On a huge downer about living in the UK at the moment

[Goose]

As mentioned already, the tax rates wouldn't be too bad if we had more to show for it.

As a single chap, I have no idea what I'm going to do over the next few years. All I can do at the moment is wait.

[Desmo]

Originally Posted by Matblack

Ideally I suppose the housing market levels out and wages go up to compensate.

But that's never going to happen. Wages will not treble just to compensate for higher house prices. It's unrealistic.

I guess it's a problem that can't be solved. It's like bolting the door once the horse is already out and half way across the field. It was supply and demand, but it was also the lenders being greedy, but I guess that's just business.

We're going off on a tangent as housing is only a part of the problem, but it is a bloody big part when you're talking about having money to live your life. When your mortgage takes up most of your earnings, it kind of gets in the way. But as said, if you feel your taxes are being better spent you tend not to mind so much.

It's when you see it being wasted that it gets to you and feel that things are unfair. Whilst I'm all for a benefit system, I think it's loaded too far in the wrong direction. Too much cash is being given to the wrong areas where I think that voucher systems would be better. As an example (that I've put here before), some people spend their entire life grabbing off the system but if I need help, being self employed, I get naff all.

We're breeding a whole generation of people who think that benefits are a choice in lifestyle. And that is what makes people mad, including myself. I don't proclaim to have all the answers, and I also know that not everybody chooses to be in that situation. But many do, and that is what needs sorting out.

[Pheebs]

Just wanted to say I got fed up of working my arse off for other organisations (namely public ones) and getting paid tuppence for it whilst the big wigs just lay back and laugh. Hence why I have started up my own business - but fortunately I am in a situation where I can do that.

The last few years when Picky was been studying his PGCE it has been a complete and utter struggle though. To be told by the council we were "below the poverty line" but could not have housing benefits/council tax deductions because we were "both under 25" annoyed me quite a bit (especially after going through mountains of paper work to claim it... I ended up going to see my local MP I was so peeved). But it wasn't so much that we didn't qualify due to our age, despite being "below the poverty line", it was being told "If you were pregnant though, you would get double your salary in benefits per month".

I was MAHOOSIVELY angry.

I am all for helping those who are struggling... but it's so so SO frustrating when you know that there are so many people claiming benefits fraudulently, or just taking advantage of the system because they cba. When I was in the bobby I saw hundreds of these types around (and hundreds is not an exaggeration). Okay, I didn't know all of their situations 100%, but it was quite evident they were lazy baskets who just lived off benefits and criminal activities... and that annoyed the heck out of me. Not only were these monsters wrecking other peoples lives by tormenting them/smashing up cars/being anti social/other "small" criminal acts... but they were living off our hard earned monies! And no doubt still are! RAGH! I say we send the lot of them to Australia again!

Equally on the other side of the equation I have seen benefits helping people who are putting their all into life. I knew a girl once who got herself into a poo relationship and had 2 kiddies. The whole thing broke down, he took everything she had other than the kids, she hadn't worked for years and was completely at a loss. However, thanks to the government, she managed to get herself a decent home (albeit having to wait for it for a long time) and a part time job... and was able to carry on independently, without a massive massive struggle. It wasn't easy, but it could have been harder. So for people like those I thank God we have such a system else she would have been ruined.

So yeh. I see both sides but I don't understand at all why on Earth the government don't act harder on these yobs that ruin it all.

If I had the ability, I would change a number of things instantly in this little place:

1. Those families who are solely living off benefits would be given their full entitlement up until they decide to have more than 2 kids. They drop another one out of their foof - they don't get any extra. (Yes okay, you could say this is a bit China-esque and unfair on the new born child but I think it's the only way to stop majority of people getting up the duff all the bloody time and not getting off their arses to find work as "they have children and can't". Grr.)

2. Driving age for scooters would be 18 too. After working in schools and being a scooter driver myself at 16 - I don't think 16 years old is mature enough.

3. Immigrants. I would have a thresh hold on immigrants per year (and a tight one at that). I couldn't say what figure wise as I'm not in the know but once the limits hit, doors closed until next year.

4. PC-ness. I would bring back Christmas lights and allow for people to wear crosses to their work place and such. I would never EVER allow for any Christian act to not go ahead/have it's name changed or whatever because it "could offend" people who are of other religions.

(please don't think I'm being racist or anything, I just think we open ourselves too much to other countries and are walked over far too easily. We need to sort ourselves out first before helping others as such. We should learn to respect other religions and minorities and they too should respect our working and way of life. We shouldn't have to change for anyone (unless of course we were in their country and then I would happily oblige to any of their customs))

So yeh. I don't know if I went off at a tangent... but those are the main things that bother me about living in England.

If I'm honest though I think we're lucky. I think we have it easy in comparison to other countries. I do, however, think it could be much better.

[iCraig]

We all have ideas on what should be done, and a lot of them make so much sense it sometimes makes the mind boggles on why they aren't even entertained let alone implemented.

For me, I understand taxes are an important part of the economy and are required, however you only have to look at how much an average person with a car is taxed to sit back and think "this is taking the piss"

OK, so you go to work and you put in your hard graft. You're paid your wages. Immediately those wages are taxed. So what next? Well, the money you've just been taxed on is about to be taxed again. You buy a car and immediately you're taxed on using the roads. Next, insurance. So the wages you've already been taxed on and then spent some purchasing some tax now you have to pay another tax, insurance premium tax. Usually ~10% of the premium. All sorted? Not quite, go and fill up your car, and you now have to pay an inflated tax on every litre of fuel you drop in.

My solution? Abolish road tax. Add the cost of road maintenance onto fuel duty. That way it's a fair tax. Those who use the roads the most are taxed the most, those who travel about 5 miles a week are taxed less. That's fair IMO because your road tax figure is then relevant to how much you use the roads.

Don't even get me started on benefits. ****ing incapacity benefit? A.k.a you're too fat and lazy to get a job so you claim incapacity. Tossers abusing the system and the government stand by and let them. The money given should be flat loan, no interest on it and the time to pay back made flexible, if they die, it's written off, but it would suck some money back from these greedy slobs.

Basically have it so if some fat whale starts claiming incapacity benefit, they're told straight. You will be paid your giro each month but under the following conditions. You lose the weight and get a job. There's no time limit, it's done in your own pace, but reviews are put in place to show you're doing it. If you're not doing it, the benefit is cut. Once they're back on their feet and working, they pay back the money they took as benefits bit by bit. A tiny DD each month until it's all paid back. Similar to uni loans, once you're earning X amount, you can afford to pay back X amount per month until the debt is cleared. Just put me in charge.

[Matblack]

Originally Posted by iCraig

Fat Rant

Thin people are lazy too

MB

[Fayshun]

Originally Posted by Matblack

Thin people are lazy too

MB

But inside every fat person, there's a thin person. With a lot of room.

[Matblack]

We could start the whole fat Vs thin thing but if we do and anyone disagrees with me I'm going to track them down and eat them and I don't mean in a good way!

MB

[Desmo]

Originally Posted by Matblack

Thin people are lazy too

No wai

[Matblack]

Tru Dat

Or maybe they are just fat because they get paid so much they can afford a lot of food even after they pay their tax, because they are so ****ing rich

MB

[iCraig]

There are genuinely incapacitated people claiming those benefits, some are fat, some are thin and some are even black!

It's the ones who abuse the system. They rake the benefits in because "there's no way I can work in my condition" and that pisses me off if they're milking it (e.g: they say they can't work, but they're down the bookies everyday though) or if it's self-inflicted and have no interest in sorting themselves out.