Cllr Daniel Brown's assertion that Labour administered Brent Council's "attack" on Brent motorists is an absolute disgrace" is pure politicking. He continues in this vein with his judgement that to double the overall charge is "very unfair in these difficult times".
With the Government cuts aimed at the public sector, who does Cllr Brown feel will suffer most, people at the top end of society or the poorest?
Taxes are still going to need to be collected as even David Cameron hasn't walked away from Government completely, and these will have to largely come from people who are not at the bottom of the ladder. It is one hallmark of a civilised society that taxes are used in part to redistribute the wealth the country earns. The Council needs to get its income from somewhere to make up any short-fall in its expenditure obligations after the Government's rate support grant is taken into account.
The Lib Dems have, without doubt, signed up to the principle that the polluter pays: and that leads inevitably to the logic of those who pollute the most, pay the most. Would Lib Dem Cllr.Brown like to draw up a 'profit and loss' account between Brent motorists and those whodo not have a car or regular access to one? Would he like to begin by putting on one side of the accounts, the deaths, injuries, accidents, traffic congestion, air and noise pollution, contributions to climate change, police supervision and the eating-up of urban space and the character of our town centres?
I'll leave Cllr. Brown to list the benefits that Brent motorists bring to the rest of us after allowing for the various tax contributions they make to society's finances and having deducted the national monetary costs of providing the services which allow motorists to enjoy the benefits of their cars.
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