Council tax freeze leads to steady degradation of, well, everything Options

[Sherlock]

We've been told for some time that the consequences of the government's austerity programme will be much worse than we could imagine. One of measures put together by Messrs Osborne and Alexander - presumably to ease the pain - has been to freeze council taxes.

Hurrah, we are all supposed to cry, we're not going to pay more council tax! But there is, of course, a huge downside.

There's much to despair at as we see day centres, youth services and so on scrapped. One of the most depressing consequences of the freeze is that the council seems to have seriously cut back on litter removal. Walking around Newbury, and particularly driving along the A339 and other local roads, there were mounds of litter building up.

I'd rather pay a bit more council tax than see every aspect of our day-to-day lives crumble around us. We can't save everything, but surely we can at least live in an area that looks like a rubbish tip.

Yes, I know, the council doesn't put the rubbish there in the first place and I do, from time to time, do some DIY litter picking in our area but instead of relying on Mr Cameron's 'big society' idea (aka 'If you want it, do it yourself'), I'd rather pay someone else to do it.

Perhaps our MP could launch a crusade on this as well?

[Bloggo]

We've been told for some time that the consequences of the government's austerity programme will be much worse than we could imagine. One of measures put together by Messrs Osborne and Alexander - presumably to ease the pain - has been to freeze council taxes.

Hurrah, we are all supposed to cry, we're not going to pay more council tax! But there is, of course, a huge downside.

There's much to despair at as we see day centres, youth services and so on scrapped. One of the most depressing consequences of the freeze is that the council seems to have seriously cut back on litter removal. Walking around Newbury, and particularly driving along the A339 and other local roads, there were mounds of litter building up.

I'd rather pay a bit more council tax than see every aspect of our day-to-day lives crumble around us. We can't save everything, but surely we can at least live in an area that looks like a rubbish tip.

Yes, I know, the council doesn't put the rubbish there in the first place and I do, from time to time, do some DIY litter picking in our area but instead of relying on Mr Cameron's 'big society' idea (aka 'If you want it, do it yourself'), I'd rather pay someone else to do it.

Perhaps our MP could launch a crusade on this as well?

We should not be paying tax to clear up litter.What we should be doing is lobbying our MPs to encourage the authorities to target litter louts and impose higher fines on those caught. I would willingly pay a bit more tax for some tangible improvements. Littering should be considered as an example of anti social behaviour and treated the same.

[JeffG]

Littering should be considered as an example of anti social behaviour and treated the same.

A pity that this is not on St. Barts curriculum ...

[Bloggo]

A pity that this is not on St. Barts curriculum ...

I thought it was something that parents taught their children along with the other niceties of civilized living. It should not be necessary to teach it at school but I guess so many of the basic lessons of life have now been transferred from parents for one reason and another.

[JeffG]

The problem is that some parents are often as bad as the children. A little education in school might go a long way. Don't they have a subject called 'Civics' or similar, these days?

[user23]

Hurrah, we are all supposed to cry, we're not going to pay more council tax! But there is, of course, a huge downside.

It does seem that some people would like to pay less tax, as is their right.

Sadly many of these people don't equate less tax with reduced service and that they'll have to pay a private company seeking to make a profit from them for some services that were formerly paid from tax.

[blackdog]

The problem is that some parents are often as bad as the children. A little education in school might go a long way. Don't they have a subject called 'Civics' or similar, these days?

Perhaps they should teach it to the parents as well.

[stewiegriffin]

There does seem to be more litter lying around these days, though not nearly as much as in Scotland where I lived until last year. Littering seems to be a national sport there. A clean and tidy town centre really does make a big difference to the general atmosphere of the place.

Newbury was always a tidy looking place years ago. Maybe we should send the schoolkids out to pick up a bagful each once a term, though elfin safety would probably have a seizure at that thought.

Alternatively send all the community service asbo cases out to do it. And a few weeks worth of heavy fines being handed out in the town centre might also help to get the message over.

[Strafin]

I would like to pay less tax! Put a bit more on smoking & drinking, drunks and smokers make loads of mess, although smokers probably prop up the NHS more than anyone else.

[Guest_xjay1337_*]

The % of tax increase we would receive if they increased it would not gain us the same % improvement of services. Screw it.

[On the edge]

I certainly woiuldn't be keen on 'more tax' and through some of the work I do suggests thgere are a good few for whom *only a few bob on the rates" decides how warm they are going to be, or how hungry they'll stay. The poor are always with you - but just consider those who are proud and honoirable and on a financial knife edge.

[Strafin]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-20...8-000-year.html

I know it's easy but here's another £45k a year on benefits that could easily be cut down, multiply this by the thousands claiming and we'd save a fortune. I am not having a go at the individual in the article, but the system that pays so much to people could really be giving back less each but to more people.

[Simon Kirby]

Yes, I know, the council doesn't put the rubbish there in the first place and I do, from time to time, do some DIY litter picking in our area but instead of relying on Mr Cameron's 'big society' idea (aka 'If you want it, do it yourself'), I'd rather pay someone else to do it.

I don't see the Big Society as principally about saving money, for me it's about society. We're social animals, we need society, and abandoning ourselves to the Big Fat State is sucking the life out of communities. Picking up the litter doesn't make a community litter free, it's litter free because people that live in the community have enough invested in it not to drop litter.

[Sherlock]

I don't see the Big Society as principally about saving money, for me it's about society. We're social animals, we need society, and abandoning ourselves to the Big Fat State is sucking the life out of communities. Picking up the litter doesn't make a community litter free, it's litter free because people that live in the community have enough invested in it not to drop litter.

I sort of agree although on that basis a community in which everyone had enough invested would also, presumably, be crime and vandalism free. Do you think we'll ever reach a state of affairs where this occurs? And how long do we have to wait? It'll be a bit depressing it'll take two or three generations to get rid of the drifts of litter building up on the A339.

[Andy Capp]

Why don't we organise a clean up of said area?

[Blake]

Actually, I am glad we are paying less tax.

For far too long, the state has done far too much. I want minimum government, not a state that intervenes here, there and everywhere.

Then, we all pay less tax and that additional spending power will boost the economy, create jobs and, through the tax system, the government still gets its money. It's a win-win policy.

[Guest_xjay1337_*]

Actually, I am glad we are paying less tax.

For far too long, the state has done far too much. I want minimum government, not a state that intervenes here, there and everywhere.

Then, we all pay less tax and that additional spending power will boost the economy, create jobs and, through the tax system, the government still gets its money. It's a win-win policy.

Like how that sounds

[dannyboy]

Then, we all pay less tax and that additional spending power will boost the economy, create jobs and, through the tax system, the government still gets its money. It's a win-win policy.

So long as we all buy British with our increased spending power. Unfortunately, with the global village economy, labour mobility & the ever widening poor - rich divide, that ain't gonna happen.

[Bloggo]

Why don't we organise a clean up of said area?

Why don't the authorities make those that create the mess clean it up?
Why don't those sentenced to community orders clean it up?
Why is it tolerated at all?

[stewiegriffin]

Then, we all pay less tax and that additional spending power will boost the economy, create jobs and, through the tax system, the government still gets its money. It's a win-win policy.

Or put another way "Trickledown" or "Reaganomics". A flawed, elitist tax system proven to be a complete failure everywhere it's been tried. I don't think going back to the 80's is really the way forward.