You seem to be right the point has been lost, though you, haven't found it.
I am not required to pay taxes on my income earned out of country, but I do pay taxes on income I have in the UK. As my UK address is still at my old house with my daughter I am not required to pay council tax individually. The same way that half of the adult population is not required to pay C/tax. I am not asking for anything for nothing. I contribute my share and always have done.
The Richards of this world are poking their noses in to other peoples business making out that they themselves are squeeky clean. Richard is far from clean and if he doesn't want his dirty laundry washed in public he really should keep his head down.
By the time licences have increased 147%, fuel has gone up 200%, and we start paying £1000 a year for C/tax, there won't be any CCer's left on the waterways so who are they going to impose a realistic charge on?