Ed, It was a most important letter that was published in the CV Independent (23/9/15), written by John Hagger of the Clarence Forum concerning the CVC’s proposed rate changes and the “Big White Elephant” that it wishes to build below the South Grafton High School as a $17 million Council works depot, that from all accounts even the Council’s own outdoor staff are sceptical about. Another feature of the letter was the truth about how our CVC used “Micky Mouse” mathematics to work out the percentage instead of the proven “compound interest method” which has worked for many years and used by a lot brighter people that our CVC councillors and staff. All of this business concerning rates was first mentioned on the Midday Agenda on Foxtel on May 12th, 2011 in a discussion between State treasurers and a couple of Federal politicians at which it was stated… “If a Coalition government is re elected to control the purse strings, there will be cuts to health and education, services and the various States and Councils will have to raise more of their own incomes. This is exactly what has happened under the Abbott coalition government and as a result of the end of the mining boom it is now in place, but our CVC, in their greed have placed a huge burden upon all rate payers and in particular our pensioners and low income earners. If this decision by our CVC is allowed to proceed it will be devastating for many CVC’s residents. There is an easy solution to the problem, finish all unfinished programs, have a big rethink at all other projects as to their worth and cut out those which are too extravagant and unnecessary. Once all of this has been done let us have a special “common sense” administrator placed in authority to get us out of the mess. We continually hear from our coalition politicians, “we have to clean up the mess that Labor left us,” well here is a mess that is the total responsibility of our coalition governments both State and Federal and must be vehemently rejected by all ratepayers. Bruce Apps, Townsend