danfan

The house is nowehere NEAR that value!! More than half of it goes to the schools. We also pay 1% income tax to the schools too. You'd think that means the schools are great, huh?

danfan

::::::::::::::THUD::::::::::::::::

danfan

3 bed, 2 reception rooms & a 25ft kitchen - it was a terraced house in South Birmingham. Small compared with many houses over here LOL but average size for a terrace

gazzpfc

Well I have insurance with work as I have had for years here which I also pay tax on here as its seen as a benefit.

jumping doris

It does that to me everytime I have to pay it.
The schools are fantastic though. As soon as my youngest is through high school we are out of here.
Living here is a bit like the Truman Show. There's no litter, no crime but a huge police force with new shiny cars etc, all is perfect in suburbia.
There are no shops in our township because they won't allow them, the only thing we have is a petrol station that has a shop and that has to close at 10pm.
Dull but perfect.

danfan

LOL @ The Truman Show.
Thing is, apart from the school, we have nothing else. No police dept, no fire dept, no library. We have to call State Police if we need them & who knows for a fire? Trash collection is through private company of course. Oh they do plough the roads when it snows!
When I ask anyone where do the rest of our taxes go, they raise their eyebrows and whisper "it's corruption!"

Elvira

At least, in the UK, you have some idea of where your taxes go. WE might not necessarily always have spent them in this way, but it doesn't feel like being robbed. Here I really have very little idea of where the money goes apart from schools, the war, roads and a handful of other things.

NB: DAK - do widow(er)s get a pension here?

Bob

so your work pays 100% your health? that's still a tax though, because it's a hefty sum, and that's a ding on potential salary.

Bob

bit like our town and pubs, won't let them in, which is killing the town centre, it's dead, and they wonder why nothing will bring people in....yet they don't mind people driving drunk to get to the town line and all those chain places that fill up route 9

ironporer

Pockets of Politicans? My guess....before they spend a dime on anything.
Same thing world wide I'm afraid.

jumping doris

We have a voluntary fire dept, library and they plough the roads really well. we have yellow school buses but they are talking about making those private.We have lots of parks.....that don't allow dogs in:curse:
We have a mall and tons of stuff just across the township border and it's a tiny township so we don't have far to go.
Sadly our school board are a bunch of #$%#$%(any very rude word you like).
The majority don't bother to involve the minority members in any discussion and are extremely rude to anyone who questions them.
They have spent a ton of money fighting a group of parents and instead of using the townships lawyers, which they were meant to do, they hired an independant expensive law firm.

TouristTrap

The problem we face in Florida, is that those types come down here when they retire, and have even more time on their hands to cause dung. :curse: :curse:

Elvira

I'm sure the Uk has its share of corrupt politicians, but at least we do get something tangible for our taxes - healthcare for everyone and a vast array of benefits to help even out inequalities: sickness, disability, children, maternity, widow(er)s, unemployment, job seekers, housing, etc.

AdobePinon

No kidding - Doris should have a 2 million buck house (+20%)

Deedee13

she might??? If so the parties at her house this weekend.