Hi, On Mon, Oct 22, 2012 at 12:03 PM, Peter Ross <Peter.Ross@bogen.in-berlin.de>wrote:
Hi all,
does anybody bother about the way we vote here in Victoria?
I find it quite ridiculous that someone can cast a vote just because he owns a property in the area or is representing a company owning a property.
Land ownership is the key word here. Surely a person or entity paying rates deserves a say in how their council spends the cash? How would you feel if your property rates increased 2000 % and later you found out your local councillors were using the dough to pave gold roads? If I had a property in a different municipality where the council increased them by say 500% in one year then surely I deserve to have a say on how they spend it? If a company owns a property...lets say a small engineering firm in a shed in a place like Corowa... employing 5 locals , who has their garbage, sewage and water rates increased 100% in one year surely they deserve a say? (Stress the OWN the property/land part there...if a company leases land/warehouse whatever ...then they do not pay local council rates...its just part of the rent.. they should not get a say!) Rgds BW