How The Tax System Works

HOW THE TAX SYSTEM WORKS> > Suppose that every day, ten men go out for beer and the bill for all ten comes to £100. If they paid their bill the way we pay our taxes, it would go something like this:> > The first four men (the poorest) would pay nothing.> The fifth would pay £1.> The sixth would pay £3.> The seventh would pay £7.> The eighth would pay £12.> The ninth would pay £18.> The tenth man (the richest) would pay £59.> > So, that's what they decided to do.> > The ten men drank in the bar every day and seemed quite happy with the arrangement, until one day, the owner threw them a curve. 'Since you are all such good customers,' he said, 'I'm going to reduce the cost of your daily beer by £20.' Drinks for the ten now cost just £80.> > The group still wanted to pay their bill the way we pay our taxes so the first four men were unaffected. They would still drink for free. But what about the other six men - the paying customers? How could they divide the £20 windfall so that everyone would get his 'fair share?'> > They realized that £20 divided by six is £3.33. But if they subtracted that from everyone's share, then the fifth man and the sixth man would each end up being paid to drink his beer. So, the bar owner suggested that it would be fair to reduce each man's bill by roughly the same amount, and he proceeded to work out the amounts each should pay.> > And so:> > The fifth man, like the first four, now paid nothing (100% savings).> The sixth now paid £2 instead of £3 (33%savings).> The seventh now pay £5 instead of £7 (28%savings).> The eighth now paid £9 instead of £12 (25% savings).> The ninth now paid £14 instead of £18 (22% savings).> The tenth now paid £49 instead of £59 (16% savings).> > Each of the six was better off than before. And the first four continued to drink for free. But once outside the restaurant, the men began to compare their savings.> > 'I only got a pound out of the £20,' declared the sixth man. He pointed to the tenth man, 'but he got £10!'> > 'Yes, that's right,' exclaimed the fifth man. 'I only saved a pound, too. It's unfair that he got ten times more than I did'> > 'That's true!!' shouted the seventh man. 'Why should he get £10 back when I got only two? The wealthy get all the breaks'> > 'Wait a minute,' yelled the first four men in unison. 'We didn't get anything at all. The system exploits the poor'> > The nine men surrounded the tenth and beat him up.> > The next night the tenth man didn't show up for drinks, so the nine sat down and had beers without him. But when it came time to pay the bill, they discovered something important. They didn't have enough money between all of them for even half of the bill.> > And that, ladies and gentlemen, journalists and college professors, is how our tax system works. The people who pay the highest taxes get the most benefit from a tax reduction. Tax them too much, attack them for being wealthy, and they just may not show up anymore. In fact, they might start drinking overseas where the atmosphere is somewhat friendlier.> > David R. Kamerschen, Ph.D.> Professor of Economics> > For those who understand, no explanation is needed.> For those who do not understand, no explanation is possible.

IHerb do not pay Import Duty

In February I purchased some vitamin tablets from a company called Iherb, after a while I started getting demands from DHL for import taxes, they never put the details down so I thought it was a scam. Several weeks ago I had warning letter from a debt recovery agency saying I owed DHL £10.97 although only a small amount I still thought no I had paid for all delivery charges but its seems I was incorrect this is IHerb reponse
Dear Customer, > > We regret the misunderstanding; but the shipping charges in our order system> > do not include duties and taxes for international customers.
I expect some where in the small print it states this but I feel I was mislead by this company which I might add I shall not use again.
The lesson is, do not be fooled by low prices from the USA expect hidden charges
I have paid the amount.

Should we spend

When any normal person gets into debt what advice would you give them? I would suggest they cut back on their spending cut out things that are not essential i.e. Holidays etc maybe even sell a few things. Yet the Government now tells us that the best way forward is to spend money therefore increasing your debt this will be good for the economy we are told. MAYBE but will it be good for us NO unlike Banks and Civil Servants who get into debt we will not be bailed out by this government or any government come to that, have look at last weeks paper where there were 6 houses repossessed and now up for sale at a Bargain price. Where was the Government when these people needed help? There was an old saying “Money goes to Money” it seems if your Debt is big enough i.e. millions the government will help you but if your debt is thousands you can become destitute, who would have believed it would be Labour Government helping the rich and famous while treading down the working man into the ground. Our Prime Minister says” Do not blame me it’s those horrible Americans who started it” sounding just like the little boy caught doing something wrong and says “wasn’t me mum”. I expect Government Ministers, Banks and Civil Servants will have a good Christmas but blow the rest of us.


