Rashid Razaq
03.09.08

A couple refusing to pay part of their council tax bill in protest at the cost of the Olympics said today that they are prepared to go to jail over the issue.

Tom and Rita Glenister are facing court after they refused to pay the amount they believe Londoners are being charged to cover the cost of the 2012 Games.

London taxpayers are contributing £1billion to the £9.3 billion budget through a precept levied by the Greater London Authority. Mr Glenister, 76, says it has added £33.33 to their bill. For two years, the couple, who live in Barnet, have paid all their £2,320 annual bill except the "Olympic surcharge".

Mrs Glenister, 74, said: "It isn't the money - we can pay - but I finally thought that it is time to stick my short little legs down and say 'up with this I will not put'.

"If everyone in England pays it then I will, but the fact that it is just Londoners paying it seems very unfair. I'm not going to run round the track. I'm not going to benefit from this 'legacy'. I'm not a killjoy - I think the Games are great - but I don't see why we should pay for it. We've tried to appeal and do things by the book but it is only by breaking the law that I've got a bit of attention."

The couple are due to appear at Hendon magistrates' court on 15 September. Mrs Glenister said they were worried about a large court bill, but added: "I will appeal to Seb Coe to pay it for me - he's made millions."

A spokesman for Barnet council said: "As the collecting authority, the council takes a strong approach to collecting any unpaid council tax and will use all available means to ensure that residents pay the full amount for which they are liable."

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard-oly...e#StartComments

The council in our area has recently raised the tax rates and in the meantime told us from now on garbage will be collected bi-weekly rather than weekly. The council house on the other hand is a grandeur, my colleagues say, that is THE most expensive house in the whole county!

这样的事情要是发生在国内，呵呵，媒体上会报道这么详尽么？极有可能就是一个“抗税必究”的调调。

The 2012 Olympic martyrs: 'We'll go to jail rather than pay £33 Games tax', say pensioners

By John Groves
Last updated at 9:36 AM on 03rd September 2008

* commentsComments (364)
* Add to My Stories Add to My Stories


An elderly couple are vowing to go to jail rather than pay the 2012 Olympics surcharge on their council tax bill.

Tom and Rita Glenister insist the £33.33 levy imposed on London homes to cover the cost of the London Games is unfair.

They will appear in court later this month after ignoring repeated demands for the Olympic charge from their local council.
Tom and Rita Glenster

A matter of principle: Tom and Rita Glenister won't pay the Olympic charge

If convicted they face up to three months in jail.

Mr Glenister, 78, a retired civil engineer who worked on the building of the Channel Tunnel, is determined to become the first 'Olympic martyr' after widespread concern about the cost of the Games.

He and his 76-year-old wife withheld the £33.33 charge from the first instalment of their £2,320 annual council tax bill.

'We have the money to pay this tax, but it is a point of principle,' he said from their home in Barnet, North London.

'Our Prime Minister has consistently told us the London Olympics will benefit the whole country but the only people paying directly for these Games are London council taxpayers.

'Why should Londoners alone pay for the Olympics? We are two old age pensioners who might not even be here in 2012.

'It's wrong for us to fund these hugely expensive stadiums and arenas that we might never visit.

'The Beijing Olympics were wonderful and our athletes did Britain proud by winning so many medals.

'But I didn't watch much of it on TV because I was on holiday and I won't be watching in 2012.
2012 london stadium

Going for gold: How London's Olympic stadium will look

'There are thousands of people in London who feel the same way and they are now making their voices heard.

'But we are willing to go to prison on this issue.'

Mr Glenister, a second cousin of actor Philip Glenister, who starred in the Life on Mars TV series, is also angry about the rising cost of the London Olympics.

'These Games have never been properly costed and I believe it will be well over £10billion by the time we reach 2012,' he said.

'China have ploughed more than £20billion into hosting the Olympics and Britain is now expected to match those Games.

'That will mean only one thing - higher council tax bills and we are refusing to pay.'

Mr Glenister's stand follows recent assurances from London mayor Boris Johnson that the Olympics will not cost more than £9.3billion - nearly four times the estimate stated in the 2005 bid.

London taxpayers will contribute more than £1billion through a Greater London Authority precept, while £2billion will come from Lottery funding and £6billion from Whitehall.

Mr Glenister and his wife, a former probation officer, are due to appear before Hendon magistrates on September 16.

Their son, also Tom, said: 'It is their right to question any tax or law in this democracy without fear of persecution or incarceration.'

A spokesman for Tory-controlled Barnet Council said: 'Part of the council tax is a Greater London Authority precept to contribute towards the 2012 Olympics, which goes directly to the GLA.

'However, as a collecting authority, the council takes a strong approach to collecting any unpaid council tax and will use all available means to ensure residents pay the full amount for which they are liable.'
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10...s.html?ITO=1490

My fellow people in London:

Do you agree with the old couple?

Do you accept the extra charge from your councils for the London OG in 2012?

What will you do if you don't accept?

Please feel free to answer those questions and I promise you you won't see any comments about those answers in LKCN. Just tell me what you really have in your minds.

My fellow people in London:

Do you agree with the old couple?同意

Do you accept the extra charge from your councils for the London OG in 2012?不接受

What will you do if you don't accept?
继续付。没办法，英国是法治国家。不付，工薪阶层没时间/没经历/没金钱去和市政打官司，只有催债公司上门，自己信用度降低，甚至坐牢，没有永居/国籍的还有可能影响以后再英国的继续学习/工作。前两年有个老太太已经被抓了好几次了。

我的结论：
英国是法治国家。政府有很多地方可以利用法律，钻法律的空子。许多市政不合理的地方，比如浪费/官僚主义严重/垃圾桶满了，垃圾不收却罚继续倒垃圾的/许多行政性罚款和执行人员（私人公司承包）的收入挂钩/凶杀，盗窃等行为处置无力，媒体曝光无数次，也没用，因为从法律上来说，市政没违法。
相比我们中国不是法治国家，许多不合理的现象媒体不敢报，但是一旦被媒体曝光，在网络披露，政府会就某些违法行政的案例继续进行另类"违法"行政.

Please feel free to answer those questions and I promise you you won't see any comments about those answers in LKCN. Just tell me what you really have in your minds.不明白黑体字什么意思。这里好像是思考辩论，不是中国新闻啊。难道这里你也有权改别人帖子的内容？

讲个题外的故事，前几年BBC有个纪录片，主要说的是离婚后再组合家庭的子女间的问题。

里面有个例子，说的是两个没有血缘关系的继兄妹好上了。但是有一个的法律，说的是法律上同一个家庭的非夫妻成员，在家庭住所里不可以发生性关系，否则违法。这两继兄妹只能出去发生性关系，回来分开屋睡。否则违法会被警察抓的。
还有就是前一两年儿媳和公公是不可以结婚的，有一儿媳公公结婚告倒上诉法庭没用，最后欧洲人权法庭裁决违法人权才得以结婚，耗时几年时间。
后来一女婿和丈母娘要结婚，当时市政不许可，说那个儿媳公公结婚案例不能适用到他们，不知道后来怎么样了

Do you agree with the old couple?同意，但如果我不住在伦敦就不同意，就会认为这笔钱应该由伦敦人付，因为我对奥运会没什么兴趣。

Do you accept the extra charge from your councils for the London OG in 2012? 不接受或者不情愿地接受。

What will you do if you don't accept? 继续付，理由和yufu的一样。