Petition to lower VAT for repair and mainenance please sign.

[geoff]

Hasn't stopped the blond scot's various scrappage schemes, has it ?

[geoff]

In message , geoff writes

Is that what's called a "blonde" moment

I meant "blind" of course

[Frank Erskine]

Hear hear!

I really can't see the logic in child benefits. Children are a drain on society, so there should be a _tax_ on children. If you can't afford to support children, then don't have 'em. It's just the same as any other 'asset'. You wouldn't expect to get a government benefit for running a car - on the contrary car drivers are taxed to the hilt so where's the difference?

Right - loads of people will say that todays' children will be paying our pensions, and other support in our old age. Not true - we've already provided for our pensions (private and state), and still pay tax at the 'going rate'. "Todays'" children don't pay tax anyway...

Definitely hear hear :-)

[The Natural Philosopher]

"In the country of the blind, a one eyed man is king."

Is this a prophecy?

[Tony Bryer]

No, all we can do in terms of providing for our old age (short of filling the loft with tinned food) is to lay up a stock of assets - property, shares or whatever, that in retirement we can hopefully sell to the then working population in exchange for a share of what they produce. If the population declines there are more sellers of assets than buyers and expected returns fail to materialise.

[mogga]

Who you going to be selling them to if no one has children?

[Mark]

Complete bollocks. Children are a net /benefit/ for society. Without children they will be no-one to work when you are too old to do so.

But you expect to reap the benefits of others' "assets" without contributing to their cost.

Wrong again. The state pension is funded from those working today. Private pensions are different.

Today's children will pay tax in the future and will normally work every bit as hard as you (and will have to retire when they are older).

[Jules Richardson]

I thought we were all supposed to be living in the lap of luxury with robots doing all the actual work by now? ;)

[mogga]

We are. Just for lap of luxury read dole, and robots read immigrants... :)

[The Natural Philosopher]

no one is working today, and less will be working tomorrow.

State pensions have been raided - its all just a pot of money the government has used on the basis that growth will never stop, and today's debts will be covered by tomorrows earnings, and anyway, no one is in power forever so its a nice poisoned chalice to pass along to the tories.

"Who slashed your pesnions! The Tories did it!" etc etc.

I doubt it. None of them know the meaning of work, let alone hard work.

And there may BE no work to do..

[The Natural Philosopher]

90% of this countries problems would e solved by a moratorium on babies for 60 years.

Might be a nice place to live at 10% of current population levels.

[geoff]

In message , The Natural Philosopher writes

Nah - it's a bloke who wears a crown