Household Charge Mega-Thread [Part 2] *Poll Reset*

tayto lover

Seeing that we have so many ministerial advisers on so much money the question arises - What do the ministers do and do we really need them? Is it time for a 10 man Govt with 20 advisers? Would be a lot cheaper.

donalg1

flutered wrote: »

i am following this thread as i bask in the majorca sun, last night about 11 oclock local time whist enjoying a kerbside coffee a rubbish truck pulled up nearby, the rubbish was collected, then to my suprise the operator began to powerhose the empty bins, then the ground beneath and surrounding where the bins stood awaiting collection, now that is what i call local services.

I have been there a couple of times before too and I noticed one year there I walked around for days at a time in my bare feet. I didnt think anything of it at the time until I got home and tried walking around my local town in my bare feet. I wouldnt last 5 mins doing so on the streets round here between the dirt and broken glass and what not.

dvpower

flutered wrote: »

i am following this thread as i bask in the majorca sun, last night about 11 oclock local time whist enjoying a kerbside coffee a rubbish truck pulled up nearby, the rubbish was collected, then to my suprise the operator began to powerhose the empty bins, then the ground beneath and surrounding where the bins stood awaiting collection, now that is what i call local services.

They have pretty hefty property taxes in Spain as well as high transfer taxes on buying property and annual rates.

Be careful what you wish for.

tayto lover

dvpower wrote: »

They have pretty hefty property taxes in Spain as well as high transfer taxes on buying property and annual rates.

Be careful what you wish for.

Always the pro|Govt slant. I wonder do the Spaniards pay all the other taxes we do?

dvpower

tayto lover wrote: »

Always the pro|Govt slant. I wonder do the Spaniards pay all the other taxes we do?

Yes. Total tax burden is higher in Spain than here (source)

Hijpo

If i was recieving that level of service and everybody that availed of them paid a fair ammount towards them then i wouldnt mind paying for them but the fact of the matter is we dont get anywhere near the level of services other countries do and the ones we do get are ****e.

tayto lover

Where are they going to put us ?
http://www.rte.ie/news/2012/0807/prison-2011.html

Am Chile

Very Interesting article about the Sligo Councils Debt, with their budget deficit growing more each year, it begs the question where is the money going ? what exactly is it being spent on ? one might conclude the sligo council is wasting money, and some might wonder why people are reluctant to pay more money to councils in the form of a household/property tax.

The citizens of the Borough have now every reason to be concerned. To hand over the finances and resources of the Borough Council to Sligo County Council would prove disastrous for the future development of Sligo, Cllr Declan Bree said this week in advance of a special meeting of the County Council where a financial appraisal of the County Council is to be considered.

“I predicted back in June that the narrow and restricted terms of reference imposed by the County Manager for the financial appraisal of Sligo County Council would leave the consultants Grant Thornton, with no solution to the Council’s financial crises other than to recommend a take over of the Borough Council and its finances. And that is borne out by the report from the consultants which is to be considered at a special meeting of Sligo County Council on this coming Thursday. (9 August).

“The Report confirms that the County Council is experiencing an increasing deficit and currently has a deficit of €13 million in its revenue account. It indicates further that the Council will experience growing financial losses which will increase the deficit to a totally unsustainable €27.5 million by 2017."

Bailout Of €10 Million

Cllr Bree continued, “It recommends in the short term a State injection or bailout of €10 million to replace the Council’s bank overdraft and in the medium term it recommends a merger of Sligo Borough Council with Sligo County.

“The consultants state that while the County Council is experiencing an increasing deficit of substantial amounts, the Borough Council is balancing its budget. They also say that the Borough Council is in a stronger position than the County to generate income to bridge the funding gap by way of commercial rates and also from income generated within the town.

The Independent councillor stressed, “The citizens of the Borough have now every reason to be concerned. To hand over the finances and resources of the Borough to Sligo County Council would prove disastrous for the future development of Sligo.

“I pointed out at the beginning of this process that despite the fact that Sligo County Council has the worst financial record in the country and despite the fact that the County Council is the only Council in the state where the revenue deficit is consistently increasing year by year, there was no proposal in the County Manager’s terms of reference for the consultants to examine, review or assess the performance and competence of the management of the County Council. The consultants were instructed to examine every avenue except the obvious one.

