• @[email protected]OP
    link
    fedilink
    English
    -111 months ago

    That’s an incredibly stupid argument. The Tories made us take a cut of your operating percentag.

    If Bristol Council wants to push traders away and run them out of business apparently we’re all cool with that as long as we blame the Tories.

    It was the Tories that forced Bristol to invest in a failed energy company right? Or forced Bristol to waste money on an underground consultation scheme that’s going nowhere? Or forced them to spend twice on an arena that isn’t getting built? Yes that’s the Tories fault.

    Literally take that money and see what good it could have been put to. Absolutely crazy 🤣.

    • appel
      link
      fedilink
      English
      210 months ago

      There are multiple factors involved. Austerity policies such as reducing public funding are one of them. If Bristol Council was not receiving a tighter budget every year from westminster, then they would have to take less risky decisions (like the investment). Of course this does not excuse some of the other silly actions either, which should be blamed on the council itself.

      Of course no one is saying that we’re cool with it, I think most people are not. We are just acknowledging the impact of central government policies and then who ends up taking the hit for it.

      • @[email protected]OP
        link
        fedilink
        English
        110 months ago

        You do realise that it’s possible for Bristol council to be negligent and corrupt in their spending, while also getting significantly reduced funding from the government, right?

        I’m sorry but the parent comments both blindly assume it’s all central government’s fault. And also imply that Bristol council couldn’t possibly have done things differently. So yes I do realise that both can be true. But I’m not insisting that Bristol Council be let off the hook for the shitty things they do.

        Bristol is only slightly insulated from this by the insanely high council tax - however their income has been reduced, and it’s to be expected that they seek ways of covering that shortfall.

        They have a shortfall because of the incredibly poor way they’ve managed their finances and government cuts. People would like to pretend it’s only the latter and poor old Bristol Council are an innocent bystander swept up in a tornado not of their making. This is absurd. Have you seen the way the council responds to comments asking for clarity on finances and spending? It’s an absolute disgrace.

        The point of the petition by the seller in the article is to try and get Bristol Council not to punish traders with punitive chargers to cover shortfalls elsewhere. This particular trader has been chugging along for years up until now growing a customer base and now the council are gouging him for an obscene amount of money. They could have quite easily have asked for an inflationary increase in ground rent. But they haven’t. The risk here is that the Council drives people out of business. I don’t want to live in a place where everything is either shut or way too expensive because the bulk of the sales go towards paying off the Council fees.

        • TWeaK
          link
          fedilink
          English
          -210 months ago

          Lmao I thought I was being a little harsh and deleted my comment. Then you plucked my comment from the grave (yay lemmy bugs), downvoted it, and argued against it.

          I guess I was right after all. You just downvote anyone who disagrees with you. So I’ll re-state the personal comment I made in my deleted comment:

          The only crazy one is you, who downvotes everyone that contradicts you. You don’t deserve that username. You’re more of a Domino Hurley.

          Enjoy purgatory. The smell of sulphur suits you.

            • TWeaK
              link
              fedilink
              English
              -110 months ago

              I’m having fun shooting the shit lol. You seem deflated now.

              • @[email protected]OP
                link
                fedilink
                English
                110 months ago

                That’s rather desperate of you. What a way to live. I feel sorry for you now.

                I hope you’ve found some solace, enjoy your weekend dear. 🙏

                • TWeaK
                  link
                  fedilink
                  English
                  110 months ago

                  I am! Got a new air fryer, spending a city day out tomorrow. Life is good.