The Osborne " we're are all in it together " Budget

[Worthingite]

How about, rather than making people on JSA work in places that would normally pay wages, arranging for them to work in the voluntary sector and have that used as an incentive to find work? Having just come off of it, and worked in a local charity shop whilst searching for employment, I would not have minded in the least being forced along to a local charity shop 2 or 3 days a week to work, it demonstrates a willingness to work, and you could use them as references on your CV? Plus most voluntary sector companies are crying out for staffing. Or enforce them getting involved in local community schemes - it would stop a lot of people becoming depressed and get people out and about more (one of the by products of being unemployed in my experience)

 

[beorhthelm]

A graduated property tax (not the the rich-loving tory Old-Etonians will ever do it) based on valuation

you mean like another council tax... you might think its a great idea, but the value of a property doesnt reflect the ability to pay a tax. also unless you set a punitively high rate, it wont actually raise much. the mansion tax being talked about was going to raise a few hundred million and they reckon cost about the same to set up the first couple of years. so the bulk of any property tax will come from the ordinary homes. can a working family in a 250k house afford to pay another 1% (£2500pa)? how fair is it someone pays 300k for a nice home, then 10 years later find its worth 600k and they have a 2% levy on that new value? basically its a shit idea born of envy and not thought out about how it would work in practice.

 

[Dandyman]

you mean like another council tax... you might think its a great idea, but the value of a property doesnt reflect the ability to pay a tax. also unless you set a punitively high rate, it wont actually raise much. the mansion tax being talked about was going to raise a few hundred million and they reckon cost about the same to set up the first couple of years. so the bulk of any property tax will come from the ordinary homes. can a working family in a 250k house afford to pay another 1% (£2500pa)? how fair is it someone pays 300k for a nice home, then 10 years later find its worth 600k and they have a 2% levy on that new value? basically its a shit idea born of envy and not thought out about how it would work in practice.

Things have changed a bit since 2007 but ...A land tax is 200 years overdue | Money | The Guardian

 

[seagullsovergrimsby]

Daft idea. That would just lead to more unemployment as organisations laid people off because the jobless are doing it cheaper.

Its already been tried (before Xmas) , instead of having casual staff in they took on JSA claimants under the guise of "work experience"

 

[GreersElbow]

I can't see the logic in the 'lower pay for civil servants in poorer" You'd want people to be spending their money to stimulate the economy, but who knows. I'm almost certain Osborne hasn't got a clue, but in opposition, there's also no chance.

We're f***ed.

 

[GreersElbow]

£1 per cigarette

All unemployed people to have to work to receive benefits, it has to be done.

Means test all other benefits except JSA.

Reintroduce the Poll Tax.

Poll tax? Are you mad, please explain how a poll tax would actually save the economy? Taxing more is no way the answer.

 

[Deleted User X18H]

Its already been tried (before Xmas) , instead of having casual staff in they took on JSA claimants under the guise of "work experience"

Indeed.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Indeed.

How's your marathon training going by the way? Given you threw down the gauntlet to me, I presume YOU are going to step up to the plate?

 

[seagullsovergrimsby]

I can't see the logic in the 'lower pay for civil servants in poorer" You'd want people to be spending their money to stimulate the economy, but who knows. I'm almost certain Osborne hasn't got a clue, but in opposition, there's also no chance.

We're f***ed.

All that will happen with regional pay rates for civil servants and white collar public sector workers is all back office jobs will migrate to the north.

 

[supaseagull]

Fags are already expensive enough. £7.50 for a pack of 20 Marlboro lights is outrageous. All kinds of people smoke, but it still is a fundamentally working class activity - and many unemployed struggle to pay for their smoking habits as it is (it's an addiction and as important as food to many people)

Not when it costs the NHS more than that to treat smoking related illnesses.

 

[Lady Whistledown]

Maybe but it masks the smell of farts, body odour and piss from the toilets which now fill our clubs/ pubs.

The smell of piss, as far as I know, doesn't cause lung cancer though.

