Pensioners: time to make a stand (From Gazette & Herald)

Pensioners: time to make a stand

CAN I make two observations regarding the proposed increase in council tax for the coming year, the increased expenses awarded to councillors and the demand by the chief constable for more funding for the police force.

I think the public do need to be made more aware of the remuneration made to councillors in clear detail. Like Des Reed, the majority of the public elect councillors thinking that they are reasonably intelligent and want to offer what abilities they may have in service to the community, unsalaried and reimbursed with the minimum of out-of-pocket expenses. It does appear that the RDC members have little to worry about with any increase in council tax they may levy, they can simply increase their expense to cover such an increase.

The chief constable is demanding more money towards police funding. What for, one may ask? We don't have a police force as such; we have a team of 'traffic cops' and they are limited and possibly stretched far beyond their capabilities. Thousands of pounds was spent in traffic calming from Old Malton to Malton itself. It hasn't made the slightest difference to the dare-devil speeding that goes on day by day and, amusingly, passes the front door of Malton police headquarters! Speed cameras on this stretch of road will make all the money the chief constable is asking for. If you telephone Malton police headquarters later than 5pm your call will more than likely be diverted to Whitby...so why, therefore, should we be asked to pay for a police presence that does not exist? The recent TV programme investigating institutional racism with the national police force not only vividly revealed this was true, but it also revealed the quality and calibre of those being recruited in the ranks today, almost as if the police were/are willing to employ the normally unemployable. Thank goodness there are exceptions.

Enough is enough. The pensioner simply cannot afford any further increases. Many, like me, will continue to pay council tax but will refuse to pay more. If the public generally would do the same, then we might get somewhere. If the price of beef rose to £10 per pound and all housewives refused to buy beef for two months, the price would collapse, it would have to do so if the beef was to be sold.

Come on, pensioners, make a stand, be brave enough. Don't be suckers forever. It's your limited income after all, and that never rises more than 2-3pc per annum.

REV GERALD B NEWTON

Malton

Updated: 09:57 Wednesday, January 21, 2004