LABOUR WARNING OVER 'TRAM TAX'
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LABOUR WARNING OVER 'TRAM TAX'
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11:00 - 21 September 2005
A Top Labour councillor has said that a "tram tax" to resurrect plans for a light rail system could cost council tax payers £2,000 each. The warning comes after Lib Dem council leader Barbara Janke called for the right to charge council tax payers a special levy to pay for major projects such as a supertram.
But Labour councillor John Bees claimed average council tax bills would have to jump by more than 200 per cent if the scheme was to be paid for in a year. The Liberal Democrats said the cost would be spread over several years.
A one per cent increase in the council tax would bring in about £1.2 million.
The most recent cost for the supertram was two years ago when it was estimated at £200 million.
Mr Bees said that if a levy on the council tax was used to pay for the scheme, then a Band D council tax bill would jump from the existing £1,057.48 (not including police and fire precepts) to £3,172.34.
Mr Bees said: "It's a crazy idea. It was the Liberal Democrats who scuppered the supertram in the first place and now they are talking about resurrecting it with a levy on all council tax payers, whether they use the supertram or not.
"Politics is all about taking opportunities when they come along - we had the chance when the Government was prepared to help us fund the project.
"For the Liberal Democrats now to say they would fund it locally is a crazy idea."
Mrs Janke suggested the idea of a levy to pay for a specific project, known as hypothecation, at a fringe meeting at this week's Lib Dem party conference in Blackpool.
She said yesterday that Mr Bees' suggestion, that the full £200 million cost of the scheme would be charged to council tax payers in a single year, was "completely ridiculous".
Mrs Janke said: "It would be charged over a number of years, not all at once.
"We couldn't possibly add it on to council tax because it is capital investment and council tax is for revenue purposes.
"The issue is that we need investment in transport in Bristol and we need to look at whatever we can to get the finance for this, because we're not getting it from central government.
"What we are suggesting is a shift from national taxation to local taxation so if people paid more locally they would pay less at a national level.
"Any new tax would need to be consulted on with people before we would even be in a position to do this."
Transport minister Derek Twigg, who was in Bristol yesterday to officially open a home zone scheme in Southville, said it was up to the city council to resurrect a light rail scheme.
Mr Twigg said: "If one was drawn up and submitted, then we would look at it. We are prepared to look at any scheme which is viable. It would be up to Bristol to put such a scheme to us to consider."
http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=145176&command=displayContent&sourceNode=144906&contentPK=13214871
Next Story | Previous Story | Back to list
11:00 - 21 September 2005
A Top Labour councillor has said that a "tram tax" to resurrect plans for a light rail system could cost council tax payers £2,000 each. The warning comes after Lib Dem council leader Barbara Janke called for the right to charge council tax payers a special levy to pay for major projects such as a supertram.
But Labour councillor John Bees claimed average council tax bills would have to jump by more than 200 per cent if the scheme was to be paid for in a year. The Liberal Democrats said the cost would be spread over several years.
A one per cent increase in the council tax would bring in about £1.2 million.
The most recent cost for the supertram was two years ago when it was estimated at £200 million.
Mr Bees said that if a levy on the council tax was used to pay for the scheme, then a Band D council tax bill would jump from the existing £1,057.48 (not including police and fire precepts) to £3,172.34.
Mr Bees said: "It's a crazy idea. It was the Liberal Democrats who scuppered the supertram in the first place and now they are talking about resurrecting it with a levy on all council tax payers, whether they use the supertram or not.
"Politics is all about taking opportunities when they come along - we had the chance when the Government was prepared to help us fund the project.
"For the Liberal Democrats now to say they would fund it locally is a crazy idea."
Mrs Janke suggested the idea of a levy to pay for a specific project, known as hypothecation, at a fringe meeting at this week's Lib Dem party conference in Blackpool.
She said yesterday that Mr Bees' suggestion, that the full £200 million cost of the scheme would be charged to council tax payers in a single year, was "completely ridiculous".
Mrs Janke said: "It would be charged over a number of years, not all at once.
"We couldn't possibly add it on to council tax because it is capital investment and council tax is for revenue purposes.
"The issue is that we need investment in transport in Bristol and we need to look at whatever we can to get the finance for this, because we're not getting it from central government.
"What we are suggesting is a shift from national taxation to local taxation so if people paid more locally they would pay less at a national level.
"Any new tax would need to be consulted on with people before we would even be in a position to do this."
Transport minister Derek Twigg, who was in Bristol yesterday to officially open a home zone scheme in Southville, said it was up to the city council to resurrect a light rail scheme.
Mr Twigg said: "If one was drawn up and submitted, then we would look at it. We are prepared to look at any scheme which is viable. It would be up to Bristol to put such a scheme to us to consider."
http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=145176&command=displayContent&sourceNode=144906&contentPK=13214871
and 
off!!!! It's bad enough paying 100 quid a month for somebody to come and empty my rubbish but 300 quid a month. parrot of doom said:
Well I don't know how Metrolink was funded, but its massively succesful and very handy (although not for me).
Oh dear how gullable can you be?
1 It loses money hand over fist and always has
2 It fulfills a rush hour requirement, just, and the rest of the time its empty
3 The fare evasion is now reaching epidemic proportions.
4 They had to completely relay the track cos they bought it off the Italians (we fought against them in the war you know, perhaps this was their revenge)
5 The Trafford centre is the birthchild of the tramway. The creation of this massive white elephant almost killed the city centre and some people with 3 brain cells each realised that a shopping centre had been killed and new one was needed, the key issue was free parking.