 

[Deleted User X18H]

How's your marathon training going by the way? Given you threw down the gauntlet to me, I presume YOU are going to step up to the plate?

Not great. Calf strain, pull or tear. Been trying to run with it. Now rested for 1 week. Am just off for a 10k now. Almost make or break time.

Before you ask I am over 40. I will try my best to run. But sadly I have to see how it goes now.

Fancy being my first reserve?

 

[GT49er]

If someone owns a property worth £1m with a mortgage of £900k they should pay 'a few thousand a year' extra compared to someone who owns a property worth £200k with a £50k mortgage (ie 'richer') then?

Yes - it's their choice to take out a £900k mortgage to buy a £1m hose; they'll just have to be like the rest of us when house buying...........ask themselves if they can afford it, and if they can't, look for something they can afford! Anyway, if they can afford a £900k mortgage, they sure ain't short of a bob or two - probably because they're avoiding a lot of tax at the moment!

 

[beorhthelm]

Things have changed a bit since 2007 but ...A land tax is 200 years overdue | Money | The Guardian

IF it replaced council tax and was set at a fixed value (rather than graded), it might have merit as an alternative. would you believe the government would dispense with those old taxes though? i dont, and thats not being suggested here either. also, the article highlights another flaw:

"Think of the 13-hectare Battersea Power Station site, which has stood derelict since 1982. It was sold last month for £400m by a developer who bought it for £10m in 1993. A yearly tax on its value would have focused owners' minds on making better use of it.".

the reason Battersea power station hasnt been developed is because intransigence of other parties, by making it a listed buliding its near impossible to do anything to it. so we'd have to far more accomodating and flexible with allowing developers/owners to decide how they might use their own land. In the time of Adam Smith that wouldnt be an issue, he'd assume that an owner of property is pretty free to do as they please, thats not the case now with rafts of planning regulation. the objective of reigning in house prices is too late, unless you want to retrospectivly tax majority of the population for investment desicions they made 5, 10, 15, 30 years ago.

edit: battersea power station is a really cheaky and false example as its commerical so there would have been capital gains tax.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Not great. Calf strain, pull or tear. Been trying to run with it. Now rested for 1 week. Am just off for a 10k now. Almost make or break time.

Before you ask I am over 40. I will try my best to run. But sadly I have to see how it goes now.

Fancy being my first reserve?

I'll bite my tongue as I think I might regret what I write.

 

[geodavies]

Cigarettes are an easy target. Why not put them up to £ 15 a packet as people will still buy them to the extent of not eating as it is an addiction ? Rather than the tedious bashing of smokers now I would rather smoking is made illegal. The trouble is , despite all the health nazi's being completely obssessed with this subject , they will never be banned as the government makes too much money from smokers.

Stop giving free money ( my money ) to f***ing layabouts

 

[windowlicker]

Not when it costs the NHS more than that to treat smoking related illnesses.

tobacco tax revenue = £10bn a year
smoking related illness costs £2.7bn a year

sports injuries cost the NHS over £5bn a year

obesity costs £4bn a year

f*** it lets just tax everything people may enjoy

 

[Deleted User X18H]

Yes - it's their choice to take out a £900k mortgage to buy a £1m hose; they'll just have to be like the rest of us when house buying...........ask themselves if they can afford it, and if they can't, look for something they can afford! Anyway, if they can afford a £900k mortgage, they sure ain't short of a bob or two - probably because they're avoiding a lot of tax at the moment!

Bloody nora! How long must that be?

 

[clapham_gull]

tobacco tax revenue = £10bn a year
smoking related illness costs £2.7bn a year

sports injuries cost the NHS over £5bn a year

obesity costs £4bn a year

f*** it lets just tax everything people may enjoy

Unless all the revenue from tobacco goes into the NHS you haven't got much of a point.

 

[beardy gull]

Not great. Calf strain, pull or tear. Been trying to run with it. Now rested for 1 week. Am just off for a 10k now. Almost make or break time.

Before you ask I am over 40. I will try my best to run. But sadly I have to see how it goes now.

Fancy being my first reserve?

Least surprising post of the year surely.