Letter: Where is all of our council tax going?
Wednesday 30th December 2009, 5:37AM GMT.
Letter: How did Telford & Wrekin council get certificates from the government for good service?
I went to the highways office at Granville House, Donnington, to ask them about salting the paths at the bungalows in Maple Close, Trench, where pensioners and disabled pensioners live.
I was told that they don’t salt paths anymore, but they could tell me where to buy the salt. I told them that the salt was for pavements that they own.
When I came home I called at the old people’s home and noticed that all the pavements had been salted and even a salt bin was full to the rim. What is the difference between pensioners at the home and pensioners living in bungalows nearby?
At the end of the conversation I told them that I would steal some salt for the pensioners from a nearby council salt bin which I did, and took it to where it was needed.
I also noticed the pavements to the Granville House offices and the town centre council offices were clear of ice.
It makes me wonder what is happening to all the council tax that is paid into the council.
D Evans
Trench
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D. Evans if you wonder where your council tax is going I suggest that you look at the expenses claimed by your councillers in travell and subsistence, many make a nice living out of just attending various committee meetings and sitting on advisory boards.
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I suggests the above do as I do and do not bother asking as you will never get a straight answer .
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In light of the recent Icelandic bank collapse, it seems quite obvious that our over the odds council tax is paid directly into their respective savings accounts for perhaps a rainy day (not an icy one). The goverment seems content for councils to overcharge council tax for councils to keep the excess in reserve.
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D. Evans wants to know where our council tax is going. I can tell him: into paying compensation to all those people who slip up on icy pavements that the council should have treated.
Just joking …. a huge amount goes into paying the gold-plated pensions, the inefficiencies, the management salaries, over-staffing and some ludicrously-titled employment opportunities.
As D. Evans has realised, the best policy now is to play the same game of looking after yourself. For some, it’s money and power, for D. Evans, it’s simple salt. Go ahead, steal the salt, (even though you paid for it with your tax) – such action is morally justified in that it will protect older people from danger and possible death.
DON’T RELY ON GOVERNMENT OR LOCAL GOVERNMENT. POINTLESS AND DANGEROUS!
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Maybe it’s all a conspiracy?
If the paths aren’t salted, people won’t go out for fear of hurting themselves and then won’t sue for injuries?
Maybe?
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Andrew finch, you will find that by law a council is legally obliged to publish all expense claims by councillors
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About 25% of your Council Tax disappears immediately into the Employees Pension Fund.
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The amount we pay in council tax is only a small part of a councils funding. Most of it comes from central government but I agree some of their priorities leave a lot to be desired. To think that the tories want to give them more power, scary stuff.
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i blame the gritters
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T & W get recongnised by the government for ‘good service’ whilst the apalling condition of the roads in the district is an absolute disgrace; What a sham! this just typifies the wretched, shameful state this country is in!
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sceptic I maybe but publish what they want us to see.
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