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Council Tax Reform
Comments
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Its every two weeks. If they want to play at being green on alternate weeks thats their business, but it is not rubbish collection. If you happen to miss a week, you have to go 4 weeks between collections. In summer that is dreadful. If you try to put the bin out early because you are going away, the local Stazi nail you with a huge fine. I went to Eastern Europe this summer for a week. They have bin collections twice a week.Doozergirl wrote: »Bin collection isn't actually every two weeks. It's just alternate weeks for different types of refuse so the bin men are working just as hard as they did. Recycling one week, general waste the other.
You wanna move to where I live. We have public toilets, small class sizes and everything. COuncil tax goes somewhere. Unless an idiot of an opposition councillor forces a reprint of a load of postcards because it's racist and might look like a black person was unhappy. SIGH.0 -
Passport costs have rocketed, car clamping and swinging parking fines are imposed by councils. NHS dentists have dissapeared, orthondonist treatment for children has been withdrawn. What's going on?
I do wonder this myself...we're told we're richer as a society, but where is the money going?
Going back to the original post...I'm not so sure about the uncapped percentage tax on property value, I can see that hurting a lot of people on quite average incomes that bought their houses before the post-2000 house price craziness. You could offer means tested credits for people on low incomes, but that would seem to defeat the point.
Distorting the whole picture is the fact that the Council Tax only covers about 25% of local government costs (including police and fire), the rest comes from central taxes. Would the 1% property tax cover all these costs? And would we see any reduction in income tax?0 -
Guy_Montag wrote: »Presumably this is the argument why you should pay your top civil servants salaries comparable to what a director of a similar sized company would earn - to attract the finest minds.
I'm not saying this is happening, merely that it's the idea.
Far from it ! for the simple reason that the "Sir Humphpreys" have no more idea how to run a big business than the minister they "advise".0 -
moonrakerz wrote: »Far from it ! for the simple reason that the "Sir Humphpreys" have no more idea how to run a big business than the minister they "advise".
But this is the point, if you want people to come in from the private sector you have offer comparable wages. My guess is it's quite difficult to get them in when they can pitch up as consultants & earn in three months what they would earn in a year as a civil servant without any responsibility. That & the senior civil servants won't relish the idea of some industry upstart turning up & taking the job they were expecting by right."Mrs. Pench, you've won the car contest, would you like a triumph spitfire or 3000 in cash?" He smiled.
Mrs. Pench took the money. "What will you do with it all? Not that it's any of my business," he giggled.
"I think I'll become an alcoholic," said Betty.0 -
moonrakerz wrote: »Far from it ! for the simple reason that the "Sir Humphpreys" have no more idea how to run a big business than the minister they "advise".
The public sector can learn a lot from business, but running all public services like a business is not necessarily the answer. Remember Railtrack?0 -
Guy_Montag wrote: »the senior civil servants won't relish the idea of some industry upstart turning up & taking the job they were expecting by right.
You have hit the nail right on the head !!!! With that attitude from the people who are meant to be running this country, is it any wonder that we are in the mess we are ?0 -
Its every two weeks. If they want to play at being green on alternate weeks thats their business, but it is not rubbish collection.
Of course it's rubbish collection! I have four boxes and one bin for recycling. It works very well here. More of my rubbish goes into recycling than goes in general waste - probably to do with the amount of wine that gets consumed.
If you keep the bin lid shut at all times then there is no issue. We even have people that come after the bin men that will clean the bins.
If you have family or nice neighbours, someone will put your bin out for you when you are away.
I much prefer it to having to put out various dodgy bags full of recycling like those who have weekly collections.Everything that is supposed to be in heaven is already here on earth.
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The public sector can learn a lot from business, but running all public services like a business is not necessarily the answer. Remember Railtrack?
Railtrack was never allowed to be run as a business because of the way the politicians and Civil Servants sold it off.
The railways are the classic example of trying to do two things at once. Run a business and run a public service - you can't do both.
If you run it as a public service you get a pretty good system as in most of the rest of Europe- at a high cost to the taxpayer. If you want to run it as a business, get Dr Beeching back !0 -
moonrakerz wrote: »Railtrack was never allowed to be run as a business because of the way the politicians and Civil Servants sold it off.
The railways are the classic example of trying to do two things at once. Run a business and run a public service - you can't do both.
If you run it as a public service you get a pretty good system as in most of the rest of Europe- at a high cost to the taxpayer. If you want to run it as a business, get Dr Beeching back !
Of course. So like I say, get Michael O'Leary of Ryanair in to run the NHS. Not sure they can afford him, but he'd certainly slash costs. We could all have 8p off income tax. Of course Granny won't get her hip op (not profitable, she'll be dead in a few years) and you'll have to rent your own wheelchair, but it would certainly save us all a few quid...0 -
Of course. So like I say, get Michael O'Leary of Ryanair in to run the NHS. Not sure they can afford him, but he'd certainly slash costs. We could all have 8p off income tax. Of course Granny won't get her hip op (not profitable, she'll be dead in a few years) and you'll have to rent your own wheelchair, but it would certainly save us all a few quid...
Inane, pointless statements like that do nothing towards a sensible debate !0
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