Out of the mouths of babes, eh?
I'd like to see part of the council tax bill ring-fenced for what the pre-Victorians knew as 'the poor of this parish'. People could opt out if they felt strongly about it. Money could be used for emergency food, meals and accommodation.
I'd like to see every council with an advisor for the poor. In my council, there are actually some ancient charities which provide help for people, but hardly anybody knows about them. The CAB does a brilliant job, but it's being overwhelmed.
I can understand that people are reluctant to see a general tax rise when they don't know where their money is going. On the other hand, I don't think most people are generally mean. If they see a need, they willingly contribute, but they want to know that their money is being well-spent. I despair when I see people who refuse to believe that there is genuine poverty in the UK, because they've swallowed benefit porn propaganda. I also despair when people use 'leftie' as an insult. It just goes to show how right wing mainstream thinking has become.
Big charities have a problem in this respect, because they employ good people on high salaries, who are strategic thinkers and can achieve economies of scale. The trouble is that these people themselves become part of the management elite. The state is a step further. People will quite happily put a pound a week in a charity tin for a local charity, but they won't pay an extra pound in tax if they think it's going to pay for MP's expenses or some vanity project.
Our councillors and MPs need to work hard to regain some respect and trust. That won't happen when we can all see that they're in it for themselves.