VAT to 20%?
15 March 2002, 12:11 AM
#31
Scooby Regular
Join Date: Jun 2001
Posts: 72
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I'd prefer a raise in income tax to VAT but I have no problem in them raising more money generally (ie me paying more money) if they'll spend it wisely.
I spent seven hours in casualty last month after completely dislocating my big right toe. The staff there were doing a fantastic job but I wont want to wait the same amount of time again, if only for the reason that after a few hours of waiting I started to go into/had gone into shock and that could have turned a lot nastier than my original injury.*
Unfortunately the whole city and county of Leicester has only ONE fully operational Accident and Emergency department. That to me is an embarrasment to this country if it considers itself to be one of the biggest economies in the world.
* I havent had this confirmed by a qualified person but I've looked into it myself and am quite confident it was shock.
I spent seven hours in casualty last month after completely dislocating my big right toe. The staff there were doing a fantastic job but I wont want to wait the same amount of time again, if only for the reason that after a few hours of waiting I started to go into/had gone into shock and that could have turned a lot nastier than my original injury.*
Unfortunately the whole city and county of Leicester has only ONE fully operational Accident and Emergency department. That to me is an embarrasment to this country if it considers itself to be one of the biggest economies in the world.
* I havent had this confirmed by a qualified person but I've looked into it myself and am quite confident it was shock.
15 March 2002, 10:44 AM
#32
Scooby Senior
Join Date: Feb 2000
Posts: 8,204
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
PSlewis
Is not the paying for stuff people object to, it's the blatant waste of people's money.
The Govt had £2 billion excess last year, so why do they need to raise taxes?
It's not just more money, it's better use of it that's called for.
Run the whole health service like a private company. The NHS costs us 40Billion pounds a year
That's enough to get it into the fortune 500 of companies. I'd like to bet that those fortune 500 companies operating expenses and overheads are a lot less than the NHS..
/Controversial PSLewis mode on...
I believe the NHS should refuse to treat all smoking/Drug/Alcohol related diseases.
Why should I pay to bail you out if you've screwed your body up by drinking,smoking, doping too much. You fecked your body up, you sort it out.
/Controversial PSLewis mode off...
Is not the paying for stuff people object to, it's the blatant waste of people's money.
The Govt had £2 billion excess last year, so why do they need to raise taxes?
It's not just more money, it's better use of it that's called for.
Run the whole health service like a private company. The NHS costs us 40Billion pounds a year
That's enough to get it into the fortune 500 of companies. I'd like to bet that those fortune 500 companies operating expenses and overheads are a lot less than the NHS../Controversial PSLewis mode on...
I believe the NHS should refuse to treat all smoking/Drug/Alcohol related diseases.
Why should I pay to bail you out if you've screwed your body up by drinking,smoking, doping too much. You fecked your body up, you sort it out.
/Controversial PSLewis mode off...
15 March 2002, 11:44 AM
#33
Scooby Regular
Join Date: Feb 2001
Posts: 532
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
It dont matter who is in power they are all gonna take it off you.
Labour still better than that bunch of inbred nitwits that was in last time...
dont u just wish though that they could stop all the stealth through indirect taxation?
oh and neil.... i believe that you'll find that your average smoker probably contributes double to the coffers of the government though the 3.00 per packet of duty he is paying. IMHO that more than entitles he/she to a place just the same as every other bigmac eating/lager drinking slob that usually is cluttering up the place.
... or maybe i am just being contraversial again 
[Edited by smanning - 3/15/2002 11:45:50 AM]
Labour still better than that bunch of inbred nitwits that was in last time...
dont u just wish though that they could stop all the stealth through indirect taxation?
oh and neil.... i believe that you'll find that your average smoker probably contributes double to the coffers of the government though the 3.00 per packet of duty he is paying. IMHO that more than entitles he/she to a place just the same as every other bigmac eating/lager drinking slob that usually is cluttering up the place.
... or maybe i am just being contraversial again [Edited by smanning - 3/15/2002 11:45:50 AM]
15 March 2002, 03:58 PM
#37
Scooby Regular
Join Date: May 1999
Posts: 7,901
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I think it will go the same way as joining the EC in the first place, i.e. we'll join for a 'trial period' during which we'll get rid of all our notes and coins. Then a year later there'll be a referendum which will be 'do you want to change back'. Apathy will see that most people vote to stay in.
