A monochrome world
Our Department of Theft and Highway Robbery have produced a map.
It is supposed to simplify the onerous task of trying to value our properties.
Now believe it, or believe it not, this map contains seven different colours, each colour representing a different band. In its own way, it represents our gubmint parties – they think they are different but in practice they are all exactly the same, so no one can tell the difference.
Naturally I checked to see what value they placed on my property. I like to know just how much Property Tax I won’t be paying after all. They valued The Manor at €200,001 which is a bit of a cheek. I nipped out yesterday with an old sheet of marine-ply and covered over the passageway between us and Them Next Door so now we are semi-detached, which apparently drops the value by €50,000.
So they reckon on a value of €150,001, do they? They have a fucking nerve and I wouldn’t sell for that even in a fit of madness. The “Herb Garden” alone is worth several times that. There again, we originally bought the place at auction Way Back When, for £1000 [plus 2/6 for the rain water barrel] so it’s still giving a good return on our investment, even if the rain water barrel has long since disintegrated.
So now I am waiting for my personalised letter of valuation that they are supposed to be sending out to every house in the country.
I won’t hold my breath.
I’m still waiting on the free iodine tablets that they were supposed to have sent me years ago.
"free iodine tablets" !!!?? What was that all about?
I looked at that map this morning and still can't figure out which colour my house is in.
I'll wait for their valuation which they can have in Tunisian dinars. Maybe. Not.
As far as I remember, they were worried that Sellafield was going to be attacked by terrorists so we were all to be issued with iodine tablets to protect us from nuclear fallout. Hah! I'm still waiting for mine.
They are adding the iodine to the water, along with several other "beneficial" additives. That's why you are suppose to be connected to the municipal water system. The fees and taxes are secondary.
There was even talk of putting some kind of sedative in the water supply? Ireland's ingenious answer to the suicide problem?
Didn't someone from Sellafield inadvertantly swallow an honesty pill back then and say that a pair of kippers had more iodine content than those tablets?
So, if you hear about Sellafield going all incontinent that's the time to get some Finnans down your neck …
It doesn't bother me that much if Sellafield does go incontinent or even incandescent. There is enough shit in the atmosphere that an extra boost to the radiation levels would probably pass unnoticed. Actually, the iodine handout may have had something to do with Chernobyl. All this radiation has affected my memory.
I think it was the wrong sort of iodine, anyway.
The lies being put around are annoying. It is not a Property Tax, it's only levied on certain properties, family homes. The Family Home Tax is not equivalent to the English Council Tax; in England they get things in return for their payments. We already pay for all our stuff, directly or through central taxation, and now have to pay the Family Home Tax on top.
Ian, you overlook the fact that Local Government gets a fair proportion (50% ?) of its funding from central government, which means we are paying twice as well. What do we get for all that money? Not al lot!
Sean, we have a house in West Somerset – the services there are hugely superior to those in the Irish Midlands.
The Family Home Tax is simply another mechanism devised by the Government to raise money to pay off the huge debts incurred in bailing out the banks.
I'm in Wiltshire and I am not in anyway convinced that I'm getting my money's worth. The road I live in hasn't been resurfaced, or even potholes filled, in the 25 years I've lived here.
I have been trying to work out exactly what I am supposed to get from the local council. Water? So full of chemicals that it's virtually undrinkable. Roads? Have to take the lane at under 5mph as I value my suspension. Can't think of a single other thing that I need and that they provide. They can go sod themselves.
What we sad, spineless, oppressed, Englanders pay as 'council tax' funds the council employees pension scheme. Everything and I do really mean everything else the council does it does with taxpayers money channeled by HMG from the pockets of everyone who pays tax… in England.
Bastards have either undervalued my house / area or values have really fucking dropped, don't intend to move so will accept the valuation I think, still haven't paid that fucking household charge though, think it's up at around €200 now with fines etc, it's gonna be an expensive year me thinks, just dropped €400 today to have tests & see a consultant at one of our pristine private hospitals, place was fucking packed, no recession or MRSA there I can tell ya.
That is the story of Ireland these days. We pay a fortune in taxes to fund "state services" and then have to fork out another fortune to buy those services ourselves because the state run one don't work.
Just had a bill for my annual health insurance – the price of a fairly good car!
Mine also cost a small bloody fortune to renew for 2 adults & 2 children under 6, but guess what, the only private hospital that could do the tests I required yesterday (also happened to be the best) is not covered by my bloody insurance so had to fork out the full cost on top of the bloody insurance. Funny thing is one of the tests was a Stress Test, finding out I had to pay the full amount for the visit induced a hell of a lot more stress than running on a fucking treadmill I can tell ya.
The houses in the next estate to me are actually in a different tax band to my identical semi-dee. . Ha! Take that peasant neighbours… Take that lower rate of Tax!
Oh..
Fuck..
I wonder how many are going to complain to Revenue that their houses have been undervalued? There are bound to be a few snobs around who feel slighted that their properties have been lumped in with the Lower Order's property in the neighbouring estate!
We got the iodine tablets but the feckin' dog ate them. I'm thinking of leaving the property tax letter near his bowel also.