Time For a Txa Cut!, If We Get Less, We need to PAY less! Options

[Blake]

Amid all the reductions in services we read about in West Berkshire, surely the time has come whereby we the taxpayers are due a fat tax cut.

If we get less, we should be paying less. Furthermore, tax cuts would give a major boost to the local economy by way of an increase in disposable income which in turn would lead to greater economic growth.

It’s a clear win-win…

Are you listening WBC?

[Andy Capp]

Except the reduced services come about because of less money from central government and that hasn't finished yet. To change that we need stop voting for the Monster Raving Tory Party; not that many others offer much different.

[On the edge]

That's about it, the motto 'more for less' in local government terms means you pay more for less. Round here we have to learn that voting Dark Blue or Light Blue (commonly yellow) makes not a jot of difference. The machine itself is broken.

[Biker1]

No matter which party is in government it's a matter of simple economics which I'm sure most of you understand as you practise it at home every day.
You don't spend more than you have coming in unless you want to fall into debt.
You therefore have to make economies.
Whether those economies in this case are in the right place is up for debate.
I'm sure some of you will now elaborate on how I am being too simplistic!!

[On the edge]

No matter which party is in government it's a matter of simple economics which I'm sure most of you understand as you practise it at home every day.
You don't spend more than you have coming in unless you want to fall into debt.
You therefore have to make economies.
Whether those economies in this case are in the right place is up for debate.
I'm sure some of you will now elaborate on how I am being too simplistic!!

No, you aren't being too simplistic; in fact spot on.

The difficulty we have is the political self perpetuating oligarchy. That's protected by the Byzantine accounting and administrative rules which in turn means we have two local councils fighting each other for the funds to undertake roles which are essentially agencies of central government. All of this administrative nonsense costs and costs a lot.

Given the Scots, Welsh and Irish now have their own, if we really do vote to stay in Europe, Westminster really becomes no more than a large County Council. Modern commercial management practice therefore dictates that local government is redundant.

That's the only reason I can see for voting yes!

[user23]

Amid all the reductions in services we read about in West Berkshire, surely the time has come whereby we the taxpayers are due a fat tax cut.

If we get less, we should be paying less. Furthermore, tax cuts would give a major boost to the local economy by way of an increase in disposable income which in turn would lead to greater economic growth.

It’s a clear win-win…

Are you listening WBC?

The reduction in services is because the amount of money central government give to councils has been reduced every year for the past 5 or so years. It'll probably be reduced further to WBC by another £22m (so I read in the NWN) over the next three years.

You can read more about the Local Government Finance Settlement here.

[On the edge]

I can't think of one service WBC provide that wouldn't be done more economically or efficiently as a separate government agency on a regional basis. The Court service provides a good example of an age old service being moved from its roots without a murmur from the public. The Cameron ideas of localisim are dead and buried, as honest a policy as the LibDem tuition fees.