I agree. The man next door got cheap rates as a farmer but 4 full time workers lived their paying half what us two retired next door paid in rates. When the poll tax came in our council got very greedy and near doubled the amount of money they wanted - for all their little schemes while blaming the increase on the government. When the demands came through the door we were better off though paying about 5% more than the year before due to the council extravigances. But the farmer and all his family - and every other farmer around on similar agricutural rates - went potty. Next doors bill for 4 adults mean their tax bill was up 600% and he was not a happy bunny. Far from blaming the council who were responsible for half that increase he jumped on the anti - Maggie bandwaggon and would drive round the countryside in his big car complaining to all and sudrey. Needless to say he was very happy when the tax went and farm rates resumed though we noticed that the dear council still kept to their near double take - once again blaming the government and being bekieved by all the suckers who thought locals were honest when, in fact the council was run by officers who were not local and only fronted by locals. Incidentally, since we are now Unitary we have the same officers - promoted and no local council but one run on party lines with our reps doing as they are told. And that was under labour though it was DC who ordered local conservatives to vote for unitary as it who give them control (it did). We didn't get a vote of course.
--- On Wed, 23/12/09, David Sullivan <[email protected]> wrote: From: David Sullivan <[email protected]> Subject: [canals-list] Poll Tax (not) To: "canals list" <[email protected]> Date: Wednesday, 23 December, 2009, 9:42 Steve Wood writes: >As I recall the concept of a poll tax >(which is what you're proposing) was dumped as unworkable and unfair >when TBW was still in charge. a) it wasn't a poll tax. It was nothing whatever to do with the right to vote b) it was completely fair. You had N people in your house, you paid for N people The reason it was dropped was the opposition of the vast army of scroungers that the country is burdened with. There, that'll stir things up a bit! Dave NB Uncontroversial [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
