Forum:
It has been suggested by a reader of 4X4 magazine that the media should start a campaign to put pressure on the Government to reduce the tax burden on fuel.
His idea is that if a magazine led such a campaign, the general public would willingly participate, and more people would be reached. My thoughts are, how many people could be reached, and how many would actively participate by signing, and spreading the word.
%%%
Only today I heard on the radio how well the tax man was benefiting from the rising cost of fuel.
As the rate of tax is charged at a pecentage therefore if fuel rises so does the amount the taxman gets. fuel (in my opinion) should be taxed at a fixed price per liter as my car takes the same amount every time I fill it and only does the same amount of miles per tank.
assasin wrote:My thoughts are, how many people could be reached, and how many would actively participate by signing, and spreading the word.
I guess that all depends on the way it is presented and in which publisher distributes it.
www.centraloffroadclub.co.uk for free fun offroading in the midlands
www.centraloffroadclub.co.uk for free fun offroading in the midlands
Fuel Tax
May be the a few of the magazine readers would feel the need to take part in campaign, but it seems we people of this country are weak in this respect. May be we need to become more like the French and get a bit volatile, our goverment who we voted in and are supposed to listen to our views, our MP's do not seem to reperesent our feeling/opinions/views, we the majority seem to be out shouted by people who claim to have green issuse's , it all seems to be a money raising system, for what !!. MP's salarys, pie in the sky ideas.
I have noted that in the US ,some State Governers have vetoed the plan by the US Goverment to increase fuel taxes, as they do not help the the people or bussiness.
We, the people do not seem to have any influence on the people we voted in, to serve us. They do not seem to carry this out, most politicians seem to be in the system to toe the party line and milk it for what they can gain, financialy and otherwise, not to serve the people who voted them in.
The cost of Fuel, that is the extra cost (taxes), has led me and others to use a veg oil mix, rather than green issuses, though that has now had to be stopped re the increase in veg oil prices( possible increase due to supply/world food prices). This situation will open a whole supersize can of wormms.
We the people have no power, we have given it to the our elected politicians. and we placed them there !!!.
Edward (ews) '92 Fourtrak 2.8 TDX
Fuel Tax and rising prices
I agree 110% with the frustrations expressed in the comment about the Government and taxes plus of course the MP's milking the system with huge pay rises, huge expense accounts and no respect for the voters.
I live now in France but due to UK tax laws still pay my taxes to the UK so like you I think I have the right to comment.
Until the British people learn to stand together and strong regardles of propaganda spread by the Media, a tool of Government, we will get know where. The British seem to the rest of Europe a Nation who has lost it's backbone on many thing, violence, street crime, immigration and costs. Too many are watching the price of their houses rise rather than concentrating on the decline in their Society and it's values. Too many accept taxation handed out by this Government and the bullshite Brown and his Croanies spout about wealth and future prosperity. It is rubbish. If the Country continues as it is more will leave taking their money, pensions with them and boost other EU economies and what will replace them scroungers from other Countries who for some reason the UK Government feel they owe something to. The country despite all the crap spoken is in recession now and that will deepen and your pockets will be picked to recover the mistakes made by these elected tossers.
If I was allowed to pay tax in France my annual bill would be 900€ yet in the UK I pay £2850 asnd yet Brown will tell you that the French pay more.
I sympathize with all of you and your frustrations but until what is left unite to change the so called Democratic system, which works in reality, more like a dictatorship, thenm I'm afraid despite all our so called wealth the situation in the UK will grow worse and worse.
I apologise that this is not the forum for this and to all of you who feel insulted by my comments, I am not a racist but a human being who has, for the past 40 years,seen the UK go down the drain and MP's become wealthy celebrities on our taxes, and I hate it!!!!!!!!!!!
It is too manyyears too late to act on immigration.
Climate change is a fact but not the fault of Motorists alone who seem to bare the brunt.
Whilst the cost of oil is hige remeber the words of Ted Heath and Maggie " high taxes will allow us to become self sufficient in oil from the North Sea through increase investment and prevent us from being at the mercy of the OPEC" well we all fell for it and look at us now, gas has run out and we have no benifit from our own resources as promised.
Bear also in mind that the price per barrel in US$ is very high but the US $ is at it's lowest for many years so our £ buys more oil that it did, although I would add that it is still high but I think you know what I mean and how this is ignored.
Soon, unless the UK people do something £ v € will be in parity and you will then be drifted into the Euro by the Government. In effect your £ will have been devalued by 36p against the Euro. Reminds me of when we went from 240p in the £ to 100 in the name of DECIMILISATION, what a rip off that was.
OLDMINIMAN
M J Young
Time to put the lights out its going black.
