What's the problem with suddenly being in a position where you are paying tax? For that to happen your income must have increased. The basic rate of tax is 20% which means you still keep 80% of any amount received above the tax threshold. I'd rather keep 80% of something than 100% of nothing.
Pensions have gone up. Savings rates have gone up. Thresholds have not. Now, that would not be a problem if bills had not gone up by more than pensions, interest rates etc. But they have, which means that even with the increases, people are less well off. Add in paying tax too and that adds to the "deficit".
That said, I'm not against tax ... as long as everybody pays it on all their income. Rishi averaged 23% tax on his multiple millions. Hmmm!
The problem is that the personal tax allowance hasn't been increased with inflation. That affects the less well-off disproportionally more than the well-off.
Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
Well half-term is over and peace has been restored to the household. I could have broken the Corner with gripes this week: other people, other peoples' children, the crazy amount of dogs about now, the vagaries of modern weather forecasting... My main one though is my increasingly irritating neighbours. Every week they find a new way to be annoying and this week they installed an outside light that's basically a bright LED strip-light that's wall mounted and facing straight towards my house. I think it's supposed to be a trendy modern design but it's like having a street light facing straight outwards. It's on 24/7 too. They've got an overhanging porch so they could have installed it facing downwards where it would have done the same job without the light pollution.
If you can keep your head, while those around you are losing theirs, you may not have grasped the seriousness of the situation.
It's a difficult one, but is it reasonable to be pushing the 'news' that Navalny was murdered? I'm caught here - as soon as the news broke of his death, I assumed he'd been killed because of who and what he was to Putin's regime, but it doesn't follow that he actually was murdered does it? But in a situation like this, how on earth do you ever get to the 'truth' (not Putin's truth, not my truth - but what actually happened).
From the reports so far, it seems that he was subject to torture - but I haven't heard as to what that torture was. But the artic gulags didn't have a reputation for being like Premier Inns did they? - although, again, I'm not sure what his prison conditions were like.
I'm always amazed at how brave some people are (I know I'm a wimp). He could have protested from afar, but even after being poisoned once, he went back.
It does make you wonder whether his death will have more effect than his protests doesn't it? If it does get the US to release the funds that are currently stalled and for further sanctions to be levied, then maybe something may come from his death - although again, more deaths coming from his death wasn't part of his 'plan'.
I hear that his widow is going to step up to take on the job.
The So Sad thread has “slipped”. No, it has disappeared altogether.
No surprise that the So Sad thread has disappeared. Altho @punkdoc only set out to record the death of a very brave man, R***** and U****** are involved in a w** and some of the posts would have been deemed p******* so thread removed. You only have to look at some other threads mourning the death of someone which are still running. Whatever we may think, the only conclusion to be drawn is that some dead people matter more than others on a Gardening Forum. Perhaps they rot down more quickly and make better compost ? Who knows but that man will be remembered for more than that reason. Perhaps we need to be a bit careful lest Curmudgeon's Corner goes the same way.
I don't want to be the cause of any useful or meaningful thread being removed. I may just start a personal thread entitled by my ID - so if it does cause offence and get deleted, nothing of worth will be lost.
Posts
The So Sad thread has “slipped”. No, it has disappeared altogether.
You only have to look at some other threads mourning the death of someone which are still running. Whatever we may think, the only conclusion to be drawn is that some dead people matter more than others on a Gardening Forum. Perhaps they rot down more quickly and make better compost ? Who knows but that man will be remembered for more than that reason.
Perhaps we need to be a bit careful lest Curmudgeon's Corner goes the same way.