Ed, Now maybe I’m not the sharpest tool in the tool shed, but when more than 75% of the Clarence Valley ratepayers said: ”They will not support a rate increase under any circumstances” I stupidly assumed that statement would send a clear message to the Council and IRIS Research (The company employed by the Clarence valley council to conduct “Independent and unbiased” research on Clarence Valley ratepayers opinions on the proposed rate increases and its plan to become sustainable). Silly me, I must have missed something! IRIS obviously have a better insight into what we ratepayers want than we do, as they totally ignored the over 75% of ratepayers (yes the ones who said no rate increase under any circumstances) and decided that in their presentation to Council at last Tuesday weeks extraordinary Council meeting that they would instead make the statement in their 4 point Conclusion “More than three in five (63%) ratepayers have opted for a rate rise of some sort”. Apparently if you ask the same question several different ways, you have a good chance of getting the answer you want. Well done IRIS, you certainly gave the Council a good return on the money they paid you and delivered exactly what they wanted. I still wonder however, what happened to the truth, democratic processes, and the views of over 75% of ratepayers who said “no rate increase under any circumstances” ? Robert Finch, Yamba