16 March 2002, 07:56 AM
#38
Scooby Regular
Join Date: Jan 2000
Posts: 1,999
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Lowest taxed nations?? WHAT??? are you smoking something? We're talking about britain here 
You know, one of the HIGHEST taxed 1st world nations in the world. Just because New Labia do more through indirect taxation doesn't make it better!
Last year I lost over 65% of my gross earnings in tax, direct and indirect, and now my Council tax has just gone up from £1500 to over £2000 per year
WHAT??? are you smoking something? We're talking about britain here You know, one of the HIGHEST taxed 1st world nations in the world. Just because New Labia do more through indirect taxation doesn't make it better!Last year I lost over 65% of my gross earnings in tax, direct and indirect, and now my Council tax has just gone up from £1500 to over £2000 per year
16 March 2002, 08:04 AM
#39
Scooby Regular
Join Date: Jan 2000
Posts: 1,999
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
...and on the better public services bull****.... New Labia has imposed or increased 4 times the number of 'taxes' in their short tenure than the tories did in 18 years. Majority have been done to 'improve public services' yet most public services (hospital waiting lists et. al. have got worse)
And as for Tony Blair being a hero I knew ps had a twisted sense of reality, but my god Perhaps if he spent as much time righting the problems in this country as he does trying to sort out the world this country's descent down the global toilet might slow down
Bring back Thatcher
And as for Tony Blair being a hero
I knew ps had a twisted sense of reality, but my god Perhaps if he spent as much time righting the problems in this country as he does trying to sort out the world this country's descent down the global toilet might slow down Bring back Thatcher
16 March 2002, 08:08 AM
#40
Scooby Regular
Join Date: Oct 2001
Posts: 19,645
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
On a recent news report I saw that alcohol related illnesses are driving the NHS to ruin
Don't treat alcohol related problems!
You have a choice, don't fecking get yourself into a state drinking it etc, etc.
Damnit Pete, you are a bad influence on Neil and myself
Don't treat alcohol related problems!
You have a choice, don't fecking get yourself into a state drinking it etc, etc.
Damnit Pete, you are a bad influence on Neil and myself
16 March 2002, 08:53 AM
#41
Scooby Regular
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Lincolnshire
Posts: 15,623
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Basically click here for more info
http://news.bbc.co.uk/vote2001/hi/en...00/1348983.stm
[Edited by paulr - 3/16/2002 9:26:36 AM]
16 March 2002, 09:30 AM
#43
Scooby Regular
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Lincolnshire
Posts: 15,623
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
The top graph is % of salary remaining after tax,ie what you get in your monthly pay cheque.
VAT,exise duty etc,etc comes later.
If you click on the above link it does give you an idea of the winners and losers.
[Edited by paulr - 3/16/2002 9:34:05 AM]
[Edited by paulr - 3/16/2002 9:42:24 AM]
VAT,exise duty etc,etc comes later.
If you click on the above link it does give you an idea of the winners and losers.
[Edited by paulr - 3/16/2002 9:34:05 AM]
[Edited by paulr - 3/16/2002 9:42:24 AM]
16 March 2002, 11:04 PM
#48
Scooby Regular
Join Date: Sep 2000
Posts: 133
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Whats the feeling on stepping income tax up for high earners ?
E.g. Sir Ian Vallance, who when working for BT managed a 3 day week for them ( amongst all his other interests ) and was picking up something like £650k a year + all the shares options etc.
Think I'm right in saying he paid 40% tax on this, i.e. same as someone earning half that salary. Surely if income tax was stepped higher he'd pay more tax? good or bad ?
Think a VAT increase could be bad - lots of talk of recession but it would seem we're spending alot in the high street ( albeit on Credit cards ) That seems to be keeping us afloat so far.. If VAT goes up, would it not affect high street spending? causing a downturn generally ?
Far as treating drug users/alcoholics/smokers - I can see where people are coming from on this and to some extent agree, too many times you hear of someone who has a string of heart attacks but wont give up the **** - in some respects smoking is a worse problem as drug users ( if they do get that ill ) usually wipe themselves out anyway.
Girlfriends' dad had a very minor heart attack last year and went cold turkey after smoking for 30 years. Problem is its too late now..
Thing is I don't think the ( or any ) government actually want to stop people smoking - brings in too much money. Same for fuel - if *everyone* used public transport they'd loose a hell of alot of money from fuel tax.
To my mind all politicans are the same, all power crazy egotists that don't really seem to know what they're doing.
E.g. Sir Ian Vallance, who when working for BT managed a 3 day week for them ( amongst all his other interests ) and was picking up something like £650k a year + all the shares options etc.
