Scottish Independence thread

[40kGamer]

Finally seeing coverage of the Scottish Independence vote popping up on the US news. I bet everyone will be glad to get past the vote in two days so that the emotional tension from this can ease off.

[The_Gonk]

Finally seeing coverage of the Scottish Independence vote popping up on the US news. I bet everyone will be glad to get past the vote in two days so that the emotional tension from this can ease off.

I saw some CNN coverage last night. It was interesting to see that perspective. I think the UK might be better as a Federal system but that isn't on the table.

[40kGamer]

I saw some CNN coverage last night. It was interesting to see that perspective. I think the UK might be better as a Federal system but that isn't on the table.

I'm not sure how taxation and governance works in the UK but I would not wish the US multi-tiered system as it currently exists on our worst enemy. Federal > State > County > City > School District... and on and on. It gets stupidly complex, creates ridiculous tax situations and allows elected officials to pass blame around like a hot potato. In that way I can actually understand the Scots desire to govern and tax themselves.

[Wildeybeast]

Local councils have control over local issues (bin collections, schools, roads etc) and we pay council tax for it. But most of their funding come direct form central government which still regulates and controls the majority of things. There is occasionall talk about giving more power to counties/cities in Engalnd, but most people don't seem especially bothered by it. Rather than just having one authority stuffing it up for everyone, you would have lots of local ones messing things up AND failing to work with the others.

[Wolfshade]

It is universal.

Whatever the tax it is the same in all parts of the UK, but then you get weird things like the Isle of Mann

[40kGamer]

Local councils have control over local issues (bin collections, schools, roads etc) and we pay council tax for it. But most of their funding come direct form central government which still regulates and controls the majority of things. There is occasionall talk about giving more power to counties/cities in Engalnd, but most people don't seem especially bothered by it. Rather than just having one authority stuffing it up for everyone, you would have lots of local ones messing things up AND failing to work with the others.

It is universal.

Whatever the tax it is the same in all parts of the UK, but then you get weird things like the Isle of Mann

Centralized revenue collection allocated to local governing bodies sounds simpler and more efficient. I guess the downside is when the local people/governing bodies feel like they have been short changed in the deal.

The system in the US can get ridiculously complicated and not surprisingly, greatly favors the wealthy. In the state I currently live in you have to pay Federal, state and city income taxes. Then depending upon exactly where you live you may have to pay a second city and a school district income tax as well. This is in addition to state and county sales taxes and local property taxes. It's horribly frustrating.

[Wolfshade]

Well that is part of the issue. Owing to the North Sea Oil fields being off the coast of Scotland, they feel that they contribute more per head because of the tax raised from the Oil firms operating from Scotland and that the population is low 5.3 million.
On the flip side, they also recieve a higher funding per capita also.

That tax system sounds strange, though I suppose it is what you grow up with. We have a standard "sales" tax of 20% on non-essential items, then certain things have additional "duties" levied on them, beer, cider, tobacco, spirits, petrol etc.

The only place where there is a degree of localism is "council tax", which is akin to the property tax. So depending which county/city/borough you live in (it can be confusing where the county isn't the unitary authority, and then places like Feckenham) anyway, you then pay a tax based on what you house was (or would have been worth) in 1991 because reasons and to make it easier to administer these are grouped into pricing bands from the lowest A to the highest H. So for instance I moved from a band A in one county to a band C in another city and the amount dropped, so yeah.

[Psychosplodge]

yeah but you aren't still paying for the construction a stadium they've since demolished now.

[Mr Mystery]

Well that is part of the issue. Owing to the North Sea Oil fields being off the coast of Scotland, they feel that they contribute more per head because of the tax raised from the Oil firms operating from Scotland and that the population is low 5.3 million.
On the flip side, they also recieve a higher funding per capita also.

That tax system sounds strange, though I suppose it is what you grow up with. We have a standard "sales" tax of 20% on non-essential items, then certain things have additional "duties" levied on them, beer, cider, tobacco, spirits, petrol etc.

The only place where there is a degree of localism is "council tax", which is akin to the property tax. So depending which county/city/borough you live in (it can be confusing where the county isn't the unitary authority, and then places like Feckenham) anyway, you then pay a tax based on what you house was (or would have been worth) in 1991 because reasons and to make it easier to administer these are grouped into pricing bands from the lowest A to the highest H. So for instance I moved from a band A in one county to a band C in another city and the amount dropped, so yeah.

And if you live in that house on your own, you get a piffling 20% discount, likewise for reasons.

Council Tax really needs a rejig. Distribute it more evenly. Perhaps just a set amount per eligible head.

[Psychosplodge]

No I'm not paying poll tax. It doesn't cost them anymore to police or empty the bin because there's more occupants. that's just bull****.