Page 5 - link magazine

The Link azine • March 2002 5
It all comes down to numbers Black i at
The Conservatives in control of Swindon Council have upped their proposal to increase council tax to
12.5% from their earlier published figure of 9.5%, following a consultation exercise, thereby removing the School of Motoring
threat of cutbacks in expenditure on arts activities across the town, whilst pumping £1.5 million into
schools. Your local
Meanwhile the Labour Party on their hands or even voting motoring school
have indicated they want to with another party, there is all
put council tax up by 15% and v_ to play for.
£5 million into schools. The Lib- "" It could be a wild bun fight, Gift vouchers available
eral Democrats have not de- or a done deal before the meet- Tel: Barry Hunter 700131
clared anything. ii ing. One thing is clear, Swin- Approved Driving Instructor
Unfortunately The Link can- Leader line-up: from left, Mike Bau'den (Con), don council tax will be a bit
not report the end of the game Sue Bates (Lab), Mike Eaemy (Lib Dem) closer to the average for Wilt-
as we have to go to press before balance of power to agree with the shire. Hopefully, the increased 50% OFF
the crucial full council meeting on Conservatives or to back Labour. income will be spent wisely on 7 FIRST LESSO N°
21 February where the issue will However, it all depends on the services that everybody agrees are
be finally decided. numbers of councillors in the necessary.
The Conservatives have 22 seats, chamber to vote. With illnesses,
Labour have 29 and the Lib Dems holiday or work commitments, or
have 8, potentially giving them the perhaps some councillors sitting
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Only the small print or the gen-
tler voice told us that these were
proposals, which would be subject instead went to the source of the
to a rigorous, if short, public con- information, the clerk to the coun-
sultation period. But the damage cil at the civic offices, and read the Ifyou are looking
was done. Hysteria broke out. documents produced by his less for a large selection of.
But even after time, when the sensation-seeking hand, and then
word consultation had been well went to a council meeting or two, a • BEDS & MATTRESSES &
and truly bandied about, there was quite different picture emerged HEADBOARDS
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there were those who reckoned it get a not altogether unreasonable • 3 PIECE SUITES
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Maybe, but that did not mean that What's more, once you actively
we could not give it a go. started to consult, communicate you must be looking for
Others, keen followers of the your concerns, propose solutions,
political scene, reckoned that the and listen to different councillors' MANOR
proposed budget was more to do points of view, i t became even more
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But the point was, if, as an arts The manner in which hard- TEL: 513444
events organiser relying on coun- pressed councillors from all par-
cil support, or any other organisa- ties conscientiously replied to • OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK
tion affected by the proposals, you questions, acknowledged letters, Mon to Sat gam - 5pm
Sun & Bank Holidays 11am - 5pm
chose to heed all these negative and generally welcomed debate,
and suspicion-laden reactions, you was eye-opening and reassuring. • ALL MAJOR CREDIT CARDS 4l^1^'Ma
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could easily slip into a slough of Now let us hope that when the
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But if, naively or otherwise, you strate that the same level of good
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