Martin Clarke Sittingbourne

Electric Gas Rip Off

PRESS RELEASE

Date: 11th November 2008
Release date: Immediate
Subject: Energy companies “ripping off” consumers

Local Tory Parliamentary Candidate, Gordon Henderson, has accused big energy companies of “ripping off” consumers in Sittingbourne & Sheppey.

The accusation follows news that the wholesale prices of gas and electricity have fallen by around 30% in the past couple of months. It is estimated that if energy companies were to drop the retail price of gas by just 10% consumers would save between £80 and £90 in a year.

The justification used by the Energy Retail Association for no reduction in prices is that the industry buys its gas and electricity many months in advance, so changes in wholesale prices take about six months to feed through to household bills.

Mr Henderson said:

‘Quite honestly the energy companies are ripping off consumers. Their excuse for not passing on the drop in wholesale prices simply doesn’t stand up to scrutiny.

‘If we accept on face value the statement by the ERA that it takes six months for a fall in the wholesale price of gas to be reflected in the retail prices, then why was it that when the wholesale price went up in March, April and May, that those increases were passed on to consumers in June, July and August?

‘So the big question is this: If it only takes three months for price rises to kick in, why should it take six months to pass on a cut when prices drop?

‘Unless the Industry can come up with a very good explanation for that discrepancy, consumers have every right to carry on feeling they are being ripped off.’
…ends…

Attached chart showing last 12 months natural gas wholesale price fluctuation which can be found at http://www.rigzone.com/news/finance.asp?cid=7&tp=1Y

God Bless America

The United States of America comes in for a lot of criticism from the rest of the World most of the time through jealousy but this latest election does show that is a land of opportunity. I do not care for the Democratic Party but where else could a man who because of the colour of his skin was not allowed to vote back in the 1960’s a time when the Klu Klux Klan was murdering people because of their colour, can become President only in the USA. Where else in the Democratic World do the Voters get so involved in an Election only in the USA, I do not want to live in the US but I do admire them. Both McClain and Obama when they finished their speeches said “The USA is the greatest Country in the World and God Bless America” can you imagine a British Politician saying “Britain is the Greatest Country in the World and God Bless the British People” NO because someone will say that it will offend those who do not believe in God, or offend some one who doesn’t think we are the Greatest Country in the World or offend some one who is not British can you imagine the compensation claims for hurt feelings, yet the title of our Country is “The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland” notice the word GREAT.
I have been involved in politics for some time but as I get older I am getting more and more disillusioned with Politicians, not local councillors on the whole I believe they do a reasonably good job for very little reward and they are in contact with local a person that’s their raison-detre. It is national Politicians who never listen to the Public, take three examples 1) Hanging. Every time there is a survey the majority of the Public are favour for the return of hanging, the same goes for coming out of the European Union, harsher punishment for criminals, curb immigration, remove the Human rights Act, I could go on . Do they listen to us NO, they will reply “they know not what they say” or “we know better” or “you do not know the full picture” how patronising! What do they think we are children? Maybe it is time for an MP to be allowed only a certain amount of time in Parliament maybe a maximum of 10 years, this will stop so called Career Politicians who do not have a clue what life is outside Parliament and what about having referendums on every important issue like they do in Switzerland. I wait with bated breath for a politician who enters Parliament and doesn’t turn native, the sort of MP I want some one in his fifties, worked all his life and worked for the community he wants to represent, plus lives in the area an MP who will listen to the people and represent their wishes.


Martin Clarke Sittingbourne

Death Of Sport

Are we seeing the death of Amateur Sport?

