LITHGOW Council has a nice turn of phrase when it continues the hard sell to convince its subjects that the proposed home budget-wrecking rates increase will be good for us all in the long run.
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There was a volley of hostile reaction when the increases were announced at a level designed to oblige us all to drag Council out of the black hole it dug for itself with a combination of poor fiscal control and natural disasters over a period of years.
This week Council countered with a statement justifying the onslaught and some of the language was at best 'interesting'.
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Examples: 'Lithgow's land rates have historically been set at a very low level'. Really? Those rates were 'too low to maintain the city and the wellbeing of its people'. OK. "After the increase our average rates will still be similar to those of neighbouring or comparable Councils." Let's see the numbers on that one. No one has come out to deny past revelations that Lithgow is in the top 10 most highly rated LGAs in NSW. We're happy to stand corrected.
Then 'We acknowledge that any increase will be challenging to some in the community'. Some?
But the bit that really captured our attention was the admission that '..this is crafted to minimise the burden on the ordinary people'. Yep, those long suffering ordinary people being hit again. So the question of the week remains, just who are the 'ordinary' people amongst and who are the 'extraordinary?
And which side of this social divide will lead the fightback?
A wide representation or those ordinary people is expected at next week's crunch meeting
Steve got the nod
AS forecast by our correspondents at the start of proceedings, Steve Ring has secured the guernsey for ninth man on the recount for Lithgow Council after the resignation of Cr Deanna Goodsell. Steve, a former Councillor, will take his place at the hallowed table next week.
Winter respite
COME in from the bitter cold on Saturday morning and enjoy another Library Concert tomorrow morning by the talented Lithgow City Orchestra. A varied program awaits you at the Lithgow Library and it's all free, including the morning tea after the music dies.
Solstice
WE'VE made it to the Winter solstice. The shortest time of daylight between sunup and sundown probably went unnoticed by most but it's all too true. Just don't expect the timing to make any difference to those record low temperatures being experienced all over Australia.
