The Old Codger’s Column…….

Do I remember a promise from the last time it snowed Oh yes we will get more salt for next winter! What a load of kybosh! Perhaps HTC can get together with others and buy a small snow plough, primarily to clear the pavements. The lack of help from West Berks Council is abysmal, yet again! Why don’t we adopt the German way of everybody clearing their own frontage, including businesses, and if a reasonable attempt has been made then nobody can make a claim if they fall over!

Why oh why can’t we all get back to common sense attitudes, and help others as we would like to be helped. Kick Human Rights from here to kingdom come, and abolish the sue society?

So election time is nearly upon us, remember PENSIONER POWER, remember who has ruined a lot of our PENSIONS. Use your vote, get your own back! You youngsters should also look to party politics that will help your pension in your old age, and not give with one hand and then take back in tax when the time comes to collect your pension. At the moment anything over £9030 is taxed at 20% ! So at the best, us OAP’s government increase is £2.40 a week less 20% tax. If you get more than £9490 (in 2010/11) or over 75 it’s £9690. So this = £1.92 x 52 = £99.84 for the year My council tax went up by £57 last year, and HTC is slightly increasing theirs. If you have not paid enough contributions you will get less, typically £1.45 and if you pay tax it becomes £1.16 x 52 = £60.32 for the year, less your Council tax and the ‘’broadband levy’’, and would you believe it, the Chancellor NEXT year will probably take away 1.5% of next years possible increase! Starting October another stealth tax £6 a year if you have a landline telephone, this is to pay for other peoples broadband!

What about our ’’Bridge’’?   After a meeting on 21 May 2009, it then took nearly four months to come back with some ideas firmed up, and a lot that were ignored! So after 3rd of September’s meeting when more ’’firming’’ up was promised, and the comment printed in the last edition of CHAIN MAIL (Dec 1st), ‘’we can’t afford to dawdle and must make best speed’’, Why oh Why are we still waiting? It’s nearly six months now! My goodness the firm that WBC have hired to do our bridge designs are one of the largest in the country. Are they really this incompetent or is our bridge in danger of NOT HAPPENING? Nick Furr did a reasonable design in minutes!

Ed’s comment, You are behind the times old chap, (he submitted this at the end of January), but it has been a long long time so please see page 3 ad.


Please contact me through David’s e-mail,     davidhpiper111@btinternet.com
or to CHAIN Office…..address on outside back page and title your words/thoughts as …….Old Codger column please ……. Bye Bye & keep safe.

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