Think I'm right in saying he paid 40% tax on this, i.e. same as someone earning half that salary. Surely if income tax was stepped higher he'd pay more tax? good or bad ?
Think a VAT increase could be bad - lots of talk of recession but it would seem we're spending alot in the high street ( albeit on Credit cards ) That seems to be keeping us afloat so far.. If VAT goes up, would it not affect high street spending? causing a downturn generally ?
Far as treating drug users/alcoholics/smokers - I can see where people are coming from on this and to some extent agree, too many times you hear of someone who has a string of heart attacks but wont give up the **** - in some respects smoking is a worse problem as drug users ( if they do get that ill ) usually wipe themselves out anyway.
Girlfriends' dad had a very minor heart attack last year and went cold turkey after smoking for 30 years. Problem is its too late now..
Thing is I don't think the ( or any ) government actually want to stop people smoking - brings in too much money. Same for fuel - if *everyone* used public transport they'd loose a hell of alot of money from fuel tax.
To my mind all politicans are the same, all power crazy egotists that don't really seem to know what they're doing.
16 March 2002, 11:52 PM
#49
Scooby Regular
I would hazard a guess that most people on here are on around £60000 a year - why the moaning about paying our share??
Dont get it myself, you only actually NEED so much to live after that its what?? saved?? wowie!!
Come on Tony take my money - its here for you
Pete
Dont get it myself, you only actually NEED so much to live after that its what?? saved?? wowie!!
Come on Tony take my money - its here for you
Pete
17 March 2002, 08:34 AM
#50
Scooby Senior
Join Date: Feb 2000
Posts: 8,204
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Pete
Can I have your spare money. I'll give it to tony, honest.
Seriously. It's always the people that are on lower incomes that proportionally get stung by stealth taxes, because the tax rate is the same no matter what the purchase price(although the amounts vary).
I dispute the throwing more money at anything makes it better. What needs to happen is a re-engineering of NHS(for example) to make better use of the funds available.
There are two way to approach a problem, either harder(throw more money) or smarter. The optimum is a little of both. Not as this current govt think, harder.
Can I have your spare money. I'll give it to tony, honest.
Seriously. It's always the people that are on lower incomes that proportionally get stung by stealth taxes, because the tax rate is the same no matter what the purchase price(although the amounts vary).
I dispute the throwing more money at anything makes it better. What needs to happen is a re-engineering of NHS(for example) to make better use of the funds available.
There are two way to approach a problem, either harder(throw more money) or smarter. The optimum is a little of both. Not as this current govt think, harder.
17 March 2002, 10:19 AM
#51
Scooby Regular
Join Date: Jan 2000
Posts: 1,999
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Pete - I earn about double the figure you quote, but work (and have worked) BLOODY hard to get there (60-75 hours per week for 8 years, after 6 years post scholastic education). As stated above, I lost 65% of my gross earnings to the govt last year (Central and local).
On top of that, I am no burden on the NHS as I have PHI. I have no kids in schools. I live in an area with no street lights. My bins get emptied once a fortnight if I am lucky. My road has been untarmaced for 3 years. My local council can't arrord to grit the roads around me.
Tell me in what twisted reality that is fair??
Pehaps if we stopped giving over £90 billion (yes £90 BILLION - £90,000,000,000) in handouts, or at least only gave it to British citizens rather than any immigrant that illegally gets into this country, we might not be in quite the **** we are!
Tony Blair is so keen to 'help the world', grease the rest of the EU leaders/nations and 'help' Labia party donators that he forgets to look at the (misguided) people that voted him in [img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img]
On top of that, I am no burden on the NHS as I have PHI. I have no kids in schools. I live in an area with no street lights. My bins get emptied once a fortnight if I am lucky. My road has been untarmaced for 3 years. My local council can't arrord to grit the roads around me.
Tell me in what twisted reality that is fair??
Pehaps if we stopped giving over £90 billion (yes £90 BILLION - £90,000,000,000) in handouts, or at least only gave it to British citizens rather than any immigrant that illegally gets into this country, we might not be in quite the **** we are!
Tony Blair is so keen to 'help the world', grease the rest of the EU leaders/nations and 'help' Labia party donators that he forgets to look at the (misguided) people that voted him in [img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img]
17 March 2002, 11:13 AM
#52
That's rather an Ironic post Michelle, i thought you liked the odd pint or 10.
