We have already suffered tax rises (From Your Local Guardian)

We have already suffered tax rises

4:53pm Friday 9th November 2001

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Whether or not the next increase in Council Tax is as high as predicted, we have already suffered an increase of a third over the recent three years, and at this rate of increase the tax will have doubled within the next three or four years without drastic cuts in services.

This may bring home to many people the fact that the much despised Community Charge - Poll Tax - as adopted by many other countries is a much fairer way of paying for Local Government Services.

It is a pity that a previous Government lost its nerve because of street riots when they introduced it.

The problem with the present system of local government taxation is that it falls heavily on one section only of those who use the services, namely householders whilst the rest of the community gets the services free.

The present system also penalises pensioners whose State Pension was reduced in 1982 by changing the basis of t from the average wage to the rate of in-flation.

It is now the lowest in Western Europe. For instance, a Frenchman receives about £230 per week, a Netherlander £235 and a German £250 with comparable figures in Scandanavia.

There is then the position that many Senior Citizens on reduced incomes, but who have worked hard to buy their own homes are just out-side of the various social security relief payments - and some are too proud to apply for them - and they have to meet the burden of these savage increases.

This is a trap from which they cannot escape unless they sell their homes.

The Community Charge spread this burden fairly, and at a lower individual amount, over all of those who used local government services.

At that time my two sons were living at home and they were at first concerned at having to pay their share, but I pointed out to them that they were as much a part of the community as their parents, they had used such services as parks, schools and libraries and other facilities.

Unhappily, organised demonstrations took to the streets with violence and a weak Government gave in and now we are back to the old unfair 'rates' with a new name.

My guess is that eventually the charges on the few will become so high that there will have to be change, either by a reduced level of service by capping or increased national taxation to subsidise services or to transfer them to national Government.

Unhappily I cannot see any future Government reintroducing what is obviously a much fairer system of council taxation, namely the Poll Tax or whatever you wish to call it.

Geoffrey Bucknall

Burnt Ash Lane

Bromley

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