[Sirius]

Originally Posted by Sparkle

I agree that kettling is far from ideal. As an engineer indeed I do pay taxes. I began my studies at uni in 1997, which incidentally was the last year before tuition fees were introduced - fortunate for me.
Last week I did a rough estimate of how much tax I've paid since graduating uni, and I reckon I've easily paid in excess of £200K to the treasury. Thats from all revenue - salary, fuel duty, VAT, alcohol, cigs, etc.

This is what annoys me and why I'm so vocal on this issue:
Almost everything we need we have to pay on top. Need transport? You need to buy a car and road tax for the roads.
Need water/electricity/gas/food ? Well thats on top, and don't forget VAT. Council tax, national insurance too.
You get the picture.

Now, where on earth has my £200K gone? The only thing I have to show for it is my degree, which I've paid back many many times over *just in the last 9 years*.
I can just imagine how I would feel if I'd studied under the new system, £40K student debt, AND the tax??? Not by the hair on my chiny chin chin...

I do accept that we need policing, emergency services, (some) welfare and the NHS. Indeed we do need a military in the current climate. But, come on ! The tax we pay is a complete joke. In my view the money has already been paid, the government has just squandered the lot of it.
It has been said that a government (any government) will expand to fill the void created by the tax payer. How true that is. We (the tax payer) have been getting ripped off for so long that the government has become acutely efficient at throwing away our money. The whole system needs to be changed. I'm furious that I have to pay more than 80% tax on fuel, but when I shout about it and suggest serious protest, noone it seems is with me.

For the reasons outlined above, I don't buy the whole "Why should the working man who didn't go to uni fund someone elses education?"

As for the cost to the taxpayer from the hooligans at the London demo, I think we should be screaming about where our £trillions have gone not the cost to fix some broken windows and clean up some graffiti.

Excellent post