Write a letter-increase the pressure
In March 2005 I led the fight against the proposed water and sewerage charges by asking local people to sign a petition to protest against this ill thought out ‘tap tax’.
In North Down we had some 12,000 signatures from residents who said NO. It was interesting to listen to some of the comments from folk who signed the petition and it is a pity the then Minister John Speller MP could not hear them.
However, as the leading Ulster Unionist keeping up the pressure on the government over the controversial proposed water and sewerage charges, which are due to be introduced next April. I am encouraging everyone to support the public letter writing campaign which North Down proposed some months ago. I understand that the Minister, we now have, David Cairns, has been heard to comment, - ‘Not another letter from North Down’. And I would suggest, why not indeed.
I would encourage every council area to take up the challenge, spend a few pence on a stamp and let your opposition be known.
I reject the Minister’s case that the Treasury could not be expected to pay for the massive expenditure necessary to bring a worn out and leaking infrastructure up to date. What has the Treasury done with 30 years of money we have been paying into; it certainly was not the water system.
One final thought, have you ever sat behind a Water Service van at traffic lights and read the slogan on the back of the van which states ‘Water is precious – don’t waste it’. Three guesses as to the biggest wasters of water are? Whose system leaks the most? Would it be the Water Service?
In North Down we had some 12,000 signatures from residents who said NO. It was interesting to listen to some of the comments from folk who signed the petition and it is a pity the then Minister John Speller MP could not hear them.
However, as the leading Ulster Unionist keeping up the pressure on the government over the controversial proposed water and sewerage charges, which are due to be introduced next April. I am encouraging everyone to support the public letter writing campaign which North Down proposed some months ago. I understand that the Minister, we now have, David Cairns, has been heard to comment, - ‘Not another letter from North Down’. And I would suggest, why not indeed.
I would encourage every council area to take up the challenge, spend a few pence on a stamp and let your opposition be known.
I reject the Minister’s case that the Treasury could not be expected to pay for the massive expenditure necessary to bring a worn out and leaking infrastructure up to date. What has the Treasury done with 30 years of money we have been paying into; it certainly was not the water system.
One final thought, have you ever sat behind a Water Service van at traffic lights and read the slogan on the back of the van which states ‘Water is precious – don’t waste it’. Three guesses as to the biggest wasters of water are? Whose system leaks the most? Would it be the Water Service?
posted by Marion Smith at 1:12 PM
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