted by kwak zzr

i hate TAX!! its on bl@@dy everything! if you work out how much you pay you'd cry!

I do! Every month I look at my wage slip the same reaction follows.......usually along the lines of WWWWAAAAAAAAAAA!?!

Originally Posted by Triumphumphumph

Reason for local tax is simply because income tax isn't enough to pay for everything. Mine has gone up £10 a month - not nice

Of course it's enough to pay for everything. If the government can afford to **** away £50billion a year on administrators for the NHS that aren't even needed, they can certainly afford to abolish council tax.

The socialist republic of Lewisham have raised mine by £6 a month, but then we have to pay for the Olympics over the other side of the river.

Mines up too.. to pay for someones pension shortfall no doubt...
and they have the cheek to say I get a 25% discount for being on my own!
Surely that's a 25% loading?

Bring back poll tax. Everyone pays the same.
There's not an inquest into how much my house is worth and who's living there everytime I go to the checkout at Tesco so why should this be different?

RR

Originally Posted by Flamin_Squirrel

Of course it's enough to pay for everything. If the government can afford to **** away £50billion a year on administrators for the NHS that aren't even needed, they can certainly afford to abolish council tax.

If they didn't go to war (mmm recall a lot of money for Falklands), if they didn't bid for Olympics, if they didn't subsidise Europe. Its because of all those things and no doubt numerous other issues that some people want and others don't that brings the Govt to reduce grants to local administration which means increase in Council tax.

Ok you can sack all the local Councils and all the people we think do sod all but I think you then need to consider that sensibly rather than through angry reaction. We all want this and that doing or doing better. get rid of certain organisations such as local and you want get anything done.

I don't think this is a Council Tax issue - it is really much bigger than that. It is the general public expenditure. In fact it isn't anywhere near as expensive as the private sector equivalent (and yes there are many areas where this might apply) What boosts the costs are the constant performance monitoring, constant provision of information cos people don't keep their own records. You know stuff we all take for granted but deny when the bill comes in but expect it for free So who will we then yell at because this and that isn't done?

I hate paying solicitors and barristers rediculous amounts of money when I have to take legal action. I hate paying inflated car/bike prices. Or hugely inflated house prices. Yes I have a choice - theoretically - in practice not really blah blah. Pay as you go on the roads - do we really think it will be cheaper. No local taxes, do we really think it will be cheaper?

To boost someones failing pension, yeah right! So why do we pay so much for all other produce and commodities? To pay other people salaries?

NHS - yeah a problem so vote out labour. Now who bought in the top heavy management? mmm, Tories?

confession - I work for a local Council - yes I know all about private sector working too so some facts...

Cushy number? - I start at 7.30am finish about 4.30 - 5.00pm or much later on call 365/24/7- you can always apply for a job and try it...
Well paid? - it's comparable in some cases worse in most rarely better. But in my line (which can and is done in the private sector) no bonuses, rewards, healthcare or even leisure centre discounts that my mates in the private sector get
So why work there? Personally I believe in it. It is impartial and honest, yes honest. Nothing to gain what so ever by not being so. Variety of work much much more than private sector. Non profit making.
Backhanders - oh come on get real.
Professional? Certainly equal to anyone else. Try getting any sense out of TOMTOM Satnav people, or Vodafone!

RANT over. Don't get me wrong I see a lot of things I don't agree with but in many walks of life. Not just the public sector. If you wear specs - do you know how much they actually cost and what the retailer mark up is? I now know why my mate drives the top of range Merc for well doing very little at all. best thing is he could make double if he bothered to look at his processes and so on - simply he doesn't need to cos he earns so much. What gets me is the media hype is set up to create reactionary rather than well thought out comment.

Should we have gone to war in Iraq. many say we shouldn't it was nothing to do with the people it was about oil. Perhaps it was? I don't know... but we all use the bl**dy stuff and I'm sure there would have been uproar if we didn't get it...

It's alot more simple than that.

Public money isn't subject to market forces, so when you give the government money it spends the lot, wisely or otherwise. Indeed, the only way to get a government to think carefully about what it spends its money on is to make sure it gets the bare minimum needed. That doesn't mean to say I think we should abolish the NHS for example, far from it, but those services that are to be provided must not be given such bloated budgets.

Originally Posted by Flamin_Squirrel

It's alot more simple than that.

Public money isn't subject to market forces, so when you give the government money it spends the lot, wisely or otherwise. Indeed, the only way to get a government to think carefully about what it spends its money on is to make sure it gets the bare minimum needed. That doesn't mean to say I think we should abolish the NHS for example, far from it, but those services that are to be provided must not be given such bloated budgets.

In many cases it is. My area for example is in direct competition with the private sector. We retain 95% of the business simply because we are better - our costs are about the same. 94% say we offer value for money. We are also ISO 9001: 2000 registered. Accordingly we are used as example across the rest of the Council and things have changed enourmously over last ten years. Problem is that public perception is very very difficult change.

Still we could argue the points for ever and a day. I agree with the basis of the argument i.e. it still isn't good enough we can do better - can't we all. my argument is that we don't acknowledge any good from local governance we simply say it is all rubbish. I just don't believe that. Ah well...