If I wanted to start a business making cat food out of aborted babies I would employ the tramways PR girl she is a genius. (No, really, the worlds number 1)
The tramways are just silliness, they are the same as silly speed humps, silly traffic lights and silly speed cameras. They do not address any of the issues facing the travelling public. In the end they will all have to be scrapped.
Sheffield's Supertram was baled out by Prescott...
A few little problems....
If it breaks down, the city comes to a standstill...
Every time it stops, traffic has to wait for it to start again....
It triggers green lights. If two or three trams pass in quick succession, they occupy green lights while the red light queue backs up to France....
You can't hear it coming....it kills pedestrians......
Drivers who crash on tracked roads claim a fortune in compensation, blaming wet tracks....
Plans to extend the network are rejected by residents....
Nothing is safe near this monster...it once claimed a police car.....
When cyclists get stuck in the tracks, they never get home.....
It's full of old people, so it must smell of wee....
A few little problems....
If it breaks down, the city comes to a standstill...
Every time it stops, traffic has to wait for it to start again....
It triggers green lights. If two or three trams pass in quick succession, they occupy green lights while the red light queue backs up to France....
You can't hear it coming....it kills pedestrians......
Drivers who crash on tracked roads claim a fortune in compensation, blaming wet tracks....
Plans to extend the network are rejected by residents....
Nothing is safe near this monster...it once claimed a police car.....
When cyclists get stuck in the tracks, they never get home.....
It's full of old people, so it must smell of wee....
nonegreen said:
Oh dear how gullable can you be?
1 It loses money hand over fist and always has
2 It fulfills a rush hour requirement, just, and the rest of the time its empty
3 The fare evasion is now reaching epidemic proportions.
4 They had to completely relay the track cos they bought it off the Italians (we fought against them in the war you know, perhaps this was their revenge)
5 The Trafford centre is the birthchild of the tramway. The creation of this massive white elephant almost killed the city centre and some people with 3 brain cells each realised that a shopping centre had been killed and new one was needed, the key issue was free parking.
If I wanted to start a business making cat food out of aborted babies I would employ the tramways PR girl she is a genius. (No, really, the worlds number 1)
The tramways are just silliness, they are the same as silly speed humps, silly traffic lights and silly speed cameras. They do not address any of the issues facing the travelling public. In the end they will all have to be scrapped.
apsolutly - had the misfortune to have to work in Manchester from Bury a few years go...
they supply lard to aid getting as many on board each train up to 9:00
its ludicrusly expensive - and since theres only 1:100 chance of seeing a ticket inspector then ticket evasion is enevitable
tho i dont think anyone has been killed yet in the city centre runs - a few cars have been written off tho
What absolute bollox these communist wnakers are talking!!!! They could only use a tram in the centre of town anyway and the hills (all too steep for a railway/tram) would preclude the use of trams on any useful (ie passenger attractive) routes.
Another blinkered wnaker council debate to satisfy some ecomentalists!!! Time to tie them down on the traintracks and behead the barstewards! Bristol City council last had any sense in the 1700s!!! and lost the lot when they ceded to the bastard county AVON!!!! the city and county of Bristol was OK but AVON was a typical labour abortion with nowt but ferkups!!!
Another blinkered wnaker council debate to satisfy some ecomentalists!!! Time to tie them down on the traintracks and behead the barstewards! Bristol City council last had any sense in the 1700s!!! and lost the lot when they ceded to the bastard county AVON!!!! the city and county of Bristol was OK but AVON was a typical labour abortion with nowt but ferkups!!!
lord summerisle said:
tho i dont think anyone has been killed yet in the city centre runs - a few cars have been written off tho
Oh yes the Manchester tram has killed, more than once if IRC. It will eventually be tarmaced over and the tram sheds made into the car parks the city is short of.
mybrainhurts said:
Sheffield's Supertram was baled out by Prescott...
A few little problems....
If it breaks down, the city comes to a standstill...
Every time it stops, traffic has to wait for it to start again....
It triggers green lights. If two or three trams pass in quick succession, they occupy green lights while the red light queue backs up to France....
You can't hear it coming....it kills pedestrians......
Drivers who crash on tracked roads claim a fortune in compensation, blaming wet tracks....
Plans to extend the network are rejected by residents....
Nothing is safe near this monster...it once claimed a police car.....
When cyclists get stuck in the tracks, they never get home.....
It's full of old people, so it must smell of wee....
And Doncasters ultra left wing corrupt council had us paying for it. Nice of em that having us pay for something we never used.
nonegreen said:
Well I don't know how Metrolink was funded, but its massively succesful and very handy (although not for me).
Oh dear how gullable can you be?
1 It loses money hand over fist and always has
2 It fulfills a rush hour requirement, just, and the rest of the time its empty
3 The fare evasion is now reaching epidemic proportions.
4 They had to completely relay the track cos they bought it off the Italians (we fought against them in the war you know, perhaps this was their revenge)
5 The Trafford centre is the birthchild of the tramway. The creation of this massive white elephant almost killed the city centre and some people with 3 brain cells each realised that a shopping centre had been killed and new one was needed, the key issue was free parking.
If I wanted to start a business making cat food out of aborted babies I would employ the tramways PR girl she is a genius. (No, really, the worlds number 1)
The tramways are just silliness, they are the same as silly speed humps, silly traffic lights and silly speed cameras. They do not address any of the issues facing the travelling public. In the end they will all have to be scrapped.
I disagree with just about everything said there, but meh.
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