Cuts protests are pointless (From South Wales Argus)

Cuts protests are pointless

3:23pm Tuesday 26th February 2013 in Letters

IN ignoring the wishes of the numerous grassroots protest groups springing up in Gwent demanding no cuts to public services/protection of our environment (etc) local councils are showing a total disdain for democracy. Councillors bleat on about “hard choices” but in reality they have no control over budgets which are set by central government. So the “hard choice” is to cosy up to the banking and business corporate elite and act as a willing conduit for the Con/Dem government cuts.

The public is supposed to not cause a fuss and leave the decision-making to our elected representatives So if you are concerned, for example, about your nursery closing, your greenbelt being destroyed, an opencast mining operation or the ‘bedroom tax’ it’s pointless trying to talk to ‘your’ councillors because they will ignore you.I It’s better to take direct action and run the nursery yourselves etc and, if you are doing that, why pay council tax? Speaking truth to power is a waste of time as they are completely aware of what harm they are doing to the social structure and the environment of Gwent.

Terry Banfield Cardigan Crescent Cwmbran