Of bail outs and bills
20/01/09 Filed in: Life style
Read all about the Government bail out in Tom's Journal!
And I thought all I was entitled to was that $300 hand-out last year, to go buy an iPod!
How much have you received so far?
Usually, the flow of public money is away from the public towards the government. I was reminded of a couple of characters who, faced with unfair tax bills, took their anger out in a couple of creative ways - and got a lot of satisfaction, sticking it to the Government.
In the UK, in 1990, there was almost a revolution when Poll tax was introduced. A guy, probably unemployed but still liable to pay the new "fairer" tax, submitted his payment to the government on a very creative check - a dead fish with the words, please pay the bearer the sum of ---- written on its scales. Legal tender!
When Poll tax rioting in the UK got out of hand, the Tories removed it from the public consciousness by replacing it with Council Tax. Same shit different day.
A friend of mine who lived out in the country, had a small cottage, no streetlighting, almost no road, and a once-weekly refuse collection that usually left more trash on the kerb than in the back of the trash truck. He was livid to find his Council tax bill was rated in the upper band. The Council ignored every letter of complaint he ever sent...
Imagine the look of horror when he turned up at the Council Offices (with the press in tow) and dumped a sack of coins - and another, and another - at the payment kiosk. He had the correct amount, the Government officials had to accept it as legal tender, but they also had to count it all out, coin by coin, just in case it was short. It took hours.
Unfortunately, they never saw the irony or humor, and he has been a marked man ever since. Simple procedures (like applying for planning permission so he can upgrade his simple home so it is more in-line with the other high tax paying properties in his neighborhood) end in disputes and delays. I guess you can never win
Wow, and he has another $45,000 coming.On Septemeber 15th, 2008 I received a check in the mail from the US goverment for $12,000. It was enough to pay off the $10,000 in credit card debit I had accumulated, and allowed me to take a nice vacation, and SAVE $1,000. Saving, is something we had never been able to do before.
And I thought all I was entitled to was that $300 hand-out last year, to go buy an iPod!
How much have you received so far?
Paying out
Usually, the flow of public money is away from the public towards the government. I was reminded of a couple of characters who, faced with unfair tax bills, took their anger out in a couple of creative ways - and got a lot of satisfaction, sticking it to the Government.
Fishy payments
In the UK, in 1990, there was almost a revolution when Poll tax was introduced. A guy, probably unemployed but still liable to pay the new "fairer" tax, submitted his payment to the government on a very creative check - a dead fish with the words, please pay the bearer the sum of ---- written on its scales. Legal tender!
Paid in pennies.
A friend of mine who lived out in the country, had a small cottage, no streetlighting, almost no road, and a once-weekly refuse collection that usually left more trash on the kerb than in the back of the trash truck. He was livid to find his Council tax bill was rated in the upper band. The Council ignored every letter of complaint he ever sent...
Imagine the look of horror when he turned up at the Council Offices (with the press in tow) and dumped a sack of coins - and another, and another - at the payment kiosk. He had the correct amount, the Government officials had to accept it as legal tender, but they also had to count it all out, coin by coin, just in case it was short. It took hours.
Unfortunately, they never saw the irony or humor, and he has been a marked man ever since. Simple procedures (like applying for planning permission so he can upgrade his simple home so it is more in-line with the other high tax paying properties in his neighborhood) end in disputes and delays. I guess you can never win
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