What cuts are you prepared to personally suffer to repay the deficit?

A._Badger

Alan_Cross wrote: »

Your memory is false, deliberately or otherwise.

The bankers took over responsibility for the economy sometime in 2007.

That would be on Fabian fantasy world, would it?

Alan_Cross

A._Badger wrote: »

That would be on Fabian fantasy world, would it?

Good to see the Credit Crunch didn't affect at least one of us.

System

Someone's going to have to explain to me how no longer receiving a free wad of cash I don't need is the same as sacrificing money I earn myself, and therefore how it's hypocritical.

A._Badger

Alan_Cross wrote: »

Good to see the Credit Crunch didn't affect at least one of us.

I'll take that as meaning 'I have no plausible response'.

bendix

Alan_Cross wrote: »

Yes, right.

'No plans' to do X or Y.

Does that remind anyone of certain election pledges made in recent times and highlighted yesterday..?

I will not be in the UK. I will be retiring overseas in 3-4 years time at the age of 50. To be perfectly honest, the sheer hassle of applying for a pension worth under £100 a week from the age of 66 or whatever it is is hardly worth it.

As I have said, I won't need it and don't want it. I have never taken a penny off the government directly, except for a student grant in 1982-85. At the time, loans were not available, otherwise i would have used one of those and repaid it. As it is, I am comfortable i have repaid my 'debt' several hundred times over.

To take a state benefit after a lifetime philosophy of self-sufficiency and when i don't need it would be as damaging to my self-esteem as it would be morally reprehensible.

That you choose to be cynical says more about you, than it does about me.

carolt

Batchy wrote: »

I think cut everything by 25% and increase spending on POLICE cut the red tape and let them POLICE.
You cannot automate the police service.

When you have law and order you have all you need as a government.

People will understand the cuts, they may not like them.

The golden government pensions need to be average salary of service. Not final salary. There are too many black holes with this method.

Accrued benefits should not be amended but all contracts going forward should be amended accross the board.

Also, stop allowing people to just live on benefits, its not meant to be an option, its mean to be a last resort. People should not be rewarded for having kids on benefits. its crazy the more kids you have the more benefits you get, who ever thought of this crap!

People should pay a 25 excess to go and see the doctor to free up there time.

Private people have to ... so should the health service.

Too many people going with a cold

Hospitals, you should not get any free medical care for first 5 years of citizenship, stop people coming over getting married and abusing the system from 3rd world countries and milking it for all its worth.

Abolish road tax, and put it on fuel instead.

give people tax breaks for not having a car, let them buy a cheap bike with tax savings, come on, there is so much more that can be done.

All good points again - but which of these cuts will personally affect YOU?

As that is what this thread is about...

chucky

bendix wrote: »

Carolt is getting a lot of stick here - much of it justified - but those who attack her are not helping themselves by refusing to directly answer her very specific question at the start of this thread.

who died and left you in charge?

carolt

bendix wrote: »

Sadly, you're replied to my reasonable post unreasonably, carolt, but I suppose I should accept that. You currently have the demeanor of a wounded animal backed into a corner.

So let me explain further. Yes, I am prepared to give up cash, and am doing so. I am paying extra taxes and am would be fine paying more if the government in its wisdom changes the higher rate threshold again. How more explicit can I be.

I also mentioned that i have received no direct state benefits since leaving university. I don't think I can be held accountable for those claimed by my parents. If you want to quibble though, I estimate I have repaid those 200-fold over the course of my working life.

Can I continue to repay them? Sure, and I am, through my tax bills which, i have said, I would pay if it was increased.

As for police, roads etc? That's a fatuous answer which I think I covered off in my original post.

And - yes - I can confirm I have absolutely no plans to draw down my state pension when it becomes do. Don't need it, don't want it, and to take it would be gross hypocrisy.

So you're on for higher tax rates.

Excellent.

Anyone going to join you?

Hamish? Hamish?

You've gone all quiet, suddenly...

carolt

chucky wrote: »

who died and left you in charge?

chucky - just the man we were looking for.

What sacrifices are you going for - tax rises like the admirable bendix, who at least had the courage to state his opinion (albeit with some gratuitous personal insults thrown in for fun).

Or would you prefer property axes - hit you where it hurts, eh?

beecher2

carolt wrote: »

Rewritten history?

Eh?
No - why would I bother.

Not given away any facts that I hadn't 'given away' before.

I do use myself as an example, because I'm the best one I know - if people choose to use that as 'a stick to beat me with' that's their problem not mine.

So you're giving up £1200. And are happy with that. Good.

A lot less than I'm losing,,but still, a considerable sacrifice.

Or is it?

How much do you earn? Will this loss of £1200 require the same level of sacrifice that the loss of £2500 will cause me?

If you can easily 'afford it' (as I could the child tax credit, say), then it's not really equivalent, is it.

So we have to be sacrificing more than you are, or else it doesn't count? Since you're determined to keep personalising this debate, what percentage of your income is £2500? 5% or so? Is that really worth all this gnashing of teeth when your household income is already much larger than that of the majority of the country?