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Council Tax up by 3.95%
12:45pm Thursday 21st February 2008
Pembrokeshire's Council Tax has risen by 3.95% today.
The average Band D Council Tax has been set at £638 - the lowest in Wales.
The Leader of Pembrokeshire County Council, Councillor John Davies, said: "This is a very difficult year financially with only a 2% increase in our grant from the Welsh Assembly Government.
"But we are focused on ensuring we maintain both the high quality and the range of services to our customers.
"This budget strikes a balance. It is a prudent budget, but one which allowed people-focused services to be sustained.
"Any increase in council tax is unpalatable but this increase is realistic."
What do you think of the rise? Comment below.
Your Say YourPembrokeshire
John Doe, Pennar says...
2:07pm Thu 21 Feb 08
WE ARE NOT YOUR CUSTOMERS MR DAVIES.
YOU AND YOUR CRONIES AT COUNTY HALL ARE OUR SERVANTS ALTHOUGH YOU BEHAVE AS IF YOU THINK YOU ARE OUR MASTERS!!!!!!!
HOW MANY PEOPLE IN THIS COUNTY ACTUALLY ELECTED YOU??????
A FEW DOZEN??? COUPLE OF HUNDRED AT MOST I SHOULD GUESS!!!!!!
WHY CAN'T YOU PEOPLE JUST SPEAK IN PLAIN SIMPLE LANGUAGE!!!!!!!
DON'T PATRONISE US!!!!!!
John Doe, Pennar says...
2:18pm Thu 21 Feb 08
YOU CAN BET YOUR BOTTOM DOLLAR THAT IF MOST OF THE PEOPLE IN THIS COUNTY WERE YOUR CUSTOMERS, MOST OF YOU WOULD HAVE TO GO BACK TO FARMING AND THE OTHER INDUSTRIES THAT YOU COME FROM WHICH IN THE MOST PART OFFER NO FOUNDATION FOR CREDENTIALS TO BE A COMPETENET COUNCILLOR, LET ALONE LEADER OF AN AUTHORITY.
YOU WOULD BE A HIGH PRICE COMMODITY THAT ONLY THE RICH COULD AFFORD.
AS IT IS, THE PRICES OF YOUR SERVICES, SALARIES AND EXPENSES (SOMETIMES PAID TWICE FOR THE SAME THING) ARE IMPOSED UPON US WITH A LOAD OF PATRONISING TWADDLE THAT YOU EXPECT THE PEOPLE OF THIS COUNTY TO SWALLOW.
CUSTOMERS!!!! PAH! IT WOULD BE LAUGHABLE IF IT WEREN'T SO DOWNRIGHT BL00DY DISGRACEFUL!!!!
WHY DON'T YOU COME OVER TO TESCO PEMBROKE DOCK ONE DAY, STAND OUTSIDE FOR AN HOUR AND SEE HOW PEOPLE REACT TO YOUR COMMENTS AND 'JUSTIFICATION' FOR SUCH A HUGE HIKE IN THEIR COUNCIL TAX RATES.
Rob, Pennar says...
3:33pm Thu 21 Feb 08
Olive, Pembroke Dock says...
4:14pm Thu 21 Feb 08
And as for the rear entrance to St Govans shopping centre, the old railway lines in Gordon Street and Water street well...............I
'm lost for words.
HARRY GRAYBALLS, SLEBECH says...
5:04pm Thu 21 Feb 08
LET US SEE WHAT THE "CUSTOMERS" SAY!!!!!
Jim, Haverfordwest says...
5:28pm Thu 21 Feb 08
John Doe, Pennar says...
9:34pm Thu 21 Feb 08
You might be willing to subsidise our Chief Exec's extortionate salary and vehicle allowance etc without questioning the value for money but I'm not. Opposition in politics is as important as government.
Andrew Lye, Johnston says...
9:42pm Thu 21 Feb 08
I did a Wikipedia search and apparently the name was first used back in the reign of Edward III.
I guess we can therefore assume John Doe of Pembroke Dock is a figment of his imagination and is hiding behind an assumed name.
A bit like our Independent Political Group at County Hall, who hide their try political colours and say they are "Independent".
That said, JD has no right to be so abusive towards John Davies and I treat those comments with the contempt they deserve.
John, Neyland says...
9:59pm Thu 21 Feb 08
"with only a 2% increase in our grant from the Welsh Assembly Government." The Welsh Assembly is a drain on us all the fat cats in Cardiff are growing fatter while the rest of us pay through the nose. How many of us got a 4% pay rise this year to enable us to pay this increase? Make sure you all vote at the forthcoming local elections and hit these local councillors where it hurts, by removing them from office and therefore losing there inflated expense accounts.
John Doe, Pennar says...
