Council tax has to be replaced by... something...

[Melancholy Man]

Check out the comment from Rob Gardiner at 1247 hrs on 3/9.

Teehee.

[EDDIE]

local income tax = poll tax just worded differently

I dont mind paying a little bit more towards taxes if the money is spent wisely but its not thats what bothers me

[Melancholy Man]

Although I ain't no friend of Salmond mock Thatcherism and his rentier mates, this is somewhat different to poll-tax. He's proposing a flat-rate which would, assuming they didn't wrangle exemptions, would result in higher earners in paying more.

Still going to end in tears. Go hame an' think again, Fish-heid.

[percy toboggan]

This is pure Grandstanding.
He won't get this measure theough without a lot of horsetrading and even then it's doubtful.Meanwhile to the uninformed voter (most of 'em methinks) he gets to look good and can blame failure on the other parties.

There will also be a £400m ish shortfall in funding from England in the form of Council Tax subsidy - apparently.

I'm all for taxing on the grounds of those with the broadest backs pay the most, but in Scotland there are a hell of a lot of low earners and people who don't work at all for various reasons. The higher earners will be subsidising these people on a flat rate basis with no heed to local requirements. Surely a truly LOCAL tax should be set in the various town halls.

Hats off to Salmond though, he is a very astute politican.
He is succeeding in driving a wedge between England and Scotland from the point of view of a resentful English populace who think the butter and the icing atop the cake is all going north of the border whilst they get the crumbs - and the bill for the ingredients.

[leafylass]

Another hair-brained scheme from the SNP Government - in particular Eck wi' The Brass Neck.

I consider myself a patriotic Scot however this latest suggestion has me seriously considering whether I want to continue living in this country.

All his decisions to date suggest that he will bring this country to its knees. He's too short-sighted and also scared of losing the popular vote to accept that we need alternative power than just Hydro and Wind. Therefore whilst the rest of Britain, and the world for that matter, are looking to re-introduce nuclear power, due to future and current fuel crises (Russia & Middle East has us by the proverbials), Mr Salmond thinks that Wind and Water will do but is happy to let our beautiful Highland countryside be destroyed to achieve it.

Now he can't make up his mind whether Scotland can be self-financing or not.

One minute he's saying we can finance ourselves and then he's asking Westminster for money for Commonwealth Games and then to really top it off, he's now going to ask hard working people to contribute towards financing their "local" services based on their income NOT on the services they have access to.

Now I understand that there are plenty of people who are unable to work and should be fully entitled to the same services as others living in the same area but unfortunately there are also too many people who work the system and either choose not to work and live on handouts or, work on the fly, therefore not declaring their true earnings.

My family already pay a substantial amount of Community Tax per year for the limited services we receive in Caithness. This is no criticism of Caithness councillors but unfortunately our ties with Inverness mean that most of our money is invested in providing services for a growing city with a growing population of EU Nationals.

My husband and I have worked very hard over the years to find ourselves in jobs that pay decent wages only to find out that Mr Salmond plans to punish us for this. We'll definitely be paying more!! At the end of the day the very wealthy people will find ways round paying what they really should if its based on PAYE earnable salary.
Meantime, people who do not work through choice will continue to receive the same local services as me at no cost or less than before. More service in fact as whilst I'm out at work all day, they're at home using more water, and have the spare time to enjoy the facilities of our town.

This could be the trigger that starts off a 21st century version of the Highland Clearances but with more than the highlands clearing off to other places in UK or abroad. How will Scotland sustain itself then when all the professional people have left to work somewhere else where they are not punished for striving to achieve a better quality of life.

[Alice in Blunderland]

Why should those who earn more be constantly penalised through taxes and various other charges ?

[DeHaviLand]

This is pure Grandstanding.
He won't get this measure theough without a lot of horsetrading and even then it's doubtful.Meanwhile to the uninformed voter (most of 'em methinks) he gets to look good and can blame failure on the other parties.

There will also be a £400m ish shortfall in funding from England in the form of Council Tax subsidy - apparently.

I'm all for taxing on the grounds of those with the broadest backs pay the most, but in Scotland there are a hell of a lot of low earners and people who don't work at all for various reasons. The higher earners will be subsidising these people on a flat rate basis with no heed to local requirements. Surely a truly LOCAL tax should be set in the various town halls.

