Council Tax

[smokynuk]

my street lights haven't been working for weeks, can i claim a rebate?

I dont use the library, can I get a rebate? Ohh i havent ever called the polis or the fire department either so can i get a discount there too? On top of that i dont have kids that go to school, so can i get money off for that too?

There will always be folk that as questions like that, valid as they may seem, its impossible to come up with a COMPLETELY fair way to collect local tax, or if you have an idea why not share it with us and the rest of the world? at the same time you can email it to Alex Salmond and Gordon Brown.

if anyone thinks they are getting value for money let the rest of us know

Well if thats the case why not move to somewhere else where you think you get value for money. Or else let your councillor know, what you would rather the council budget be spent on. I mean the guy is elected to do such a thing and as they are supposed to represent the people (and getting paid for it) why not complain to them if you feel that strongly about it.

[Sweltered]

my street lights haven't been working for weeks, can i claim a rebate?

I dont use the library, can I get a rebate? Ohh i havent ever called the polis or the fire department either so can i get a discount there too? On top of that i dont have kids that go to school, so can i get money off for that too?

There will always be folk that as questions like that, valid as they may seem, its impossible to come up with a COMPLETELY fair way to collect local tax, or if you have an idea why not share it with us and the rest of the world? at the same time you can email it to Alex Salmond and Gordon Brown.

if anyone thinks they are getting value for money let the rest of us know

Well if thats the case why not move to somewhere else where you think you get value for money. Or else let your councillor know, what you would rather the council budget be spent on. I mean the guy is elected to do such a thing and as they are supposed to represent the people (and getting paid for it) why not complain to them if you feel that strongly about it.

You choose not to use the library, been lucky not to need the Polis etc etc. I don't believe the General has chosen NOT to have the street lights on.

Anyway, I don't even have streetlights!!

[smokynuk]

You choose not to use the library, been lucky not to need the Polis etc etc. I don't believe the General has chosen NOT to have the street lights on.

Anyway, I don't even have streetlights!!

Well if you dont have any kids then you choose not to use the schools and as for you not having streetlights well maybe you should move to an area that does have streetlights? When you chose to live there you would have known there werent any streetlights therefore you chose to forego this particular service.

Aww poor sod paying all that extra Council Tax so WE can all see where were walking at night. My heart goes out to you mate.

[bill]

You choose not to use the library, been lucky not to need the Polis etc etc. I don't believe the General has chosen NOT to have the street lights on.

Anyway, I don't even have streetlights!!

and as for you not having streetlights well maybe you should move to an area that does have streetlights? When you chose to live there you would have known there werent any streetlights therefore you chose to forego this particular service.

Aww poor sod paying all that extra Council Tax so WE can all see where were walking at night. My heart goes out to you mate.

I do'nt think he pays council tax in Florida

[smokynuk]

I do'nt think he pays council tax in Florida

So whats he complainin about then?

[bill]

I do'nt think he pays council tax in Florida

So whats he complainin about then?

I do'nt think he was

Reading his post I am of the opinion he was commenting on the fact he does'nt have street lights where he lives.

[smokynuk]

I do'nt think he was

Reading his post I am of the opinion he was commenting on the fact he does'nt have street lights where he lives.

well thats got nothing to do with this whole thread then has it? I might need glasses but ain this thread called Council Tax? and not "i aint got streetlights in florida"

[bill]

I do'nt think he was

Reading his post I am of the opinion he was commenting on the fact he does'nt have street lights where he lives.

well thats got nothing to do with this whole thread then has it? I might need glasses but ain this thread called Council Tax? and not "i aint got streetlights in florida"

I agree that the lack of street lighting outside of Sweltered's house in Tampa Bay Florida has got not the slightest to do with Council Tax in Campbeltown.Is it not great though that you can go from Council Tax in Campbeltown to the lack of street lighting in Tampa in the space of a few posts,it's just like being in The Commercial havin a few pints and talking a load of keich and putting the world to rights.

[daftdog]

You can't assume Maw and Paw's weans are under 18, Daft Dog. I would imagine Spangles point is you can have a family of 5 (all over 18 ) staying in the exact same house as that of two but each household pays the same.

So, see your weans are always your weans regardless what age they are.

Right enough Jock.. was forgetting about aw those "weans" staying at home with mammy, getting their washing, meals, cleaning and ironing done for them.. instead of getting out in the real world and paying their way.. I'd call them lazy spongers masel..

In my mind a wean is a child up to leaving school age who is supported by his/her parent/s..

As for the argument about the charges a couple pays.. why does a couple in a one bedroom flat in main street have to pay less than a couple in a house in High Askomill Road?? two people in both dwellings..

Well if you dont have any kids then you choose not to use the schools

Not true.. if you dont have kids you can't choose whether to use the schools or not..

also, i think the generals point was, if you give a rebate to couples with no adult offspring living at home, then where does it all stop.. because if childless couples think they shouldnt pay as much to cover everything, then surely people paying their council tax should get what is being paid for and the last time i looked, street lighing was one of the services..

And "ive not had to ring the polis or the fire brigade"!! i think the council should give you a rebate for that, then when you do need either service you can sit on your backside and wish you hadn't taken the bloody rebate!!!

