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Sat 12 May 2018, 07:21
How is a discussion about how the councillors we vote for in our local county elections not a local issue? We pay council tax to the Councils who are responsible for local services. Oxfordshire County Council is responsible for the roads (except the major strategic roads that are funded by the central Government through income tax receipts). The main strategic roads are a national resource, local roads local. This year my council tax bill tells me that 2 adults in one small house have to pay £1,743.12 to Oxfordshire County Council.
That is: £906 Adult & Children's social care; £244 - Education & learning (that excludes schools because they are funded through central Government and income tax), £174 - Highways & transport, £87 Public Health, £87 Capital borrowing cost, £104 waste management, £87 Fire & rescue, community safety, £52 libraries, cultural, registration and coroners.
What would I like to stop paying for in order to repair our roads? How about Public Health and community safety - we'll just have to look after ourselves? Of course, some of these services have to be provided by law so they can't be cut. That's why I said it's not worth voting for anyone because we refuse to pay for these services.
Philip tells me I'm disingenuous for making it a choice but that's exactly what it is. Welfare benefit paid by the County Council? Benefits like job seekers allowance are paid by the central Government through income tax. Welfare benefits paid for locally - I guess they must be things like adult day centres, children in care moving into adulthood? I think we should ask our local MP why central government has forced local government to cap council tax increases for all my working life and now we're in this tatty and miserable third world state.
Incidentally, I've just returned from driving around the country for 5 days and all the roads are like ours. Don't feel unique.
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