I hope we dont go down the limit who can use the NHS route as where does it end? If you own a fast car and crash cos you are a crap driver, do you get treated? If you do a dangerous pasttime like drive on track or skydive, do you get treated? If you fish (statisticaly a dangerous sport) do you get treated? Slippy slope i dont want to see.
I absolutely hate stealth taxes, the government doesnt have the ***** to be honest about what they are doing because they know people would hit the roof.
The biggest stealth robbing of the UK working population by Labour has been the removing of the tax exempt status of our pensions. That is going to cost each and every one of us £100,000's in lost pensions as the effect is compounded every year. They should be hung for that, you need to at least double what you were paying to make up the diference.
Another titbit. If the VAT rate does rise to 20% it's against the law for it to be dropped, we are stuck with that for good! It's also against the law to remove VAT on anything that it has been aplied too. VAT has been going on more and more goods over the years silently.
NI is another tax that gets forgotten. That should be scrapped, it was introduced to suplement tax to pay for the NHS, it now just gets bunged in the pot with everything else.
We now have to pay a tax to buy insurance that is based on the % of cost. With all the crime we now face that % value is going up big style. Good incentive to reduce crime, NOT!
We now have to pay tax to leave the country, £10 each time. We now have to pay security suplements on our flights, this is a tax as we pay the government to make our airports safe, we always have.
Council tax. The poll tax gave the green light for masive increases in what we pay. When it was scrapped, how many people had the same cost as they used to pay under the rates. No one! Another stealth tax increase.
Water rates, masive increase in the cost of water since it was privatised. Still boggles the mind how the UK public were convinced into buying something they already owned. Greed is a wonderful thing. (if you are a politician)
New telecoms licenses costing billions, who is going to pay for that cost? You and me of course. Yet another stealth tax that will screw us in the future.
I am being boring now.
I hope we dont go down the limit who can use the NHS route as where does it end? If you own a fast car and crash cos you are a crap driver, do you get treated? If you do a dangerous pasttime like drive on track or skydive, do you get treated? If you fish (statisticaly a dangerous sport) do you get treated? Slippy slope i dont want to see.
I absolutely hate stealth taxes, the government doesnt have the ***** to be honest about what they are doing because they know people would hit the roof.
The biggest stealth robbing of the UK working population by Labour has been the removing of the tax exempt status of our pensions. That is going to cost each and every one of us £100,000's in lost pensions as the effect is compounded every year. They should be hung for that, you need to at least double what you were paying to make up the diference.
Another titbit. If the VAT rate does rise to 20% it's against the law for it to be dropped, we are stuck with that for good! It's also against the law to remove VAT on anything that it has been aplied too. VAT has been going on more and more goods over the years silently.
NI is another tax that gets forgotten. That should be scrapped, it was introduced to suplement tax to pay for the NHS, it now just gets bunged in the pot with everything else.
We now have to pay a tax to buy insurance that is based on the % of cost. With all the crime we now face that % value is going up big style. Good incentive to reduce crime, NOT!
We now have to pay tax to leave the country, £10 each time. We now have to pay security suplements on our flights, this is a tax as we pay the government to make our airports safe, we always have.
Council tax. The poll tax gave the green light for masive increases in what we pay. When it was scrapped, how many people had the same cost as they used to pay under the rates. No one! Another stealth tax increase.
Water rates, masive increase in the cost of water since it was privatised. Still boggles the mind how the UK public were convinced into buying something they already owned. Greed is a wonderful thing. (if you are a politician)
New telecoms licenses costing billions, who is going to pay for that cost? You and me of course. Yet another stealth tax that will screw us in the future.
I am being boring now.
17 March 2002, 04:27 PM
#53
Scooby Regular
Well, I personally think everyone can live on - say? £1200 a month? anything more should be given to the state for them to benefit all of society.
To those above who think that Labour is cr4p - they must have very, very, very short memories if they forget the Tossie Tories and thier corupt behaviour???
Carry on Tony - there wont be any opposition for at least 2 more elections
Pete
To those above who think that Labour is cr4p - they must have very, very, very short memories if they forget the Tossie Tories and thier corupt behaviour???
Carry on Tony - there wont be any opposition for at least 2 more elections
Pete
17 March 2002, 04:31 PM
#54
Scooby Regular
Join Date: Oct 2001
Posts: 19,645
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Zzzzzzzzzzzzz
Hmmm oh sorry John
I used to enjoy the odd tipple
I still hold my opinion on the subject. If I drink myself to illness with alcohol, then I am prepared to accept that they will not treat me should that ever comeinto place.
