Tue, 15 Feb 2005

Replace rates with user pays

"Calls from bloated local authorities to find new ways of fleecing the public are outrageous and should be rejected by the government" announced Libertarianz Leader Bernard Darnton today as he expressed his disgust at his latest rates bill.

"Nobody should have to pay for services or council activities they never use or want, and nobody deserves to be fleeced more and more each year just to pay for the empire-building of the power-hungry statist vermin that infest the upper level of near-every council in the country. Put simply, rates should be replaced with user pays. Further, nobody should be made to pay twice for services, as they often do now: councils should be forbidden from chargind for serives, and for collecting rates for those same services. Councils should charge people only for what they themselves use, and sell off those activities that are unwanted in order to wipe out council debts," said Darnton.

"With significant rates cuts, people could well afford to pay for the cost of services they do use, and decide whether or not to support the activities councils currently carry out that they may not use themselves. Porirua families should not be made to pay for art galleries, monuments and museums they may not ever use themselves," says Darnton, highlighting the absurdity.

"A Libertarianz government would permanently cap all Council rates; require Councils to implement user pays where possible; and divest all activities that can either be provided or maintained by private organisations and individuals. Libertarianz would also scrap the RMA and regional councils, and direct all petrol taxes to roading in order to eliminate ratepayer funding of roads".

ENDS

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