Hats off to Salmond though, he is a very astute politican.
He is succeeding in driving a wedge between England and Scotland from the point of view of a resentful English populace who think the butter and the icing atop the cake is all going north of the border whilst they get the crumbs - and the bill for the ingredients.

We get funding from England? Come on now Percy, I had you down as a wiser man than that!

[Melancholy Man]

We get funding from England?

Yes. A +ve real number minus another +ve but lesser real number gives a +ve real number. In terms of disparity of funds to the coffers from Scottish taxation and that part of North Sea oil in regional waters and that coming to Holyrood, this means a net funding.

Just like that!

[DeHaviLand]

Yes. A +ve real number minus another +ve but lesser real number gives a +ve real number. In terms of disparity of funds to the coffers from Scottish taxation and that part of North Sea oil in regional waters and that coming to Holyrood, this means a net funding.

Just like that!

From England??? Think again!

[Melancholy Man]

Sorry, Dehaviland, whichever way we look at the "it's Scotland's oil" clammer, the speaker ends up looking parochial and reactionary.

It's been pointed out often enough on this forum that the Westminster funding is greater than the revnues from that part of the North Sea oil you decree Scottish for it not to be necessary to cite again. Then we consider that a large swathe was transferred to nominal Scottish control from what, under terms of seperation, would be returned to what remains of the UK.

Then we consider that much of what is currently servicable, and almost all of un-tapped reserves you're banking on, exists in Shetland waters. After your and the Fish-heid's abandonment of the English lower-classes for petty nationalism and oil-snatch, don't be too surprised if the Shetlanders ain't too keen on relinquishing 'their' oil.

What are you going to do? Start appealing to their sense of community????

Oh, I'm sure you're about to say that your main concern is for the Scottish lower-classes and hope you could work with your neighbours in the remnants of the UK... you've misunderstood the question, alright?

Was it not you who wished for the Brown to remain so, at the next GE, England and Wales would go Tory for ever more?

[Rheghead]

Was it not you who wished for the Brown to remain so, at the next GE, England and Wales would go Tory for ever more?

Isn't the full name of the tories the Conservative and Unionist Party?

[DeHaviLand]

Sorry, Dehaviland, whichever way we look at the "it's Scotland's oil" clammer, the speaker ends up looking parochial and reactionary.

It's been pointed out often enough on this forum that the Westminster funding is greater than the revnues from that part of the North Sea oil you decree Scottish for it not to be necessary to cite again. Then we consider that a large swathe was transferred to nominal Scottish control from what, under terms of seperation, would be returned to what remains of the UK.

Then we consider that much of what is currently servicable, and almost all of un-tapped reserves you're banking on, exists in Shetland waters. After your and the Fish-heid's abandonment of the English lower-classes for petty nationalism and oil-snatch, don't be too surprised if the Shetlanders ain't too keen on relinquishing 'their' oil.

What are you going to do? Start appealing to their sense of community????

Oh, I'm sure you're about to say that your main concern is for the Scottish lower-classes and hope you could work with your neighbours in the remnants of the UK... you've misunderstood the question, alright?

Was it not you who wished for the Brown to remain so, at the next GE, England and Wales would go Tory for ever more?

Either you missed the point of my post completely, or you chose to ignore it. Either way, you then went on to totally misrepresent what was said, in your typically arrogant fashion.

[Melancholy Man]

It's clear you're attempting to lay a honey-trap. So please tell us what your point is.

Isn't the full name of the tories the Conservative and Unionist Party?

Yus, and I'd sooner gnaw off my arm that vote for *that* Unionist party. Did they not also have a majority of seats in Scotland 50 years ago? You know, Rheggie, I spoke to a reader of this parish's newsletter, and he asked, "wh-o-o-o-o-o is Rheghead?". He meant it dismissively, but I like you.

[Rheghead]

local income tax = poll tax just worded differently

Nah,

local income tax ≠ poll tax

It is the complete opposite.

[scotsboy]

I think it is a great idea.........personally

[Welcomefamily]

But what about people who live in England but work in scotland?

[scotsboy]

But what about people who live in England but work in scotland?

You pay for the services where you live.

[Welcomefamily]

If that the case Carlisle is going to have a housing boom of families who work in the central belt earning 75k +, so it could produce a negative effect.
A lot of people would be better off.

[Rheghead]

And what about folks who work in scotland but live in England and their works cash office is in England? What a nightmare.

[scotsboy]

Administrative details - best bit is people who work in Saudi wont have to pay council tax for property they have in Scotland Thank you Alex!