This may seem strange questions after one of our most successful Olympics ever and with the UK hosting the 2012 Olympics. Yet the British Olympic committee have said there has been a drop of 20% participating in Sport and remember the Olympics is now open to Professionals. So the word amateur sportsman is now a defunct name for Sports people? Yes in top sporting events to reach the top of the main sports you have to be professional but there are still people who are participating in Sport whether as a coach, competitor, participants who are at a level where they receive no financial gain in fact doing there sport costs money.
My feeling are that unless things change rapidly Sport participation is to sink to even lower levels especially with the under 16 years. Let give an example:

Ask yourself the question how many local Football teams started with a couple Dads kicking the Ball around a park other lads join in, some weeks down the line some one comes up with the idea let’s form a Team and join a league. A new team is formed which give the youngster discipline, sense of belonging, pride and all the other things sport can give.
Could that happened today? If it can what would they needed
1) Kit
2) Professional Indemnity Insurance to protect the coach
3) Accident Insurance for all the players
4) Public Liability Insurance
5) Coach Qualification
6) Club Mark
7) Join a league
Club Mark what is that I hear you say? Surely that is not a legal requirement No not yet but without a Club Mark you will most probably get no grant aid, it will be difficult to get insurance cover and the local schools will not recommend your club. Recently a member of my Judo Club the Young Judo Club asked the Person in charge of all the local SSCo (School Sports coordinator) why we were not on the recommended list she informed him that the Government has told them not to recommend any Club without a Club Mark! Yet our Club is over 50 years Old and is World Famous and never had a visit from this person, someone I might add who is paid by the local Tax Payer so much for Democracy in the UK. Our Club is lucky it has sufficient funds and expertise to get a Club Mark from both the British Judo Association and Kent County Council.
What is a Club Mark this basically a Kite Mark so people can recognise a Club has some basic standards, this in itself is not a bad idea but why do we need the HEAVY HAND of a dictatorial state
Here are some of the things require for a Club Mark Must have two qualified coaches , Two Volunteers must attend a course on running a club and how to be a volunteer, CRB Check, attend Child protection Course, has an open/non-discriminatory constitution and equity policy , The coaches and volunteers responsible for the programme have job descriptions with
Clear roles and responsibilities assigned. I could go on and this all for a group of people who want to help kids get involved in Sport and doesn’t finish there by 2012 all Coaches will be expected to have United Kingdom Coaching Certificate with prices up to a £1000 I wonder how many people will take up the offer.

All my facts can be checked by going to on the internet, after readings this am I right in saying amateur Sport will soon be dead? Or am I just a cynic but don’t say you have not been warned

Well Dads do you still want start that Football Team?
Martin Clarke Sittingbourne

Visa, Invalid Buggy,NU Labour recession

I have at long last got our visa from the Russian Embassy to visit St Petersburg for the World Sombo Championships, they certainly make you jump through hoops to get one and the final cost was about £60 and with the Flight costing £381.50p the 4 days there will not be cheap. The recession has hit my Martial Arts Association we had to cancel our British Championships because of lack of entries, most complained that it was to near Christmas and they were unsure of their money circumstances, I expect there will be more to come.
NU Labour are talking about bringing in a test for people using Invalid Buggies and about time to, it is always the few that ruin it for everyone else. Some Buggies drivers are a danger to themselves as they seem to think they have an invisible shield around them and some of them are so rude never a honk on their horn or excuse me NO just bang into your legs and then you get the "CAN'T YOU SEE I AM AN INVALID" "NO! I HAVE NOT EVOLVED ENOUGH TO HAVE EYES IN THE BACK OF MY HEAD" lets insist they have insurance cover as well and go on a course for good manners. Recently a small shop keeper had a complaint from a Buggy driver that she could not get her buggy in the shop, she subsequently complained to the authorities that the shop was in breach of the Disability Act. This could lead to the shop having to spend a lot of money altering his door and shop to comply with the act or he would be forced to close and sell up, I await the outcome. While we are at it make cyclist take a test and get insurance they are a menace on the Road and on the pavement