With the immenent death of my aunt due to smoking, I am certainly put off smoking for life.
Finally she has been released from hospital to die, she has been given two weeks maximum to live.
She is dying from lung cancer which has now attacked the whole of her body, chronic emphysema complicated by pneumonia, her kidneys and liver have now failed and she has been attacked by an E.Coli infection due to her lowered resistance immune system.
For the last year or so she has been in and out of hospital receiving expensive treatment and occupying for weeks on end a hospital bed. The treatment has been to no avail as she would not, even at the doctors and our (her family's) requests, to stop smoking and alter her lifestyle.
This is heartbreaking. Not only has the hospital kept another person away due to the occupied bed, but she has added to the sorrow of us as she just would not stop smoking
Don't get me wrong, we all love her very much.
My dad had not seen his side of the family till 2 years ago and now he will be losing his only sister Not only that, but my dad is very ill as well and this is only causing him more stress. I am very concerned about my dad at the moment.
Yeah life is too short and all that, but look around at the suffering you can cause others by heavily smoking and drinking
My aunt could still have years and years ahead of her, now it is barely two weeks.
Thanks,
Michelle.
[Edited by MichelleWRX1994 - 3/17/2002 4:35:46 PM]
Hmmm oh sorry John
I used to enjoy the odd tipple
I still hold my opinion on the subject. If I drink myself to illness with alcohol, then I am prepared to accept that they will not treat me should that ever comeinto place.
With the immenent death of my aunt due to smoking, I am certainly put off smoking for life.
Finally she has been released from hospital to die, she has been given two weeks maximum to live.
She is dying from lung cancer which has now attacked the whole of her body, chronic emphysema complicated by pneumonia, her kidneys and liver have now failed and she has been attacked by an E.Coli infection due to her lowered resistance immune system.
For the last year or so she has been in and out of hospital receiving expensive treatment and occupying for weeks on end a hospital bed. The treatment has been to no avail as she would not, even at the doctors and our (her family's) requests, to stop smoking and alter her lifestyle.
This is heartbreaking. Not only has the hospital kept another person away due to the occupied bed, but she has added to the sorrow of us as she just would not stop smoking
Don't get me wrong, we all love her very much.
My dad had not seen his side of the family till 2 years ago and now he will be losing his only sister
Not only that, but my dad is very ill as well and this is only causing him more stress. I am very concerned about my dad at the moment.Yeah life is too short and all that, but look around at the suffering you can cause others by heavily smoking and drinking
My aunt could still have years and years ahead of her, now it is barely two weeks.
Thanks,
Michelle.
[Edited by MichelleWRX1994 - 3/17/2002 4:35:46 PM]
17 March 2002, 10:38 PM
#58
Michelle, people make mistakes in life, always have and always will, it's human nature.
It would be cruel in the extreme to just leave you aunt to suffer without medical support though. Thats not an option i would like to face in the UK.
It would be cruel in the extreme to just leave you aunt to suffer without medical support though. Thats not an option i would like to face in the UK.
18 March 2002, 12:07 PM
#59
Scooby Regular
Join Date: Oct 2001
Posts: 19,645
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I realise that John,
If truth be told, I would feel very bad should that happen, therefore why not let people who choose to smoke etc, pay for their own medical services and let others who choose not to, stick with the NHS? In other words force smokers, chronic alcoholics and drug users to go private or charge them extra for NHS services?
As an asthmatic, I have to have regular treatment in the form of inhalers and tablets, the cost to me per month is approximately £45. This is just to keep me well, never mind when I am unwell with my asthma. Should I suffer an attack I normally have to pay an extra £15 to £20 for the treatment I will receive - when I had a nebuliser, the cost was pretty staggering.
I did not choose to have asthma, I do not find it amusing to fear for my life when I wake up at nights barely able to gasp for breath. I used to be very active, I refereed four football matches a week, went to the gym five times a week and went running at times. Now I can hardly do half that because I struggle to control my asthma. Nor do I find it particularly nice to have to pay the amount that I do in order to effectively stay alive. I choose not to smoke as smoking will kill me - and quickly. Yet I have to tolerate passively smoking other people's cigarettes, why the hell should I?????.
Now tell me what is fair or not?
If truth be told, I would feel very bad should that happen, therefore why not let people who choose to smoke etc, pay for their own medical services and let others who choose not to, stick with the NHS? In other words force smokers, chronic alcoholics and drug users to go private or charge them extra for NHS services?
