Council tax and new ways..........

[Andy Hall]

Almost. The cream are those able to adapt to whatever the curriculum becomes rather than what it is at any point in time.

[Derek ^]

If you can reverse the "facts" about my deceased father in law and his treatment you could earn a pretty penny.

They changed the law (Re: crown immunity) after the Pinderfields food poisoning outbreak.

You believe what you will, it won't change any facts.

DG

[Derek ^]

The council pays a hobby bobby and targets him to find (& fine) say 20 (?) per day.

DG

[Grimly Curmudgeon]

We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the drugs began to take hold. I remember "Alan" saying something like:

Here; want your rattle back?

[Andy Luckman (AJL Electronics)]

How can it be unfair to pay for what you receive? Why should the dross of society have a free ride on the rest of us, because they don't have a mortgage? The community charge was by far the fairest way of all, but was scuppered by the riots of the army of "Great unwashed" who didn't see why their free ride should come to an end.

[John Cartmell]

Do think through the consequencies of your ideas. When you're incapable of earning your own wherewithall can we take delight into dumping you into the gutter?

Our would you prefer to belong to a society that cared raher than hated?

[Andy Luckman (AJL Electronics)]

Because it doesn't suit a socialist's cause to have to face the truth. I have a great deal of respect for John normally, but after today's blind spew of leftie rhetoric, I am tempted to put him in my "drivel" file.

[Chris Bacon]

Absolutely.

People on low incomes got *discounts*. I wouldn't class them as "the dross of society"; however...

Yes, there were lots of "activists", and many arses involved there. It would have been a *great* opportunity to round them up, put them in a field and bomb the bastards.

[John Cartmell]

That's more or less how I felt about Thatcher and her repeated illegal use of our money.

[Chris Bacon]

As far as I know, the *Government* use of money was quite legitimate - I don't think Mrs. Thatcher personally spent it...

However, in your continual attacks on the "Poll Tax", you ignore the discounts and exemptions that were given to people - why?

[John Cartmell]

It certainly wasn't. There was a frequent need to get retrospective legislation to make her diktats legal. It made life hell for people working in the government sector as instructions were implemented, then frozen, then revised - frequently with a new date of implementation and work done had to be modified and work frozen brought up to date whilst implementing new instructions carrying 'must be implemented immediately' messages knowing there was a good chance you would be going through the same rigmoral with the new instructions. Then there was the illegal use of the police and government liaison with illegal party propaganda organisations.

Or didn't they carry such information in the Mail and Telegraph? They certainly profited from the illegal propaganda.

[Chris Bacon]

You've ignored that again in your off-target rant. Why?

[John Cartmell]

Do check what I've said about the Poll Tax. My main criticism of it is that it cannot now be used because Thatcher's attempt to impose it against all reasoned advice by her own 'inner circle' and civil servants was ignored. I would like to see local taxation made up of a mix of old-style rates - with regular updating of rateable values - plus a form of poll tax plus (maybe) a form of local income tax. The three together would mitigate the unfairness of any one - and it was the first two that were originally recommended to Thatcher.

Now if you regard a balanced compromise as 'a spew of left-wing rhetoric' then I'm proud to spew left-wing rhetoric. I just want what will produce a working society that is educated, compassionate, healthy, and fair.

[Joe]

Basically a streamed comprehensive. Six-form intake, two grammar, two technical and two secondary modern in the first year. Promotions and relegations throughout the time there, though most in the first year. It was possible to arrive in the lower s-m stream and do A-levels (someone in my year did). Only about three forms left by the fifth year (it was possible to leave before 16 in those days).

[John Cartmell]

My only real criticism of such is the size of such institutions in practice.

[John Cartmell]

As you're not quoting the 'rant' I don't know what you're talking about. I haven't ranted on the subject at all - but something seems to be bothering you. What?

[Andy Hall]

Economically successful is important as well, and a pre-requisite for the nice-to-haves that you list.

Unfortunately, in order to achieve economic success, it is necessary to have inequality and unfairness in a multitude of areas

[Chris Bacon]

The fact that in your previous attacks on the "unfair poll tax" you have ignored the discounts and exemptions that were given to people, as in my paragraph included above (again). Why do you, in your attacks on the "poll tax", ignore these discounts and exemptions?

[Brian Sharrock]

I'd like to see an entirely _Local_ tax for _Local Services_. The current mish-mash were central government dictates level of services then disburse 'Spending Assessment's to local authorities who have to make up the balance with Rates/Poll-Tax (whatever) gives far too much opportunity for politicians of all levels to blame each other level. 'Those **** in Westminster have cut our grant ...!' 'It's the local level that can't control costs'. IMHO. cease central government funding and allow councils to provide the services their local electorate are willing to pay for. BTW 'Local Income Tax' is shorthand for 'PAYE scheme taxation'. Those not on PAYE will find ways to shunt 'income' from fiscal year to fiscal year and/or claim 'allowances' reducing their liability to pay a local income tax. Also, my employer has employees from about seven(?) local authorities - how many clerks will be required to extract PAYE deductions and send off to the different authorities? How will the worker(s) living in Borough X but working in County Y be identified .... unless it's another reason for insisting that Britons must carry the ID card.

[Brian Sharrock]

snip

John; I learn today of reports implying that 'Downing Street' has been organising 'Senior Police Officers' to telephone members of the Parliamentary Labour Party suggesting that they should support Tone's ninety-days imprisonment without trail. [You know it makes sense!]

I presume that , if true, you deprecate this illegal use of the police and government liaison with party propaganda organisations.