We have a television program here in the UK called Rip off Britain and it brings to light various complaints from viewers regarding their experiences with being ripped off by certain companies and organisations. I am of the opinion that we, as a nation, are being ripped off in all sorts of ways. A few years ago we something called the Poll Tax whereby every adult individual in the country had to pay a fixed sum of money which paid for amenities such as the police, fire brigade, water sewage, waste removal and other services that we each use. Many people did not like the tax as it was the same amount for everybody irrespective of their income. That resulted in an even more unfair system called Council Tax which is essentially the same a Rates. This system places a levy on each house and apartment in the country the amount of which is determined by the size of the property, irrespective of how many people living there. This means that two people living in a large house (as in my own case) can be charged more than six people living in a smaller house. How can that be fair? We each of us use the same amenities by the same amounts irrespective of the size of the property. A fairer system would be to re-introduce the Poll Tax but link it to a persons income so that the more that is earned the more that is paid. Place a fixed percentage on the taxed amount. This is only one example of the way people are ripped off, there are probably hundreds more.
About forty years ago I remember a television program called ‘Tomorrows World‘. It was a program about technical and medical inventions and progress with an outlook on future developments. On one particular program they showed a method of mixing petrol (gasolene for our american friends) with water using a sonic device. It was tested in a car and proved efficient, without any detrimental effect on the car’s performance. The ratio of the mixture was 25% petrol and 75% water! This would have cut fuel charges by almost 75% assuming there would be little water charges involved. What happened to that device? You can be certain that the inventor was bought out! In an age where we are desperately trying to cut fuel charges and emissions inventions such as these would be really valuable. Of course the government would lose a lot of revenue should such a device become available. Makes me wonder.
No doubt the reader will know of other incidences where we as a nation are being ripped off. Can you?
Shirley Anne xxx