As an asthmatic, I have to have regular treatment in the form of inhalers and tablets, the cost to me per month is approximately £45. This is just to keep me well, never mind when I am unwell with my asthma. Should I suffer an attack I normally have to pay an extra £15 to £20 for the treatment I will receive - when I had a nebuliser, the cost was pretty staggering.
I did not choose to have asthma, I do not find it amusing to fear for my life when I wake up at nights barely able to gasp for breath. I used to be very active, I refereed four football matches a week, went to the gym five times a week and went running at times. Now I can hardly do half that because I struggle to control my asthma. Nor do I find it particularly nice to have to pay the amount that I do in order to effectively stay alive. I choose not to smoke as smoking will kill me - and quickly. Yet I have to tolerate passively smoking other people's cigarettes, why the hell should I?????.
Now tell me what is fair or not?
18 March 2002, 03:21 PM
#60
Scooby Regular
Join Date: Aug 2001
Posts: 892
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Michelle,
I'm going to try to be sensitive to your problem here much as it pains me because I completely disagree with you.
My sister also suffers from quite severe asthma and so I dont tend to smoke when she's around. Similarly, if I'm in a public (smoking allowed) establishment and somebody comes in with a young child/baby then I wont smoke near them either. I know how it feels to gasp for breath, I used to suffer too but it disappeared when I was 16 or so (ironically just as I started smoking , lifes a bitch sometimes)
However, to ask 'Why should I put up with passive smoking' is a non starter simply because you dont have to put up with it. We cant smoke on public transport anymore or generally in our workplaces and I cant really think of anywhere that the public has to be i.e on buses, trains, planes, doctors office, library etc etc where we can smoke.
Pubs for example, you dont have to go in, neither do we smokers. Some pubs have no smoking sections and some have even banned smoking already, fair do's I say.
I know how bad smoking is for me but I still do it and I have the right to keep my reasons for doing so to myself. As long as theres somewhere that I'm allowed to do it I'll probably carry on (until I become a father, then I'll stop for the same reasons given above).
To suggest that smokers shouldnt be treated by the NHS is ridiculous. Maybe the stereotypical smoker diagnosed with a smoking related ailment who vows to smoke to the end shouldnt be treated after that event, possibly, but to suggest that if I develop bronchitis as a smoker then I shouldnt be treated really gets my heckles up.
Why ? Because I probably put more into the system as a smoker than a non smoker and more to the point, its just as likely that the cr@P coming from your Scoobies fat exhaust contributed to my Bronchitis, maybe not but who's going to prove/disprove it ?
I could go on but I think I've made my point (hopefully not too antagonistically, that wasnt my intention), so I hope you see my point.
Cheers and I hope the asthma gets easier.
I'm going to try to be sensitive to your problem here much as it pains me because I completely disagree with you.
My sister also suffers from quite severe asthma and so I dont tend to smoke when she's around. Similarly, if I'm in a public (smoking allowed) establishment and somebody comes in with a young child/baby then I wont smoke near them either. I know how it feels to gasp for breath, I used to suffer too but it disappeared when I was 16 or so (ironically just as I started smoking
, lifes a bitch sometimes)However, to ask 'Why should I put up with passive smoking' is a non starter simply because you dont have to put up with it. We cant smoke on public transport anymore or generally in our workplaces and I cant really think of anywhere that the public has to be i.e on buses, trains, planes, doctors office, library etc etc where we can smoke.
Pubs for example, you dont have to go in, neither do we smokers. Some pubs have no smoking sections and some have even banned smoking already, fair do's I say.
I know how bad smoking is for me but I still do it and I have the right to keep my reasons for doing so to myself. As long as theres somewhere that I'm allowed to do it I'll probably carry on (until I become a father, then I'll stop for the same reasons given above).
To suggest that smokers shouldnt be treated by the NHS is ridiculous. Maybe the stereotypical smoker diagnosed with a smoking related ailment who vows to smoke to the end shouldnt be treated after that event, possibly, but to suggest that if I develop bronchitis as a smoker then I shouldnt be treated really gets my heckles up.
Why ? Because I probably put more into the system as a smoker than a non smoker and more to the point, its just as likely that the cr@P coming from your Scoobies fat exhaust contributed to my Bronchitis, maybe not but who's going to prove/disprove it ?
I could go on but I think I've made my point (hopefully not too antagonistically, that wasnt my intention), so I hope you see my point.
Cheers and I hope the asthma gets easier.