'No Resemblance To Reality'

“Given the shambles of the County Council’s finances it is blatantly obvious why management would not want its competence and efficacy assessed.

“There are 34 County and City Councils in the state, and there are 34 County and City Managers. I again pose the question: Why is Sligo County Council the only Council in the country where the revenue deficit is consistently increasing year by year?

“The County Council’s Capital Debt is now €73 million and the Revenue deficit is €13 million and growing. And is it any wonder? For the past number of years the County Manager has consistently asked councillors to adopt annual budgets that were based on fantasy, budgets that bore no resemblance to reality, budgets that were absurd and unattainable, budgets that led to massive deficits in the revenue account each year. And to make up for the shortfall each year the County Manger then urged councillors to take out loans and increase overdrafts.

“Unfortunately the majority of county councillors dance to the County Managers tune and they have constantly voted for budgets and overdrafts which have undermined the council’s financial viability.

“When we met with Minister Hogan in January I told him that I estimated that the County Council was running up a deficit in its revenue account of approximately €7,000 every single day, seven days a week. According to a report issued by the Council’s Head of Finance this week my prediction was accurate - the head of Finance states that Council deficit for 2012 is expected to be €2.5 million!

“I also told the Minister that the Council could not survive without a significant change in management and a major financial bailout. I believe I was also accurate in that regard,” concluded Cllr Bree who is an elected member of both Sligo County Council and Sligo Borough Council.

Report

According to the summary of the Grant Thornton report; "Sligo County Council is facing a financial crisis. The Council’s ability to meet its present and on-going obligations is impacted by the severe budgetary position the Council finds itself along with unsustainable levels of borrowing. This independent financial appraisal of Sligo County Council was commissioned in light of this challenging financial and operating environment facing the Council. In the broader context there is the growing pressure on State funds and due regard was also taken to government policy regarding public sector reform.

"Following a detailed analysis of the information gathered, a wide number of key issues were identified and options were developed and considered in relation to the future sustainability of the local authority. The issues inherent in Sligo County Council which are contributing to this increasing budget deficit have been identified as follows:

1. investment in infrastructure assets that are not revenue generating;
2. staff legacies restricting the benefits of shared services or outsourcing; capital project staff
paid from the revenue account;
3. inability to collect outstanding debts;
4. pension funding gap: pension profile is changing; and
5. financial impact of the relationship between Sligo Borough Council and Sligo County Council.

http://www.sligotoday.ie/details.php?id=21392&PHPSESSID=1e6effe9e5aeb5b5b1d7849825421877

Big Bad Phil

tayto lover wrote: »

Where are they going to put us ?
http://www.rte.ie/news/2012/0807/prison-2011.html

No need to put you or anyone in prison we can just deduct the money at source plus any back money with penalties you owe preventing our courts being clogged up.

Hijpo

Big Bad Phil wrote: »

No need to put you or anyone in prison we can just deduct the money at source plus any back money with penalties you owe preventing our courts being clogged up.

you'll have to find out who has and hasnt paid first or are you going to take it from everyone?

will you be refunding all the people who have paid?

you still dont have your completed database of house owners for the property tax, isnt that what the goal of this laughable HHC was?

gerryo777

Big Bad Phil wrote: »

No need to put you or anyone in prison we can just deduct the money at source plus any back money with penalties you owe preventing our courts being clogged up.

We? LOL.

Al, is this another one of your aliases?

mickydoomsux

flutered wrote: »

i am following this thread as i bask in the majorca sun, last night about 11 oclock local time whist enjoying a kerbside coffee a rubbish truck pulled up nearby, the rubbish was collected, then to my suprise the operator began to powerhose the empty bins, then the ground beneath and surrounding where the bins stood awaiting collection, now that is what i call local services.

That could have been a private refuse company.

Cesium Clock

Big Bad Phil wrote: »

No need to put you or anyone in prison we can just deduct the money at source plus any back money with penalties you owe preventing our courts being clogged up.