OLDMINIMAN ......... get ready to be invaded. Middle white British are about to depart the UK and will be heading to France and Spain. My locality is ‘desirable’; houses in the M£1 bracket are numerous. Many owners are preparing to sell and move to Europe. We have unbelievable tax, immigrants, asylum seekers, dirty hospitals, youth crime, black crime, and all have brought the UK to its knees. This government proves itself to be useless in supporting UK people. The UK government is about to loose its milking machine. I kid you not!
Tax tax tax is the signature of every Labour Government and middle Britain has has enough.
Where transport costs are compared, France includes road fund license within its pump price. French pay their road fund according to the miles driven, its in their fuel costs. UK is forced to pay for an increasingly higher priced road tax disc, which has no relationship to anyone driving 10 or 10000 miles per week. Labour’s future road fund tax is horrendously expensive ... another stealth tax. Road tax is included in French fuel prices but French fuel is much cheaper than in the UK. What makes the situation more repressive is that UK has its own oil reserves. France imports it!
Fuel Taxation
Hi Mace
It is already fact, there are a lot of Brits in France benefiting from a good health system, no road tax, no street violence in the Villages, no Grafity and in general a respected and supported Police force. Fuel Prices are rising and so are the number of rallies against them. It won't be too much longer before there is a new blockade and the French Government are forced to reduce prices.
What amazes me is that whilst the UK boasts of it's wealth the French are cashing in, EDF own and provde a lot of the Electricity, France exports gas to the UK, Thames Water is owned by a French Company, and the story will go on as the UK Government naffs up everything.
What is different in France is that they support their industries. Most cars driven are French or European, the importation of food is frowned upon, in particular Meat, the French don't expect food out of season, they don't import all these wierd fruits for immigrants and weird veg, they use what they grow. Of course Cities like Paris are slightly more leaning to the British consumer ways. In general they are patriotic, celebrate bank Holidays and VE day on the day, even if a Sunday without the day off in lieu and keep the Country clean and tidy. Exactly how we used to be before we turned the switch of self distruct.
How do we justify or consol our selves at once giving India the old Morris Oxford production line to help their economy and now accept that they own Jaguar and Land Rover, once corner stones of the car industry, How do we justify giving Rover to the Germans, allowing them to craem off what was good and then let us have the crap back?, what has happened to the revenue from our investment in the North Sea and why are we not benifitting from it?
It amazes me why we put up with the continual lies and deception that this Government spout, why is it acceptable for MP to cruise around in Gas Guzzelers and we to be criticised, like wise why are the Royals allowed to do the same and worse to joyride in helicopters, why do we stand for it?? why are we so apathetic. If I knew the answer then perhaps we could unite and change things.
People say to me that the cost per head of the alternative, a Republic, would be more expensive. I say bullshite. The cost of our system, supporting a Royal Family, Parliament and the Lords, per head of population is huge and as you rightly say we have no voice what so ever. It is like P*ss*ng in the wind talking to some in the UK as they adopt an Ostrich position saying all is well, who are they kidding, only themselves!
When the Country is ruled by Muslims and ALA prevails do they think that they will be safe from etnic clensing when they are less than worthy of being 2nd class citizens.
The problem is not just fuel and tax it is much much deeper and is eating away the core of society in the UK but in particular ENGLAND. Enoch's word ring truer now than thay did 40years ago when he was ousted as a racist.
Sorry once again ...but I fume at watching the UK degenerate in the way that it is, it was once great and many gave their lives to make it so. Would they be so willing to do so for the England we now have, I very much doubt it.
OLDMINIMAN
M J Young
Oldermini .Some of what you
Oldermini .
Some of what you say about France is true. However in the past I have spent several years in France, from north to south. My daughter-in-law is French. She would return to France but certainly not to live in any French city. Some of the French cities are quite dreadful and many are not places in which I would live. Featureless concrete tower blocks, streets where locals do not walk, drugs, car crime and ghettos are common. French segregate their immigrants and it will come to haunt the French when the ghettos break out. You have already had riots in Paris, Marseille to name just two. It is French rural life that is attractive. However French rural life is associated with alcoholism, youth boredom, and lack of employment. France is attractive mostly to older white British who want to escape the tax and hectic life of UK. Life in France looks attractive but not quite as 'rosy' as you suggest. French life also has its problems and has also stored itself major problems that it must resolve in the future.
'93 Fourtrak 2.8TDL If only
'93 Fourtrak 2.8TDL
If only more people saw this!
Oldminiman is right in many respects, both about the UK & about French life; but Mace's comments are among the truest & most apposite I've read. Life here can be wonderful, but I wish that more Brits would do their homework before coming here & seeing that sometimes the grass is not greener, & thus becoming disillusioned, then resorting to bitching about how the French make life difficult for foreigners....it's bollocks! It's their country! We are the guests here & that's all we are ...guests!