We can sit here and pick faults with it all bloody night and someone will feel hard done by, by some part of the system, so its a matter of trying to get it changed if you dont like it or just get on with it..

This argument reminds me of those fannies who moan when they get a speeding or parking fine.. its the law, pay, it shut up or dont pay and take it to court..

Its the system we have right now.. fair or not..

[Beachcomber]

It may not be very palatable to many but in truth the Poll Tax did have the fairest underlying basis: all those people old enough to work should pay for what they use.

Where it fell down was in the implementation, where different councils could set different 'per person' rates. It should have been the same charge per person across the entire UK. This would have eliminated the daft postcode lottery that some people found themselves in, and should also have resulted in an affordble amount that any working person should have been able to afford. Regional councils would have received a share of the 'pot' depending upon their proportion of the population.

In the end it turned out totally FUBAR.

[spangles]

just like being in The Commercial havin a few pints and talking a load of keich and putting the world to rights.

This is a good thread so maybe we could keep it for once within the realms of something that matters a great deal to people who live and work here.

Some of us cannot afford to drink never mind talk sh$t in the Comm.

S

[Sweltered]

I do'nt think he was

Reading his post I am of the opinion he was commenting on the fact he does'nt have street lights where he lives.

well thats got nothing to do with this whole thread then has it? I might need glasses but ain this thread called Council Tax? and not "i aint got streetlights in florida"

Well done for COMPLETELY missing my point.

I WAS NOT COMPLAINING.

Can you reply to my point now that YOU have taken the thread off discussion. IGNORE my lack of street lights, it was an aside to my point. Sorry if it CONFUSED you . I obviously credited you with at least some intelligence, my bad..

There was a whole paragraph before my mentioning my lack of street lights, is your attention span so short, that all that registered was the last sentence of my post. I'm surprised you didn't reply to the magic beans quote at the bottom, since thats the last thing on the post....

people like you scare me.

[smokynuk]

Well done for COMPLETELY missing my point.

I WAS NOT COMPLAINING.

Can you reply to my point now that YOU have taken the thread off discussion. IGNORE my lack of street lights, it was an aside to my point. Sorry if it CONFUSED you . I obviously credited you with at least some intelligence, my bad..

There was a whole paragraph before my mentioning my lack of street lights, is your attention span so short, that all that registered was the last sentence of my post. I'm surprised you didn't reply to the magic beans quote at the bottom, since thats the last thing on the post....

people like you scare me.

Haha, you are just too funny, your accusing me of "COMPLETELY" missing your point? Excuse me but I did comment on your point made about General not getting a particular service although NOT choosing not to have access to it. You just chose NOT to comment on what i wrote, then go about accusing me of not replying to it.

*sigh* but if it makes you happy and stops you from having your little hissy fit (and/or running to your brother for support), i will expand on my comment. Just try to follow along as i may use some big words here. (gold star to you if you pick up on ALL my points made instead if cherry picking comments, taking them out of context then basing an argument on it)

Council Tax is a local tax levied to defray the general expenses of providing local services. These services may include providing services such as policing, educational needs or in this case general street lighting. In generals case his lack of streetlighting had cause for comment regarding him possibly claiming rebate for said lack of service.
My point put across was emphasizing that fact that the council provides a great many services that not everyone uses. Point incase was the library. You advised that he chose not to use the library but did not chose not to have streetlighting (presumably by his house). The fact of the matter remains that although General did not chose to use the library, the service was available for all within the area to use. Just because he chose not to use it does not discern from the fact that the service was available.
Alternatively, not everyone was bothered by Generals lack of streetlighting as most of the people who pay council tax would not be anywhere near his house thus negating any need for the use of said streetlighting. You dont see people commenting that some road in the middle of nowhere is being lit with no immediate beificiary of said streetlight.
Alternatively , or more accurately, to use the library argument, there may be a book he may like to read which the library does not have in stock. In such cases it is normal to request for the books to be included in the library in future so that he may read it once the library has it in stock. Using this same argument you can conclude that although he did not have any streetlighting for a period of time, the council sought to remedy the situation. Thus him commenting (im careful NOT to use the word complain least i get lynched) on the lack of streetlighting is (in this arguments case) akin to him not having a book in stock in the library.

What Dafdog said was true though

We can sit here and pick faults with it all bloody night and someone will feel hard done by, by some part of the system, so its a matter of trying to get it changed if you dont like it or just get on with it...

So going back to my original comment (if your still with me) the council provide services for one and all. The LACK or NON USAGE of any one service doesnt entitle anyone to a rebate or refund. This is the council, these are PUBLIC SERVICES. YES we are paying for them and YES they might not be avaliable when you what them. But the fact that these are PUBLIC SERVICES differs it from a private company i.e. vodaphone (when the network goes down)

Thats as far as i can go with that argument. I really dont want to be explaining the difference between public and private services if you want to continue with this. But if you have any constructive comments and/or questions feel free. No doubt you will

[John S]

It might interest you to know that Council Tax represents about 1/6th total council revenue spending, just enough to service its borrowing.

[spangles]

Could you explain that John??

S