The Saint: The rates intrigue goes on and on

The date for written responses closed some time back and we're sure some responsibly independent scrutineer has monitored the count so let's have some results - even if a telephone survey is yet to come.

In the meantime the propaganda campaign goes on and on. Meantime, repeated here for no particular reason than passing historical interest, we came across an old Mercury report from some years back that read ...''The Government has dismissed Rylstone Shire Council and appointed an administrator following an independent inquiry (into its affairs).

'The inquiry found that Council had not been prudent financial managers and custodians of the public assets held by Council and that the Council has no cash reserves and depends largely on government grants and contributions to finance operations.''

The report went on an on at some length in similar vein. It's history that Rylstone local government area was later broken up between Mudgee and Lithgow,

That administrator word has been muttered around here quite a bit lately but be careful what you wish for. The devil you know is often better than the administrator that you don't.

OUR item last week about family budgets being pillaged by 'estimated' gas bills brought more response around town as consumers do their own double checking. One Marrangaroo resident told the column their estimated bill was way out of line with reality but when the provider agreed to come back and actually read the meter they said it would have to be at the consumer's expense. The provider relented after some harsh words and a rejection of the old 'inaccessible meter' excuse. Must be time Consumer Affairs took a hand in this fiasco.

HAD enough of the miserable weather? Haven't we all? But spare a thought for the thousands of dedicated revheads camping out in the rain at Mt Panorama and the drivers praying for at least a little dry track for the Big Race.

GRAND final weekend was clearly not a time of true good cheer for everyone. During the weekend someone smashed two very large plate glass windows at Dimmeys in Lithgow, leaving a hefty four figure repair bill. The hoodlums took cover in one of the gloomiest night time parts of the CBD to demonstrate their intelligence.

STILL with water and the government is to spend zillions raising the Warragamba Dam wall. Flood control would surely have been more cost effective just by banning subdivisions in known flood plains. Wonder how many developers, or pollies, live in floodplains eh.