Well done Mace for pointing this out, but equally well done to Oldminiman for standing up for the old country.
I'm often asked if I ever think of going back, & the answer is always the same "...always! but to what? there's nothing left!"
'93 Fourtrak 2.8TDL
TAXATION
Come on, I did say that Paris and I should have said large towns and cities have their peoblems much the same as the UK but have you driven round the deprssive state of Birmingham and the like. They are concrete jungles with tower blocks and deprevation and being a Londoner I wouldn't live there now, it dirty unsafe and has for many years been a very lonely place. Yes we have had riots I admit but those riots and demonstrations have led to changes, in Pensions for one. I come from SE London and we had riots in the 80's over race in a good number of cities and towns.
Things are not rosey in either country or many countries, intergration is always difficult however France is huge in comparison with the UK and the population numbers much the same. There is a belief that the French dislike the British, well that may be true in Paris and the like but in Rural France it couldn't be more incorrect and I have experienced more racism in Britain against the French.
It is odd that you mention Alcoholism and youth boredom, the experience I have from living hear is that most Alcholism is amongst the Brits and is bad! I htink you will find the same is true in Spain. Youth boredom exists but is not manifested by mindless vandalism and disrespect as it is in the UK. Kids in Rural France respect Authority and adults and the Police. Rural French children do not have everything like X boxes and computers because money is short and credit not easily available. They tend to remain as part of a large family group for entertainment.
Life isn't Rosy anywhere, but there are levels of living standards that make life better. but I would never return to being a 2nd class citizen in the Country of my birth. I am not regarded as 2nd class here on the contrary I have Friends who are French, they are sincers and we all help each other. Yes it is Rural France as you say but the culture is different and their is so much cobblers expressed about French life by the British Media. All I can say is that my experience has been good, the Health service is excellent and has saved my life twice and, is readily accessable, the streets are clean, we can walk quite safely at night and sleep with our windows open and doors unlocked. We see flowers in the Villages and a general respect for the country side. Yes the Franch are Volatile and will protest but they get results, no road tax, cheap car insurance, good clean local food. I could go on but can we say the same about Rural Britain? I lived in Rural Wiltshire before coming to France, it was dirty, unfriendly and unsafe. My Mother comes from Reading once a lovely place now an over populated and unsafe place to be. My Father wa sin a home in Somerset and at 82 was transferred to a new home...Bishop Aukland In County Durham, what type of Social Care was that?
Life in France may not be as Rosy as I think or paint in all areas but sadly it's a darn sight more Rosy than the UK. The French remain family orientated and care homes exist in most Vilages or nearby. they care for their elderly and above all respect them and their needs. If my Fathers experience was an example of Britains care for it's elderly then it was pretty shocking. Sadly he died before my Mother who lives with me now could get up to Newcastle to see him.
I am not elderly by many years and loved the UK once but it is not the country I loved, London is not the town I loved once and although I am proud to be called a Londoner I am not proud of what has happened to my Town and my Country because of Governments ignoring the indiginant populations needs, preferring to legislate against them in a bid to force integration and acceptance. It will never happen as it is two sided and I'm afraid that neither side want it.
Until the British stand up and show their dissapproval of tax, immigration, community charges, etc., they will continue to get the same disrespect by their elected members. Elected Members will continue to line their own pockets at our expence and when they want more, well the Motorist is an easy target to boost budgets of both central and local Government, more speeding fines, more parking fines and higher road taxation and fuel costs. How much more will we sit back and accept before we react? A lot I suspect and the Government know that!
Again, I apologise that this is not related to the true purpose of this site, it is a heated argument that we all have mixed and sometimes contraditory ideas about and frustrations with. It is good that all of our views can be shared without argument or heated exchanges and in a friendly way and I think that this is a great example of how mature this particular forum is
Happy Daihatsu Driving
OLDMINIMAN
M J Young
Touchy subject !!!
From what I have read in recent articles in a news paper re 'church/religious' sponsered schools , both the UK and France will within 15/20 years have a majority religion which is not Christian !!!!! Out bred, out voted
Edward (ews) '92 Fourtrak 2.8 TDX
Touchy Subject
Don't believe all you read, Religeon in France is deep routed and prodominantly Roman Catholic. Churches are well supported and a focal point of Village and Town life.
Wheras the UK accepts alternatives and even provides facilities and introduces laws that dicriminate against Chritianity in favour of other religeons, you will not find that occuring so readily in France. eg. They have already stopped the wearing of head gear by Muslims in schools.
Whilst I accept your view I believe that France, Spain and most of Northern Europe, except UK, are resisting these changes.
OLDMINMAN
M J Young