just to comment on the ‘bin men’ issue. i went on a tour of the MRF (recycling centre) for carmarthenshire council and the manager there said that it runs at a six figure profit, including the cost of collection. so that argument can sit on it and spin

as far as where my council tax goes? im pretty sure it just goes on seeking out and employing the most inept people i have ever had the misfortune to deal with. doing **** all but trying really hard to look busy in a shirt and tie. and then spending whatever is left on five times as many traffic lights as any city could ever need.

i hate paying council tax. i absolutely hate it and the fact that my local council just blew 15+ million on infrastructure so the privately owned bus company can run an extortionate profit just makes me hate it even more

sorry, rant over.

From that article, did I miss the bit where it is acknowledged that not all single owner occupiers are wealthy?

You obviously missed the bit where they mentioned they were talking about band E and above.

Its not unreasonable to consider removing it for the wealthy IMHO

they may use less but they have deeper pockets to pay

Like all systems there will be the odd outlier of the poor pensioner in a massive house but in general only the well off live in expensive houses.

I also think we should remove it and just pay Income tax tbh – would save money on collection as well i assume

Its not unreasonable to consider removing it for the wealthy IMHO

To be honest that just sounds like the usual “raise taxes on group X (where X is a group I do not belong) to pay for stuff”

You could also do with better defining what constitutes “wealthy”

To be honest I probably fall into the category that you are talking about. I am a single, highly paid professional and I live in an expensive property. Here’s the thing though. I already pay my share of taxes, something I’m happy to do. In fact for many years I could have chosen to become more “tax efficient” but I didn’t because I believe in paying my way. What is getting tiresome however is the increasing opinion that I and people like me are somehow the enemy and repsonsible for the financial situation (I don’t work in banking) and that my tax bill should just keep increasing to pay for everything. I’m by no means pleading poverty but the attitude of “oh you’re rich you can afford it” is almost enough to make me vote Tory!

oh you’re rich you can afford it 😉

Everything should be free and we should tax the rich to pay for it.

To be honest that just sounds like the usual “raise taxes on group X (where X is a group I do not belong) to pay for stuff”

Pretty sure there is a broad consenus and agreement that the rich should pay more than the poor – even this lot have a higher rate tax band for example and Council tax is tiered to the value of your home.

If you wish to argue otherwise then do so rather than make a weak attack on what I said.

You could also do with better defining what constitutes “wealthy”

anyone not like me apparently 😉
We could be here all day doing that and i get your point [ as i am sure you get mine] but it will do as a word for now. According to the article it is apparently band E council tax.

Pretty sure there is a broad consenus and agreement that the rich should pay more than the poor –

Well it is also broadly the case that the rich already pay more tax than the poor.

According to the article it is apparently band E council tax.

Well that’s one of the worst definitions I’ve come across. I mean I could move to a smaller, cheaper house and pay less in council tax than I currently do (even if the single discount were removed). I’d still use exactly the same sevices and be just as “wealthy”

Well it is also broadly the case that the rich already pay more tax than the poor.

I think we can assume we can all do basic maths. Do you agree with the principle that they should pay more as percentage as well?

Well that’s one of the worst definitions I’ve come across

Feel free to discuss with the authors your displeasure.

Are we debating whether they should pay more or where we start to make them pay more?

PS You would have less assets so you would be less wealthy but your income may be unaltered. I dont care i sue them interchangeably tbh [ it annoys the economists] but there is a difference between income and wealth.

Council tax is tiered to the value of your home

but there is a difference between income and wealth.

But you have to accept that this creates anomalies – for example I have an old friend who lives in a tied house as a nature of his job – the house by nature of its location and history would be worth a fortune on the open market, and he pays through the nose for council tax, but it bears no relation whatsoever to his wealth or income.

I think we can assume we can all do basic maths. Do you agree with the principle that they should pay more as percentage as well?

Yes I do and given that broadly the poor are in receipt of more in benefits than they contribute in taxes then that would appear to already be the case. I’ve seen figures that seem to indicate the contrary but I’ve never see the calculation to back them up as they don’t appear to make any sense give the tax rates that they would be paying.

Yes I do and given that broadly the poor are in receipt of more in benefits than they contribute in taxes then that would appear to already be the case. I’ve seen figures that seem to indicate the contrary but I’ve never see the calculation to back them up as they don’t appear to make any sense give the tax rates that they would be paying.

Inequality is still rising though, so we’re not redistributing enough:

Another comment on the bin men is that the cost up stream is the quantity of waste. I would imagine a single person would throw a lot more away than a family of 4, obviously there may be exceptions to that.

The two of us throw away one supermarket bag of waste a week. We quite often don’t bother butting the bin out every 2 weeks in winter and put it out once a month as it’s nice and cold outside.

Personally I think council tax and VED should be scrapped. Put the council tax onto income and have a bit syphoned off to the councils and put the VED onto fuel tax s it’s the fairest way – the more fuel you use the more tax you pay.

Te problem comes when people have second homes as which council gets the tax? only way round that is you have to register all property and pay more tax but couples may try and register one person at each home to avoid. But I guess you can do that now to save 25% if you want to take the risk.

Just got the council tax breakdown brochure through with this years bill. Cambridge City Council (pop 140k isn) spend £33m on refuse collection, a long way off being profitable!

EDIT: Ah that figure is for Cambridgeshire County Council, so a lot more people….

Sounds like Cambs need to raise their game??

Of course all those Student Takeaways generate a lot of rubbish.

I’d be amazed if any council made a gross profit on refuse collection.

Here’s a wild question

would you be willing to change to communal bins (emptied more regularly if appropriate, and presuming alternatives in place for disabled/elderly etc) – say at the end of the street, or replacing a parking space in the street, if it meant a reduction in your council tax?

That’s the norm in Portugal.