"John Cartmell" wrote in message
...
In article . com,
Alan wrote:
Isn't this the reason they got rid of rateable value and went to the
community charge, then council tax as the first was grossly unfair?

The tabloids and Tory right-wingers had campaigns comparing the rates paid
by
families with 3 or 4 working members and retired widows. To put this
anomaly
right it was suggested that the government add a 'per head' element into
the
rates. Thatcher was then persuaded to make it entirely 'per head' as this
would go down well with the Tory faithful. When everyone realised that ths
would be even more unfair than the rates which only had anomalies at the
edges
it was too late as Thatcher had then made up her mind and wouldn't change
it
even if the coutry burnt.


At the time, I was a single-working parent with wife and two
ankle-snappers to feed, clothe and most expensively shod.
One income, one Rates bill.
My next-door arriviste neighbours had two working parents plus three
adult children ... they had loadsamoney ... used to say 'Oh you must
go on holiday to Spain with us .... we love it there!'
Five Incomes, one {identical] Rates bill!

Don't regurgitate your 'millbank briefs' about widows and
'only effected the margins' ...
what about the working-man that the fat-cat, directorship-grabbing,
left-wing-spouting Labour politicians ignored.

The Labour party coordinated a 'Poll Tax' revolt -deliberately
forcing amendments into the Bill which ensured that non-payment
of 'Community Charge' would not affect delivery of Community
services. In fact a totally separate data-base of payers was required;
unconnected to electoral roll, library-membership, leisure-facility
membership. then fomenting the rent-a-mob of trots. students and
others they incited to riot in Parliament Square, until the Government
backed down and abolished the poll-tax, replacing a 'personal'
charge with a property charge.

Now that they are in power - inter alia;-
Labour has outlawed all (non-authorised) protest
outside Parliament [from Trafalgar Square to Lambeth
Bridge] and are introducing a mandatory ID - which
will assure(?) the delivery of Community services!
And the latest wheeze is to revalue all property
-anybody want to bet that a 'value code' won't be assigned
for 'number of adults resident'-? A poll-tax by stealth?

But; hey! 'I'm a pretty straight forward kind of guy,
trust me !"
It worked for Robinson, Mandelson, Blunkett, Fields,
Mowlam ... they trusted 'im!



--

Brian