10:46pm Thu 21 Feb 08
You treat my comments with as much contempt as you like, you will find more people in agreement with me than not, just check out the "Should Brian Hall Stand Down" article which is still riding high in the Western Telegraph 'most read' charts!
And don't believe everything you read on Wikipedia, it's about as reliable as the IPG.
We've got the wealthy in this county that can afford to build "farmworkers accommodation" on their land and do not need to worry about how high the council tax charges are.
We've got low lifes that have never done a day's work in their lives, spend their benefits on fags and booze and never pay any council tax at all.
Then in the middle we've got normal, hard working family folk that get taxed until the cows come home.
And then people like you wonder why we get angry with the pigs from county hall with their snouts constantly in the trough???
Take a dose of reality pal. I guess it's a simple co-incidence that John Davies appointed himself the highest paying special duty available???
You're naive at best Andrew.
Take a look at a few articles on Cllr Stoddart's website, that will give you the measure of some of the people involved in the decision making in this county!
http://freespace.vir
gin.net/oldgrumpy.mi
ke/Rent.html
Andrew Lye, Johnston says...
11:14pm Thu 21 Feb 08
You say a lot of people know you. You call me naive, but I call you sad.
I do read Mike Stoddart's web-site, but I dont treat it as Gospel.
You seem to see the worst in everyone and NEVER any good.
I am NOT standing up for Davies and the cabal, but I believe in seeing good in people and if all you see is bad, do something about it and stand in May's elections.
You have a lot to say. Let the electorate say what they think of your preachings. As so many people know you, either they like you or they think you are a merchant ....
I am sitting on the fence on this issue, as I wouldnt dare be abusive to someone I dont know as I believe in respect.
John Doe, Pennar says...
11:24pm Thu 21 Feb 08
And when people get bored, they can read another of Cllr Stoddart's articles:
http://freespace.vir
gin.net/oldgrumpy.mi
ke/Luke.html
That gives an insight into how some of our politicians (ab)use the public purse.
This article was opened to comments, I did not request you to comment on me personally, which you have done. Telling you to check your facts is not abusive, calling you an IMBECILE would be abusive but I'd never lower myself.
I would believe anything on Stoddart's site, his FACTS are always backed up with EVIDENCE.
I've no aspirations to hold public office at my time of life, been there, done that years ago.
Luckily though, we live in a country which allows free speech, even to the point of threatening to break people's limbs and kill them, oh hang on, that rings a bell.
Alan, Hakin says...
11:49pm Thu 21 Feb 08
John Doe, Pennar says...
12:25am Fri 22 Feb 08
increases in fuel costs, energy costs, tax costs, food costs, they're bleeding the working classes dry. when the governement is advocating pay rises should be limited to the rate of inflation, rises in the cost of such utilities should also be limited by law.
Barrie Woolmer, Milford haven says...
9:14am Fri 22 Feb 08
I am afraid I will not be standing anymore.
Reg on the Rath, Milford Haven says...
9:45am Fri 22 Feb 08
John Doe, Pennar says...
10:11am Fri 22 Feb 08
Barrie Woolmer is right to a degree. But what is needed is not just a massive change in personnel,but more importantly a change in the system that they adopt.
Maybe IPG should have called themselves the Democratic Independent Council Klan.
I appreciate that it's an extremelely difficult job and that there are councillors that truly do the job for highly commendable reasons, but a regular read of Cllr Stoddart's column will show you that there are MANY that hold the public in total contempt with their words and actions.
I also agree with the comment about the WAG. I'm a very proud Welshman but independence is nonsense. We've enough overpaid fools in London running the country. The WAG is just another drain on resources at the end of the day. One of their great claims to fame is introducing 'free prescriptions'.
THEY'RE NOT FREE!!! We just don't pay directly at the point of pickup anymore. But with hikes in Council Tax at twice the rate of inflation because of supposedly lowly budgets handed down from Cardiff to the local authority, you can bet your bottom dollar (if you have any left) that we ARE indeed paying.
John Davies would have been better off saying this:
"The bottom line is folks, the funding from Cardiff is quite meagre this year to say the least. I'm sorry that we've had to increase the council tax by nearly 4% but I promise that it is required. To offset the shock somewhat I shall be ordering a full audit of councillors travelling and subsistence expenses to ensure that the council is run to the highest ethical standards, as I promised when I took office. I shall also be foregoing a pay rise this year, as I accept I am already very highly paid for the job that I do, have a very high annual disposable income and I call on my fellow councillors to show dedication to the people of Pembrokeshire to follow my lead and do the same, including Bryn the Chief Exec. I hope that this will show people that I and other county councillors do indeed have the best interests of the people of this county at the top of our priorities and we're not just a 'jobs for the boys' gang."
People would have said, d.a.m.n. this fellow is genuine after all.
Instead of that, we get patronised by getting called CUSTOMERS.
So, forgive me if I appear angry, but the likes of Andrew Lye and others like him using the same rehtoric as the people he is actually complaining about achieve nothing.
