I am glad I do not pay Council Tax in Derby.

[Abdulmajid]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/7453164.stm

Whatever is this bloody woolly liberal country coming to??

Are you glad your �150 or whatever a month council tax is being spent of a double pepperoni for some 14 year old spotty chav, who quite frankly needs a kicking, not a cheese based Italian snack.

Makes me sick .

[New Judge]

You can rest assured that this is by no means an isolated example of the largesse demonstrated by local councils in their never ending quest to squander more of taxpayers� money.

The problem, according to the report, was large numbers of youngsters �hanging about� a shopping centre and causing trouble. 150 people signed a petition to have the problem addressed (and why should it take that anyway? The police need to be aware of these problems and tackle them without being petitioned to do so).

Their answer: �To �engage� with the little treasures (by dishing out unhealthy fast food, thus encouraging them to hang about even more) to find out what they wanted to happen in the area!

The idea that the best way to deal with the problem would be to round up the miscreants and take them home to their parent(s) (if they are available) seemed to escape them.

Children must not be chastised and have the error of their ways pointed out to them. They must be �engaged� � a process in which they are usually incapable of taking part, whether bribed with a slice of pizza or not.

I sympathise with the Derby taxpayers, but they are not alone. This sort of nonsense goes on throughout the land.

[rabbitygirl]

I live in Derby, not that far from this story's location. I own 2 houses and pay 2 council taxes. I pay around the same for 2 houses as I did down south for one. Like most people I have to be content that the street stays lit, the cops are out there somewhere, my bins are emptied etc. Up here, unlike where we used to live down south, I do not have weeds flowering in the gutter outside, I have seen street cleaners (and not just in the monied areas) and the council responds to comments and enquiries speedily and without fuss.

Re the weeds in my previous street, which even the local councillor couldn't sort, one response to my demand to get the weeds removed (before I gave up and did it myself) was '...depends what you call a gutter!'

Every council puts some of their (our) money where we would rather they didn't, I know because I used to work for one. I have no strong views on this pizza thing either way. Who knows, it may work. And overall, probably cheaply.

I just wonder, with the need to get them off the streets, and with a 12 screen cinema, a council golf course, etc. in walking distance or short bus ride, an arrangement cant be made to get them in there. Cycling into nearby countryside perhaps? The kids will probably say they dont have the money for such pursuits.

I bet they would find the money if they fancy a pizza tho.



The main compl

God

[mosesg]

Try living in Aberdeen out local council ar making cuts of �27 million including charities so that they can spend about �500 million refurbishing a listed buiding to make new offices for themselves.

Fortunately the government stepped in and put in an accounts commission to audit them

If large compies were run in the same way they would be bankrupt. I think only people with proven business background should be allowed to run for local government