Paying extra tax for Councils emptying your rubbish

[WendyS]

There's a new petition on the Downing Street website to try and have Councils prohibited from charging extra tax for emptying your rubbish, on top of your existing council tax bills.

http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/AxetheBinTax/#detai l

Petition closes 6th May 2007.

[johnny37]

I think council tax is a daft way of councils raising revenue. A little old lady living in a large house which she has saved and worked hard all her life (and maybe her husbands life as well) is deemed to be able to afford more than five adults all working who live in a small terraced house. Charging the latter for extra rubbish is a good idea except that it will encourage fly tipping and dumping, or even people putting their rubbish in their neighbours bins. No doubt people on benefits will be exempt. The only realistic and simple alternative to council tax is to add it to income tax to be paid to the council where you live (local income tax) but of course that is politically unacceptable.

[dzug]

Is there any way of voting against the petition?

Charging for excess rubbish seems a good way of persuading those who can't be ****ed to use the recycling facilities (in this area, bags or boxes left and then collected by the council) to use them rather than putting everything in the landfill bags.

[WendyS]

Ah, but they'll be even less encouraged to recycle if they think putting stuff in their bins will cost them extra. They'll just be more inclined to throw it in hedges, alleyways and litter pleasant country roads or individuals' front gardens.

[lady_p_gold]

Well if you actually check how much of your council tax goes on refuse it is absolutely tiny. I must say I was amazed when I found out.