I NOTICE our district councillors have voted for 'no increase' in allowances. Big deal – why not vote for a decrease in allowance instead, and at the same time why not put an engine capacity limit on vehicles used by the planning committee, which in some cases are gas-guzzling 4X4s?
We often read of council tax being kept low when instead we should be reading of a reduction in rates, which are little more than legal theft. Many in the Forest pay more than people in parts of London.
Commercial rates go to central government even though local infrastructure such as roads – a thorough disgrace – are used to generate them.
This government pays huge amounts to price watchdogs like Trading Standards to see fair play. However six months ago oil was 134 dollars a barrel and the diesel price shot up. Now it has a job to make 40 dollars a barrel yet the price of diesel is still over £1 a litre. During high oil prices BP made £137 billion profit – it seems vast amounts are being made by exploiting the public, especially by multi-nationals.
Here in the country we need our cars. They are an essential part of our lives. Is it not time our MP Mark Harper spoke up about this for us in Parliament and really represented the Forest?
And why are we still buying in four-year-old 4X4 Japanese vehicles after they have been taken off the road over there? Why are we importing other people's rubbish? Is it any wonder the country is in such a mess? – Mike Meredith-Edwards, Sling.