THE Frogmoor fountain is just the latest of a long line of disasters perpetrated by both Wycombe District Council and Bucks County Council.

Over the last 23 years I have watched helplessly as my council tax was squandered on failed projects such as the recently abandoned Western Sector development; the earlier Frogmoor fountain that survived only two years; the proposed Northern relief road which fell into some black hole in the council offices and the pedestrianisation scheme which is a failure with uneven paving a hazard to the public.

Then there are the rising bollards in the town centre which don't work and the High Street full of trade vehicles. Also, positive parking which has killed the town and was intended to be self-funding but is still a charge on the council tax.

Indeed, I am unable to think of one successful project over the last quarter century.

These failures will have no influence on the impending annual increase in council taxes which are destined to rise by more than three times the rate of inflation.

Any day now that thick envelope will drop on residents' doormats demanding a large part of average incomes to fund more waste.

Changing the political direction of the council has no impact at all on the effectiveness and efficiency of decisions. There is only one way to demonstrate dissatisfaction and that is for everyone to withold payment of council tax until the final demand, and ask them to justify any greater increase than the increase in inflation.

Unfortunately public apathy is such that councils will continue to make costly errors and waste the council taxes wth no fear of reaction from the public.

Indeed council taxes could increase by more than 50 per cent and the majority of home owners would pay without complaint. It is about time that the public showed the local authorites that he who pays the piper can, if necessary, call the tune.

AW Parr

Pretoria Road

High Wycombe

February 14, 2002 13:38