Should we have more of a say in how our taxes are spent?

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  1. Otkem's Avatar
    • Exalted and Worshipped Member
    • Posts: 979
    Should we have more of a say in how our taxes are spent?
    I have just downloaded the HMRC app on my Iphone and it shows that I am paying £1150 a year on welfare, and £600 a year on the NHS. This doesn't even include the rest of the tax that I am paying on my salary. Those figures make me feel physically sick as they are both things for which I do not give two hoots, yet I am having all of that money stopped out of my salary without having a say in the matter. I would not even mind as much if I could, for example, stop paying welfare and the NHS, and have it all go towards defence (I currently pay £200 a year in taxes for that). When I think that the government are just wasting £1750 a year on something that I do not want to contribute towards, it makes me upset. Should I be able to choose how my taxes are spent?
  2. Mr Dangermouse's Avatar
    • Overlord in Training
    • Location: Scotland
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    Re: Should we have more of a say in how our taxes are spent?
    We do. It's called elections.
  3. Roaroaroar's Avatar
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    • Posts: 115
    Re: Should we have more of a say in how our taxes are spent?
    No. What's the point of that? Lets say that many people want to invest more in defense than healthcare. How is that a good thing? Sure we have a stronger military but we wouldn't need it and thus would be all for show and kinda useless and reduce standards of healthcare. You need to even it out based on priority and health and welfare are a priority, defense not so much considering we aren't at risk of getting attacked. It's like me Robin Hood taking money from the rich then instead of giving it to the poor asks them what they want to spend it on? What the ****? Why take the money in the first place?
  4. Indian_Prince's Avatar
    • TSR Demigod
    • Location: doesnt matter to you
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    Re: Should we have more of a say in how our taxes are spent?
    yes.
  5. Clare~Bear's Avatar
    • Vengeful, Imperial Overlord of The Student Room
    • Posts: 3,561
    Re: Should we have more of a say in how our taxes are spent?
    The money evens out in the end probably as other people would want more of their money to go on welfare and the NHS and less on defence.

    Plus, your money goes into a big pot like everyone elses, so if you actually tracked every pound you give in taxes, it probably doesn't work out like that, but that's just an average/ the proportions of x amount of money.

    And have you considered how much money it would cost to make sure that the taxes from each individual go to where they want? The admin costs would be stupid. And like I said, it gets evened out and if you vote for a political party that wants to lower NHS and welfare funding and raise defence budgets, then go ahead my friend.
  6. member963009's Avatar
    • Banned
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    Re: Should we have more of a say in how our taxes are spent?
    That's like saying, we should rule ourselves, no need for governments or Prime Ministers to make decisions. Although it's not like they make good ones anyway so I really don't know where i'm going with this one :rolleye:
  7. RobertWhite's Avatar
    • PS Helper
    • Overlord in Training
    • Location: Cheam
    • Posts: 2,862
    Re: Should we have more of a say in how our taxes are spent?
    No - why would I want even more idiotic people influencing how my money is spent? As much as politicians etc may get it wrong, at least they know what they're doing.
  8. TheLastOfUs's Avatar
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    Re: Should we have more of a say in how our taxes are spent?
    I think we should. I don't care about lazy people who live off benefits so I don't want to give them my taxes.
  9. member963009's Avatar
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    Re: Should we have more of a say in how our taxes are spent?
    (Original post by TheLastOfUs)
    I think we should. I don't care about lazy people who live off benefits so I don't want to give them my taxes.
    If it was up to rich money hoggers they wouldnt even pay taxes :rolleyes: come to think of it they evade them anyway so it wouldnt be much different
  10. M4LLY's Avatar
    • Overlord in Training
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    Re: Should we have more of a say in how our taxes are spent?
    Yes, its our money at the end of the day
  11. seanfromtheblock's Avatar
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    • Location: Newcastle
    • Posts: 939
    Re: Should we have more of a say in how our taxes are spent?
    (Original post by TheLastOfUs)
    I think we should. I don't care about lazy people who live off benefits so I don't want to give them my taxes.
    what exactly do you think welfare is?
  12. monk_keys's Avatar
    • Exalted and Worshipped Member
    • Location: London, UK
    • Posts: 902
    Re: Should we have more of a say in how our taxes are spent?
    People don't have the cognitive capacity to solve the relevant moral and economic questions posed by taxes.
  13. A.J10's Avatar
    • Benevolent Member
    • Location: Brighton and Hove
    • Posts: 794
    Re: Should we have more of a say in how our taxes are spent?
    No, we have a representative democracy for 2 reasons:

