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I personaly would'nt mind paying all these taxes as long as this government (or any other) did something use full with it, but the sad fact is, is that billions and billions are wasted year on year with stupid plans, giveaways to other nations and the E.U
Taxes here are not as high as some Americans are led to believe. The biggest difference is that we (mostly) get something for our taxes, national insurance for example, rather than seeing nothing from it. If you add on health insurance in the states it really isn't much different.
As for the queen, she is supported through taxes. Some estimates are as low as 40m per year, or as high as 150m per year. This does not include her extended family. You can argue that the civil list contributes more money to the treasury each year than it costs the taxpayer (depending on whom whould own the crown estate if the monarchy were abolished). Its hard notto justify the royals purely on financial reasoning.
Hmmm...I pay tax and get "nothing" for it? Well, the cynic in me would like to agree, but then I would have to suspend logic in total. Federal taxes pay for defense, entitlements, interstate highways, national parks, the space program and a multitude of other things. State taxes pay for such things on the state level. So the "nothing" comment is just that, eh?
Now, I have not done a comparison of UK vs USA taxes and do not really care to (hint: its your country, if you are happy with it, so be it). I cannot believe that our income taxes are higher than yours. We do not pay anything close to your petrol taxes although I will admit we should consider that. Sin taxes are also nothing like yours. Your VAT blows away any of our sales taxes. So all in all, its not quite as you depict now is it?
In my experience and whether the dollar is high or low against sterling, the UK is a very expensive country. Indeed friends of mine in the UK agree with that.
A casual glance at your media, the Economist, the Guardian, the Times, etc, reveals a nation of crumbling infrastructure, lackluster schools, questionable healthcare and an array of other problems. Oh yes of course, every nation including the US has these problems. So the lesson du jour is to ditch parochial nationalism and cease putting your nation on a pedestal.
I take your point moth, but we watch CNN, Fox, & CBS even on occasion, and we see 50,000,000 americans without health insurance, bridges falling down, food queues, corruption in goverment, the highest murder rate in the developed world and a country 53 trillion dollars in debt. At least our kids are not being shot to death in their lacklustre schools.
Yes we do pay a lot of tax, but we do have the NHS which you may say is questionable, but I say it saved my life twice, when my private medical insurance (with a very large US company) refused to sanction my by-pass operation. and everyone in this country is treated free at the point of access with the NHS.
I think you should check america's medical ranking with WHO.
The UK is suffering from an array of problems, but does'nt America.
Yes i'd like taxes to be lower but i'm a realist, and on a pension, which maybe affected by that massive fraud in the states.
I take your point moth, but we watch CNN, Fox, & CBS even on occasion, and we see 50,000,000 americans without health insurance, bridges falling down, food queues, corruption in goverment, the highest murder rate in the developed world and a country 53 trillion dollars in debt. At least our kids are not being shot to death in their lacklustre schools.
Yes we do pay a lot of tax, but we do have the NHS which you may say is questionable, but I say it saved my life twice, when my private medical insurance (with a very large US company) refused to sanction my by-pass operation. and everyone in this country is treated free at the point of access with the NHS.
I think you should check america's medical ranking with WHO.
The UK is suffering from an array of problems, but does'nt America.
Yes i'd like taxes to be lower but i'm a realist, and on a pension, which maybe affected by that massive fraud in the states.
Actually, the UK has THE highest per capita debt in the world.
I take your point moth, but we watch CNN, Fox, & CBS even on occasion, and we see 50,000,000 americans without health insurance, bridges falling down, food queues, corruption in goverment, the highest murder rate in the developed world and a country 53 trillion dollars in debt. At least our kids are not being shot to death in their lacklustre schools.
Yes we do pay a lot of tax, but we do have the NHS which you may say is questionable, but I say it saved my life twice, when my private medical insurance (with a very large US company) refused to sanction my by-pass operation. and everyone in this country is treated free at the point of access with the NHS.
I think you should check america's medical ranking with WHO.
The UK is suffering from an array of problems, but does'nt America.
Yes i'd like taxes to be lower but i'm a realist, and on a pension, which maybe affected by that massive fraud in the states.
Do you now?
I watch the BBC, read the Guardian, the London Times and subscribe to the Economist. What I clearly see is a nation of crumbling infrastructure, Islamic extremism, deteriorating schools, a 16th Century class system that will not fade into history, skyrocketing crime, rampant racism (Got an Obama, Mate? Didn't think so.), police imcompetance and brutality, and a puzzling culture of vulgar nationalism.
But by all means, enjoy that dysfunctional horror of a bureacracy known as the NHS.
I dont understand why anyone would knock the NHS. I was born and raised in UK, but in USA now and moving back to UK in march. I anyday would take the NHS over the Healthcare system over here. I shouldnt have to choose whether or not to get my blood pressure medicine or take my sick kids to dr. We pay over $400 a month for insurance, but still have to pay $25 to see a dr, plus 20% of the overall bill, then a ridiculous amount for a prescription. Yes you wait more with the NHS, but at same time at least u dont have to fight over and over again with the insurance company to get pre approvals for surgery or other medical procedures oh yes and then have to cover the huge deductible and co-insurance
I dont understand why anyone would knock the NHS. I was born and raised in UK, but in USA now and moving back to UK in march. I anyday would take the NHS over the Healthcare system over here. I shouldnt have to choose whether or not to get my blood pressure medicine or take my sick kids to dr. We pay over $400 a month for insurance, but still have to pay $25 to see a dr, plus 20% of the overall bill, then a ridiculous amount for a prescription. Yes you wait more with the NHS, but at same time at least u dont have to fight over and over again with the insurance company to get pre approvals for surgery or other medical procedures oh yes and then have to cover the huge deductible and co-insurance
$400 you say?
Well, doctors do earn a salary, last time I looked. Prescription drugs do not grow on trees- rather they are the beneficial result of years of research, trials and government approval.
No approvals with the NHS? Oh, that is not true. I know people who required fertility treatments so as to have children (a fading commodity in the UK). The NHS gave them a wait that was so long, they would be too old to bear children. Good grief! Who could possibly sanction such a nightmare?
Perhaps I am just a sentimental Yank, but $400 to cover myself, spouse and children sounds like $400 well spent. Or is the money better spent on TVs, junk food or the like? Or should I allow the same clowns who run the Motor Vehicles dept to collect it via tax and tell me how to proceed with my medical needs?
Well, doctors do earn a salary, last time I looked. Prescription drugs do not grow on trees- rather they are the beneficial result of years of research, trials and government approval.
No approvals with the NHS? Oh, that is not true. I know people who required fertility treatments so as to have children (a fading commodity in the UK). The NHS gave them a wait that was so long, they would be too old to bear children. Good grief! Who could possibly sanction such a nightmare?
Perhaps I am just a sentimental Yank, but $400 to cover myself, spouse and children sounds like $400 well spent. Or is the money better spent on TVs, junk food or the like? Or should I allow the same clowns who run the Motor Vehicles dept to collect it via tax and tell me how to proceed with my medical needs?
To that I say......No Thonx.
I wouldn't say you were sentimental, I would say you can't see the wood for the trees.
I wouldn't say you were sentimental, I would say you can't see the wood for the trees.
Well if thinking that healthcare for my family is something worth spending money on, I plead guilty and waive my right to a trial.
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