Sir, – The year 2012 ended with a belly laugh for me as I read the words of Barry Higgins (December 31st), who suggested that the household charge has been “forced upon the nation, who have been coerced into paying by threats of even greater financial penalties”.
I’m not a huge fan of this tax myself (or indeed of any tax) but it has been implemented by the democratically elected Government of the day. Any unpaid tax liability, household or otherwise, is always likely to incur financial penalties, so there is no exception there. The fact is we cannot pick and choose which laws we want to obey or which taxes we “decide” to pay – that is anarchy and the ultimate manifestation of moral bankruptcy. – Yours, etc,