    1) Convenience.
    2) The average person does not understand these things as well as the politicians do.

    The first is neither here nor there, the second is the one that we're interested in.

    If we were able to effectively vote to see who got more funding, it's obvious that some parts would be overfunded and some underfunded. I'd be surprised if MPs wages remained at even half their levels if we all got to choose who got what.

    The chancellor of the exchequer (should) know more about this than the rest of us, be able to see the whole picture and make an informed decision.
    Last edited by A.J10; 06-06-2012 at 21:31.
  14. bahjat93's Avatar
    • Exalted and Worshipped Member
    • Posts: 1,033
    Re: Should we have more of a say in how our taxes are spent?
    I think firstly we should legalise Prostitution and then the government should heavily subsidise it .
    If a party every promised to do that i would so vote for them
  15. alex5455's Avatar
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    Re: Should we have more of a say in how our taxes are spent?
    yawn another otkem screw the poor mememememememe right wing nonsense thread. just because you are rich enough to pay privately doesnt mean everyone else is, try growing a sense of compassion or empathy money isnt the be all and end all
  16. Iron Lady's Avatar
    • Overlord in Training
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    Re: Should we have more of a say in how our taxes are spent?
    (Original post by alex5455)
    yawn another otkem screw the poor mememememememe right wing nonsense thread. just because you are rich enough to pay privately doesnt mean everyone else is, try growing a sense of compassion or empathy money isnt the be all and end all
    So it makes it OK for the state to take it? People earn money and I think it's acceptable for them to retain it.

    Abolish taxes. :bl:
  17. alex5455's Avatar
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    • Location: Nottingham
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    Re: Should we have more of a say in how our taxes are spent?
    (Original post by Iron Lady)
    So it makes it OK for the state to take it? People earn money and I think it's acceptable for them to retain it.

    Abolish taxes. :bl:
    oh be quiet, just because you want to see us go back to victorian times, rich mill owners living the life and millions of poor people suffering and dying
  18. Iron Lady's Avatar
    • Overlord in Training
    • Posts: 2,741
    Re: Should we have more of a say in how our taxes are spent?
    (Original post by alex5455)
    oh be quiet, just because you want to see us go back to victorian times, rich mill owners living the life and millions of poor people suffering and dying
    Hardly. How DARE you speak to me in such a manner.

    I just want hard work to be rewarded, and laziness to be corrected.

    That would be fair.

    Rather than reckless spending and the impact taxation has on freedom.
  19. Scumbaggio's Avatar
    • Exalted and Worshipped Member
    • Posts: 1,199
    Re: Should we have more of a say in how our taxes are spent?
    If the average person in this country were less of a moron then it might be a good idea.

    Unfortunately Britain is mostly populated by greedy, selfish, childlike muppets who can only see an argument from their side.

    What kind of person would actually have their username as 'The Iron Lady'? Thatcher was a c.unt and I'll be having a party when the witch is finally dead.

    I actually laughed when I read the part about wanting hard work to be rewarded. I assume you would do things like abolish the minimum wage and allow employees to be sacked at will?

    If all benefits were stopped tomorrow it would be interesting to see how long people like you would last.
  20. Classical Liberal's Avatar
    • Vengeful, Imperial Overlord of The Student Room
    • Posts: 4,905
    Re: Should we have more of a say in how our taxes are spent?
    I wonder if people would argue for taxes to be spent on themselves.
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