Lion in Winter

Has anybody informed Bush? Let's get the troops home where they are needed.

tinaflorida

Nah, it's just the White House that's currently playing host to the devil.

Personally I love living in the US. Yes I bitch about some of life's annoyances here, and yes I sometimes get homesick, and of course I miss family and friends, but there is absolutely no way you will catch me returning to England any time soon!

sohosid

And there is no reason you should be thinking of coming back to this stinkhole....

Just this last week we have had news that Council Tax is on the rise, with the highest rate to be about £6000 a year.....now today we hear that the congestion charge may well go nationwide, and be around £1.34 PER MILE........

This country is really doing it's best to reasure me that I've made the right decision to emigrate!

Mike

RoB1833

Quite right that some of the bigger, more expensive homes should be taxed more. As for the road charges, I'm sure they're talking about London.

Get ready to pay a lot more for other things if you're coming to the US. Some things are cheaper, others will cost you a lot more, especially moving to somewhere like San Francisco.

sohosid

Well, *some* of the bigger homes should pay more, but the system being proposed takes no account of the fact that all houses have risen in value, and even basic family homes are now worth a lot more. The new banding means that most people will be paying, on average, double the amount now.

Nope....they are proposing scraping the road tax and duty of fuel, and replacing it with a system to charge you by the mile, with the rate mentioned of £1.34 per mile. If you average 10,000 miles a year (which is just below the national average) then you're going to be paying 13 grand a year....WAYYYY more than you'd ever pay in petrol and road tax. It's only a suggestion right now, and I actually doubt it will ever happen....that wasn't my point....

I'm aware of that...by weighing it all up I still can't wait to get out of the UK.

By the way....off the top of your head, what exactly will be more expensive in San Francisco compared to Central London???

Mike

RoB1833

Never lived in either place.

sohosid

So....to sum up, your statement:

was in fact based on no facts known to you at all......or, to rephrase....bollocks.....

Mike

Dant3

You'll find a lot of bollocks being spoken here, SohoSid! Everyone will tell you that San Francisco is expensive and it is. But anyone who has spent any time trying to live in London will find no surprises at all.

JAMES

sohosid

Ha ha!! Well...it's a message board....even the best ones have a ton of bollocks!!

I've been to SF before, so I'm aware of the prices...but as you say, London is in pretty much another league!!!!

Anyway, nice to meet you James........the name is actually Mike, not Sid......(long story!)

Mike.

RoB1833

Know enough not to live in either place, especially not London!

tinaflorida

Living in London - been there done that. Yes, certain parts of the US are more expensive than others, thankfully hubby and I have ended up in one of the cheaper areas with a good quality of life - Central Florida.