That's right go straight to the mint and take it at source,

tayto lover

Big Bad Phil wrote: »

No need to put you or anyone in prison we can just deduct the money at source plus any back money with penalties you owe preventing our courts being clogged up.

Ha ha. You couldn't even get the letters right and sent them to people who already paid. Pure incompetence.

eth0

Lol @ there being someone called 'big bad phil' on here

gerryo777

eth0 wrote: »

Lol @ there being someone called 'big bad phil' on here

Reckon it's comical ali in disguise...

paddy147

Im sure Big Phil and Enda will resort to something like this to get their money...if it comes to it.:D

paddy147

Ive been off on a months "holiday".



So who got a threatening letter from Big Phil then????

eth0

gerryo777 wrote: »

Reckon it's comical ali in disguise...

Probably. The real big phil is probably living the good life in Portugal and not paying his bins

paddy147

I also see that all the ministers "special advisors" are getting a 3k salary rise aswell.

Pat on the back for you Mr Enda Kenny with this latest "2 finger salute to the public" stunt.

Nice to know that the goverment is leading by example and making personal sacrifices.

gerryo777

paddy147 wrote: »

Ive been off on a months "holiday".



So who got a threatening letter from Big Phil then????

I'm just back from a month myself paddy. We know who did the reporting.
Funny how he never gets a ban for all his flaming etc.....

dvpower

gerryo777 wrote: »

I'm just back from a month myself paddy.

And gone again. That didn't work out too well.

Le_Dieux

paddy147 wrote: »

Ive been off on a months "holiday".



So who got a threatening letter from Big Phil then????

I didn't. Wonder why? I sure haven't paid, nor am I going.

dxhound2005

Le_Dieux wrote: »

I didn't. Wonder why? I sure haven't paid, nor am I going.

How many houses do you own? Newspaper reports say the first set of letters went mostly to people indentified from the NPPR and PRTB databases.

Le_Dieux

dxhound2005 wrote: »

How many houses do you own? Newspaper reports say the first set of letters went mostly to people indentified from the NPPR and PRTB databases.

I could be smart and say I don't own any, as my bank owns the ONE house I am paying mortgage on.

Cesium Clock

dxhound2005 wrote: »

How many houses do you own? Newspaper reports say the first set of letters went mostly to people indentified from the NPPR and PRTB databases.

Newspaper reports say a lot of things,

Especially when it involves figures about who has paid and who has not,

Izzy Skint

the govt. are now committed to the process of really f*cking this country up BIG time, they are determined to impose further austerity and misery on to those who's taxes are just about keeping this banana republic afloat.

They have decided that the budget deficit will be reduced primarily through tax raising measures rather than public spending cuts..... the public spending monster, created during the magical fairytale "boom" years, is to be kept alive at its current levels.
It was the huge increase in tax revenues during the property boom which led to the huge rise in govt. spending.... govt. spending far surpassed tax revenues from the "real" economy, now they expect the "real" economy to stump up and bear the majority of the shortfall !!....they are playing a very very dangerous game... push it too far and our situation will only get worse.

They consider it far easier to introduce tax raising measures rather than politically sensitive spending cuts ....they have chosen the easier route over the one that's best for the country.....hit the silent, hard working majority....they will bend over for you every time.

Hijpo

600,000 yet to register. Warnings of "strongly worded letters" should strike fear unto those who have not paid!!!

:rolleyes:

Mach Lei

Hijpo wrote: »

600,000 yet to register. Warnings of "strongly worded letters" should strike fear unto those who have not paid!!!

:rolleyes:

The first round of letters have being vastly Ignored, most people who haven,t paid have their minds made up long ago and won,t be paying, theres not a chance of hundreds of thousands being brought to court over the next few months.

Le_Dieux

Mach Lei wrote: »

The first round of letters have being vastly Ignored, most people who haven,t paid have their minds made up long ago and won,t be paying, theres not a chance of hundreds of thousands being brought to court over the next few months.

I never paid the HHC, NOR have I received the '1st' letter.

Interesting scenario....what would happen if I were brought to court? I am supposed to get 3 before a court appearance, whereas I will only have received 2....assuming I get the 2 to follow.

I can see a legal minefield arising out of all this sh1te