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From: "Sue" <>
Subject: Re: [trivvies] Poll Tax etc.......
Date: Wed, 22 Jan 2003 23:19:01 +0000 (GMT Standard Time)
References: <002901c2c260$156fc290$c8d9403e@Freedom>

The Poll Tax was a disgrace ....... It was *meant* to be fairer --- but in
reality it most certainly was not ...... I'm well aware it was *meant* to
even the costs out ---- but it would never have done that while the LAs were
being so very greedy ...

I NEVER intended NOT to pay at all Maggie ------ I just wanted to protest at
the HUGE increase from the rates ..... I did pay ---- but a few years later
...

At that time Andy & I lived alone ---- no kids around ..... Our children
WERE paying their own taxes --- in their own houses ----- & we had Peter at
boarding school .... Our last year paying Rates - based on the Rateable
Value --- cost us about 350 pounds ...... The poll tax came in & our
INDIVIDUAL bills were 350 ----- that's 350 pounds EACH ---- an increase of
100% .... Andy's wages hadn't increased by that amount --- rises at that
time were about 1-2% ....

My parents were alive at this time -- just ---- & their increase ---- for a
2 bedroomed bungalow in a MUCH better area than ours --- certainly wasn't as
much as ours --- & neither was Andy's parents either --- & they lived in a 3
bed Detached house ... Their increase was about 30-40% ..... We lived in the
sort of property (& area) ---- 3 bed semi --- that saw by far the biggest
rise ..... We were living in a neighbourhood with people who were least able
to pay this huge increase ....

The Poll Tax was a very unfair tax ----- each person was ordered to pay the
same --- irrespective of income & the ability to pay ....

This inequality between those that could afford to pay & weren't called upon
to do so --- & those who's bills were more than double --- & couldn't pay
------ got us really riled --- & so we protested --- protested with our feet
so to speak .....

The Poll Tax had been brought in by a Conservative Government --- Labour had
objected all the way down the line --- but Maggie Thatcher was sticking firm
..... Soooooo --- Labour Councils set out to do something about this --- but
they needed help .... We found out that our Labour LA had set the amount of
Poll Tax way too high --- excessively higher than it needed to be ---- this
was mirrored across the country by other Labour Councils .... These LAs said
they needed to do this to "counteract any non-payers" ....... They were so
naive ---- if they had set the rate at a more agreeable amount --- then the
amount of non-payers would have been greatly reduced .... BUT --- they were
being very clever ---- they knew that if they set it at a very high level
then people would protest --- and enough protests would see it abolished ...
They weren't wrong -- were they ... ? ...... !!! ......

When the Poll Tax was abolished ---- it was replaced by the Council Tax --
whereby houses were valued & a rate was levied according to this valuation .
. Our house value put us in one of the lower groups & our Council Tax came
down again to a manageable amount ...

When the Council Tax replaced the Poll Tax --- being based on the value of
the home ... If people choose to live in a high value area --- then they can
obviously afford to pay the higher tax .... Don't they take that into
account when they purchase the property ... ? ... We did ...

As for the money for the NHS & schools ---- well --- It's always been my
understanding that it's Central Government that controls those ...... Money
from the Poll Tax --- & now the Council Tax --- goes into the local services
-- not the NHS ----- & Central Government dictates to the LA what each
school can have in the way of money ---- depending on numbers, amongst other
things ..... The police are --- I agree ---- a local authority committment
--- but again --- their wage bill is determined by Central Government ......

Sue ----- who feels VERY strongly about this .... I saw some good friends
end up in prison ----- I was prepared to go to prison too ---- to get the
Poll Tax abolished --- to help people who *genuinly* couldn't afford it ..


I never could understand the opposition to the Poll Tax. It seemed a very
sensible thing to tax the person and not the house. There were quite a few
widows living in our village who were far better off with the Poll Tax.
IMHO it was the two adult with grown up children who complained, especially
if it came to more than the old Rates. What they forgot was that it was up
to their kids to pay their Poll Tax. And why not!!!! If kids work why
should parents be expected to subsidise them.

So, what happened when they abolished the Poll Tax? Why, they brought in a
new way of sorting out the rates which costs us even more!!!!

With Poll Tax I would be better off. I live alone and I only get 25%
discount on my rates!!!

Also, I do hope that people who complain about the tax they have to pay,
whether direct or indirect, don't complain about the state of the health
service, police, schools etc......cos they don't have the right!!! If you
don't pay in then they cant pay it out!!!!

Maggie
jumping off the soap box and going for a coffee :-))


> If going to court because I refused to pay my Poll Tax didn't worry
me ----
> took 'em years to get mine ------ then singing in public without a licence
> is going to be a doddle ........




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