Government administration "stealth taxes" for services

[thinfourth2]

[redacted]

[Puggit]

fesuvious said:

I think the issue is that its similar to bank charges;

The charge levied is clearly with profit and in excess of the actual cost. We are already paying the wages of the civil servants to be there. To then pay again is one thing, but to pay again an over the top amount is wrong

Quite right.

We already pay more than enough - if the government wasn't so profligate with our cash, it would be free.

Can any of our foreign passport holders on PH tell us if they also pay?

[thinfourth2]

Puggit said:

We already pay more than enough - if the government wasn't so profligate with our cash, it would be free.

Government wastage I feel is a seperate issue

[Randy Winkman]

Generally I feel people should pay for what they use.

How about parking in hospital car parks? Should people that use the car parks pay? Or should it be "Free" so the tax payer pays - even if they never use the hospital, or go on the bus?

[Altrezia]

fesuvious said:

I think the issue is that its similar to bank charges;

The charge levied is clearly with profit and in excess of the actual cost. We are already paying the wages of the civil servants to be there. To then pay again is one thing, but to pay again an over the top amount is wrong

Ding! Just what I was about to post.

[Jasandjules]

Randy Winkman said:

Generally I feel people should pay for what they use.

How about parking in hospital car parks? Should people that use the car parks pay? Or should it be "Free" so the tax payer pays - even if they never use the hospital, or go on the bus?

Why should the tax payer "pay" for the hospital car park as some separate issue? It is part of the hospital which the NHS is paid for through NI? Now, the fact that the Govt has gone and privatised it all, that is their problem and their issue to rectify.

As for services, if the Govt requires you to have a drivers licence, how is that your fault? You have paid to take the test which is required, any costs of documentation should be included in the test?

[Iain328]

Puggit said:

fesuvious said:

I think the issue is that its similar to bank charges;

The charge levied is clearly with profit and in excess of the actual cost. We are already paying the wages of the civil servants to be there. To then pay again is one thing, but to pay again an over the top amount is wrong

Quite right.

We already pay more than enough - if the government wasn't so profligate with our cash, it would be free.

Can any of our foreign passport holders on PH tell us if they also pay?

<Passport rant on>

My Wife & kids all have US passports - costs about $80 to renew them - so around 60 quid at current rates. That said, in order to renew them (for the kids) I have to take the child in question to the US embassy. Whereupon I have to present the child, my wife and her US passport AND I have to go as well and present my British passport too (or pay 50 odd quid to get a notorised copy made or send an afidavit or some such nonsense). Whereupon they take the forms , the child's old passport AND my British passport and disappear into the depths of the embassy with them for about 30 minutes.

Oh, and when you go to the US embassy its like going through airport security. They used to take your phone & keys & belts etc off you and then store them. Now you still can't take such things into the embassy, but they won't store them for you any more. SO the enterprising chemist across the road now operates a service for 10 quid a go.

On the UK side, my wife has a UK resi stamp in her US passport, It used to be that when it needed renewing we would just take old and new passport when we left the country & when we came back in they would look at the old passport and stick a stamp in the new one at immigration.

No more. Under the current gov't the rules have changed so she has to go to the hell-hole that is Lunar House in Croydon, waste half a day and pay 150 quid odd for the privilage of having them stamp her new passport.


Also my wife (having been a UK resi/taxpayer for 17 years) is entitled to a UK passport. Cost? £650 (it used to be under a hundred quid before this load of socialist feckwits took power!)

....and breathe.

<Rant off>

Edited by Iain328 on Saturday 31st January 09:30

Edited by Iain328 on Saturday 31st January 09:31

[Randy Winkman]

Jasandjules said:

Randy Winkman said:

Generally I feel people should pay for what they use.

How about parking in hospital car parks? Should people that use the car parks pay? Or should it be "Free" so the tax payer pays - even if they never use the hospital, or go on the bus?

Why should the tax payer "pay" for the hospital car park as some separate issue? It is part of the hospital which the NHS is paid for through NI? Now, the fact that the Govt has gone and privatised it all, that is their problem and their issue to rectify.

There has to be a line drawn somewhere between things that one has no choice but to use (e.g. the treatment itself) and those things that one doesn't have a choice over (such as the food in the vending machine). I think it's a perfectly reasonable view that the old lady that goes on the bus shouldn't be paying for the car park.