Give with one hand .... take with the other

Money: There's nothing in the world so demoralising as money – Sophocles

Well that will teach me for being so buoyant on Sunday realising my gas/elec bill would be reduced due to my frugal ways.  Today I received the reminder for my car tax, now this little swift move I shall regale by our beloved government passed me by.  Last year my annual road tax for a 2003 1.6 Peugeot 307 was £165, this year it is £190.  On investigating this huge rise, the car tax rates themselves have not increased but the formula to determine your road tax banding has.  No longer are you judged on your cars capacity but it is now CO2 emissions, so your car is banded on what they believe are the emissions for a car of your age (despite the fact that some people look after their cars, service etc and their emissions maybe lower or higher) grrr.  This change passed me and my nearest and dearest by completely, so I am faced with a 15% increase in my road tax despite the fact that my car has not changed.    Once I've calmed down I will dig out the paperwork from my latest MOT where the actual emissions are measured and see if I stand a chance of appealing, but I will leave that until tomorrow evening as its been such a long day and bed beckons.  If the governments motive was environmentally driven then it wouldnt hurt as much, but the cynical me cannot help but believe they have just found a way in which to make more money.

But honestly do the government not actually realise the economic mess we are in?  Or is it a case they just dont care? The fact that the average household faced with job losses, pay cuts and pay freezes coupled with rising costs in just about everything you have to use to live are teetering on the edge of solvency.  I suppose if you are Eton educated millionaires then no I suppose you don't have the foggiest clue.  So thank you oh government of ours by adding yet more financial burden on our shoulders, by finding an ingenious way of taxing us more in such a cunning and stealth manner, by not actually increasing any rates but by moving the goal posts so anyone who can't afford a brand spanking new car because they are  poor are now finacially penalised for being poor - tax the poor for being poor ....ingenious– very unhappy today, I will try and sleep off the grumpy me and normal half glass full me will return tomorrow Cxx L