These people respond only to firm pressure and straight talking. Just look at Brian Hall's fall from grace. You think that would have happended without the constant pressure applied over time by Cllr Stoddart? I think not.
A council full of honest and forthright people like Stoddart would make for a much better system.
Nobody's perfect, but some are a lot further from it than others!!!!!
S. Doe, Pembroke Dock says...
11:34am Fri 22 Feb 08
sue, SANDHURST says...
12:37pm Fri 22 Feb 08
John Doe, Pennar says...
12:59pm Fri 22 Feb 08
Mike, Whitland says...
5:52pm Fri 22 Feb 08
John Doe, Pennar says...
6:24pm Fri 22 Feb 08
Mandy Moore, Haverfordwest says...
4:47pm Mon 25 Feb 08
Mr Doe is to me jolly good at shooting from the hip, god hundreds of years ago people were cursing the taxes upon them, now someone who speaks up in much the same way has to take almost a sanctuary practically, why?
County Council Leader John Davies has merely chartered on the rise chanted by the WAG's a dog and tail so to speak, but the main bark comes from central government, they are only as strong as we let them.
I don't agree with the vast complex of the County Council offices, outside it reminds me of a souped up version of dracula's castle and has anyone ever been in the typing pools upstairs? a sitting room of hornets springs to mind, serving the county poor people.
Mr Davies called the people of his pembrokeshire 'customers' alas it has come to that but we shouldn't stand for it, it is indeed a quite silly remark not at all productive.
If "The life of Brian" is politically over for Mr Hall, it isn't any use in staying with that tune so please vote next time very carefully or we might be burdened with another type of a 'bickus dickus' we shall see.
chris drugan, Hereford says...
7:00pm Tue 26 Feb 08
John Doe, Pennar says...
11:03am Wed 27 Feb 08
You'd be a relation to Steven Drugan then :-)
Chris Drugan, Hereford says...
7:06pm Wed 27 Feb 08
Chris Drugan, Hereford says...
7:09pm Wed 27 Feb 08
S.Doe, Pembroke Dock says...
11:24am Thu 28 Feb 08
John Doe, Pennar says...
9:15am Fri 29 Feb 08
S.Doe, Pembroke Dock says...
11:24am Tue 4 Mar 08
John, Neyland says...
8:09pm Thu 6 Mar 08
John, Neyland says...
8:10pm Thu 6 Mar 08
John Doe, Pennar says...
9:26pm Thu 6 Mar 08
Can't wait to see how this is defended.....
John Doe, Pennar says...
9:30pm Thu 6 Mar 08
k/1/hi/wales/7281993
.stm
There you go, an "increased workload". They apparently have attempted to avoid some of the flak by saying they need to look at allowances claims........not bad for a governmental system just a few years old, got it wrong at the outset.
Bad enough being sucked dry by the English without having our own Welsh scumsuckers.
Absolute travesty it really is. This world will soon implode.
realist, pem/dock says...
7:14pm Sat 8 Mar 08
Your sayYourPembrokeshire
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John Doe, Pennar says...
2:00pm Thu 21 Feb 08
I WATCH WITH BAITED BREATH TO SEE THE % INCREASE IN THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE'S SALARY AND OVERALL PACKAGE THIS YEAR, ALONG WITH THAT OF THE REST OF THE HIERARCHY THIS YEAR BECAUSE IF THEY GET INFLATION BUSTING PAY RISES IN LINE WITH THIS RISE IN OUR COUNCIL TAX LIABILITY THEN IT WILL TALLY THAT THE COUNCIL TAX HAS BEEN INCREASED SIMPLY TO COVER THOSE SALARY INCREASES AND THE LEADER'S COMMENTS ABOUT PEOPLE-FOCUSED SERVICES WILL BE ANOTHER BOUT OF LIP SERVICE (BULLSH!T) WHILE DIPPING INTO OUR HARD EARNED CASH ONCE AGAIN TO REWARD PEOPLE THAT DO NOT GENERALLY DESERVE IT.
**** I HOPE THERE ARE GOING TO BE CHANGES IN THE COMING ELECTIONS.
THERE ARE A LOT OF ROTTEN APPLES IN THIS COUNTY AND THEY'RE NOT IN THE DALEK-LIKE COMPOST BINS THAT WERE FLY-TIPPED ONTO OUR FRONT GARDENS WITHOUT OUR PERMISSION, THEY'RE ALL IN CAMBRIA HOUSE , OOPS, SORRY, THE MULTI-MILLION £ COSTING COUNTY HALL AS IT IS NOW KNOWN, FULL OF PLUSH OFFICES AND SCORES OF SQUARE FEET OF UNUSED SPACE IN THE FRONT LOBBY ALONE.
THAT'S WHAT I THINK!!!!!