| Topic: | Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Labour's new £1 million garden tax | |
| Posted by: | Michael Brandt | |
| Date/Time: | 10/09/11 08:58:00 |
| I don't support the reduction of the 50p tax level, and nor do I believe there are just a few hundred thousand in that tax category. More like a few hundred thousand honest enough to declare it. Otherwise we would not have so many buying £2m properties and then spending another £1m refitting it! As for my poor quote, this was exactly the argument used by the council to justify the CPZ and visitor permit hike. Well reported at the time, still difficult to understand. The assumption that anyone who lives in a house in Ealing is rich is an assumption too far. There was a time pre- management consultants and lawyers, when ordinary people in ordinary jobs, shop keepers, teachers, tube drivers lived in Ealing. Many of these people are still here albeit at the retirement end of the scale. They cannot be described as either rich or abundantly affluent. Social Services, housing are all paid for by council tax payers, how many of those same payers ever use a fraction of the services? Very few. It's there in case but I don't see too many complaining about paying for stuff they may never come to need. It all balances out. My garden is smaller than those of the local council estate. Are you saying that I produce more garden waste than them? Fact is most of us have small spaces and only so much can be recycled, composted and so on. Go over the top trying to accomodate all the waste and you are in the realms of vermin, wasp nests and disease, not really practicable when one lives in an urban area with surrounding neighbours who may have children, pets and so on. There is no need to come up with constructive alternatives. It ain't broke so it does not need fixing. This is one of the few areas that had finally been got right after 2 decades of poor contracts, deals and ultimately service. Ealing has come from one of the worst recycling boroughs to one of the best. Not perfect but better than most . Parking is the same. Promises and assurances were made but all have been deleted and the whole thing turned into a money making venture. Not what it was intended as. I know, I was there at the inception and did put in much constructive input with several others. |