Budget

[Bilioustrumpstaine]

I dont think the intention was so much to increase the "green" fund rather than as Alistair said on the news to force the polluters off the road.

Trouble is the worst offenders will swallow up the increase without blinking an eye, they should just ban those vehicles full stop.

Yeah that will happen, not.

The government make 65% (I think) revenue on fuel, do they really want us running around in 1.0lt cars, of course not.

It's like the smoking dilemma, the govt make loads of money from smokers and don't really want them to stop which is why tobacco goes up every budget to make up for the loss in revenue from those who have given up since the last budget.

 

[masona]

It's like the smoking dilemma, the govt make loads of money from smokers and don't really want them to stop which is why tobacco goes up every budget to make up for the loss in revenue from those who have given up since the last budget.

I think they do want the smokers to give up, it's all to do with reducing NHS waiting lists as well and the smoker who have given up with the money they've saved is taxable on whatever they spend it on!

 

[Bilioustrumpstaine]

The beancounters will already be forecasting how much revenue the government will make from fuel, tobacco, booze etc for next year and I bet that they put tobacco up again next year.

 

[Trazor]

If Great britain went totally green, ie. no pollutants whatsoever, then we would reduce World pollution by less than 1%.
Which is wiped out by increased pollution elsewhere.

It needs America and the 2 fastest growing polluters, China and India, to clean up their act.

Any so called Green tax, is just revenue raising.

 

[JohnD]

"I can throw my rubbish in the street, because everybody else does"

"If I didn't steal it, someone else would"


If we all act irresponsibly and cause damage, there is no hope. Taxes have to be raised somehow, we might as well do it in a way that discourages undesirable behaviour.

 

[Trazor]

"I can throw my rubbish in the street, because everybody else does"

"If I didn't steal it, someone else would"

No one suggests that, but it would help if we were not beating our heads against a brick wall

Taxes have to be raised somehow, we might as well do it in a way that discourages undesirable behaviour.

Fine, raise taxes to discourage undesirable behaviour, where is the reduction elsewhere to even things out.

Whatever happened to tax cuts........

 

[tim west]

Whatever happened to tax cuts........

Did you not watch the budget? basic rate tax has been cut by 2%

 

[AtoZ]

trazor

i accept your us,china, india point of view.
i meant that if they keep raising the tax cost on fuel, then make the trains better.
i would much rather use the train on a long journey but the cost ratio between car and a train is too high.

i remember a clever arrangement for loading containers on to trains that was about when john major was pm (his pet project)
this is the sort of thing i mean. the govt could take lots of lorries of the road but it will not happen because the rail union could cripple the country.

nothing is straight forward.
this is almost endless.

i should be pm id tell the mrs what i wanted and she would get it sorted and still have time to slip down to tesco's.

 

[blondini]

Here's a Budget Calculator "how it affects you"

http://www.ft.com/indepth/budget2008/calculator

Mine says
"Results
If you lead a similar lifestyle next year, the indications are that you will be £7.96 worse off. "

I think I can cope with that

And mine says I will be £257.88 better off Wasn't expecting that.

 

[Bilioustrumpstaine]

trazor



i would much rather use the train on a long journey but the cost ratio between car and a train is too high.

I agree with you 100% on the train thing, it is so expensive that it prohibits use. Commuters only use it for ease of journey rather than cost.

Why are our trains so expensive ?

I was in Lisbon a few years ago and their trains are so cheap, Athens is the same.If they can do it why can't we.

 

[tim west]

Why are our trains so expensive ?

I was in Lisbon a few years ago and their trains are so cheap, Athens is the same.If they can do it why can't we.

One word, Privatisation!

 

[JohnD]

AFAICT, all the world's railways rely on public subsidy. the delightfully clean, efficient and prompt swiss railways are privately owned, but have a huge government subsidy.

Amusingly, Railtrack (as was) was driven into bankruptcy because it couldn't manage without a bigger subsidy. After refusing this, and the co going bust, the govt increased the subsidy having got the network back pretty well free.

The fact that the govt is responsible for the UK rail network is not often mentioned.

 

[JohnD]

"Jade Goody was asked what she thought about Alistair Darling's first Budget.

She said he should buy it a bell and a little ladder and teach it to speak"

 

[AtoZ]

AFAICT, all the world's railways rely on public subsidy. the delightfully clean, efficient and prompt swiss railways are privately owned, but have a huge government subsidy.

Amusingly, Railtrack (as was) was driven into bankruptcy because it couldn't manage without a bigger subsidy. After refusing this, and the co going bust, the govt increased the subsidy having got the network back pretty well free.

The fact that the govt is responsible for the UK rail network is not often mentioned.

agreed.
but it doesnt alter the fact that we are different, our rail is set up to make someone money rather than run as an efficient service.
the police fire brigade and army are services. the people who run them try to run them as efficiently as the can but without trying to make someone a profit.
we will all have an opinion as to whether these services are run well but that does not matter here.
my point is that the railways are just as important and they should be a high priority.
if you want cars off the road then we need the railways to work.
green tax taken from cars should be spent here first.