I always prepare my columns in advance, but there is always something else that bugs me into thinking maybe this subject is more important than the one already written and then I have to start all over again. Isn’t it amazing how, in this economic crisis we are all facing, the Government, and all the local County and Borough Councils can scrape up enough money to give themselves a hefty rise. It wouldn’t be so bad if their efforts were of some benefit to the populace they are supposed to support and make living conditions better, instead of which they tend to argue, mainly in the House of Commons about trivial and unproductive items for self gratification!
If the CON PARTY hadn’t made all those reductions in the NHS – perhaps we wouldn’t be in such a mess now. Nobody saw this Coronavirus coming and that is why this government has done a double quick turnaround and made sure that with part of their budget they are seen to be placing some money towards the costs of the NHS. Looking at the expenditure of the NHS budget for 2020/21 they will spend £123 Billion and £111 Billion will be for the day to day running of the NHS and I think that what the government have offered is too little and too late!
As a person in my middle eighties do I feel safe and confident under the jurisdiction of this government and more fool the people who voted for them? The answer to that is in the negative.
I keep hearing about this 27 billion to be given to local County Councils to fill in all the potholes in our roads – Only about 50 Million potholes to fill! It won’t be a doddle then!
I don’t know what EAST SUSSEX COUNTY COUNCIL does with the money because when it comes to filling in holes they always seem to state that they haven’t sufficient funds and each year the holes get larger and deeper. I am not the one to point the finger, because it wouldn’t matter if I did – it would be like water off a ducks back. I only say that because I received a letter from a County Councillor some years back and the content of the letter never touched on the enquiry I made. He probably got a slap on the back for his craft of misleading the writer of the letter he received – Jolly good old chap!
I even sent an email to one of the ESCC Press Officers about street lighting in Abbey Road because somebody in the road complained that they going to take away lighting near some concrete steps – I was fobbed off with the promise of an existing street light would be moved further down to give extra lighting in that area. No! You guessed it – as usual this wasn’t done so I have been informed.
The other instance was that this County Council tend to make up the rules as they go along on or in their merry way that suits them and not the public. Behind four dwellings in Abbey Road there is a pathway which leads to the Downs and because a person living where the path starts he couldn’t place his Summerhouse near his fence as a spokesperson from ESCC said it was a road. To me that really sounds ludicrous. I am led to believe that there is only room for people to walk along this road and as yet nobody has seen any vehicles trying to use it, unless of course it sprouts legs to go up the ONE IN FOUR SLOPE.
It came to a head when another neighbour in the same position wanted to send her child to the school below. This of course was denied as they said there wasn’t a road leading to the School. I have been told that Abbey Road looks like a track with all the heavy traffic that comes up, but to my mind that is a road I think and the dead give away is the Street lighting buried in the pavements. Half way down there is another road leading to the other Road behind the dwellings in Abbey Road because ESCC has stated that it is a road. As I stated in my email there seems to be two people with PAT ANSWERS in ESCC which amount to nothing more than absolute drivel!
Needless to say, they gave somebody else’s child who lives two miles away to go to that school. The person who lives in Abbey Road is just 300 yards from the School. On behalf of that person who reported this to me, the ESCC Press Office has not bothered to answer me – I think the term I should use for our Government and Councils is Kakistocracy!!!
One last thought – with all this money being paid we presume to all communities in the United Kingdom – Are the BBC going to get the Pensioners TV Licence money or is it going to be swallowed up by the Government as part of the payment for all the money that has been promised they are going to hand out?
Please see Wikipedia for the true meaning of Kakistocracy
The above is just my opinion and anyone who wants to write to me care of the newspaper regarding the content – please do so! Swear words are not accepted.