FREE bus passes for the over-60s was arguably the best thing this government has done – giving pensioners the chance to get out and about more and helping them save money from pensions and savings income which has all but disappeared through this dreadful recession.
But, like everything with this government, there's a sting in the tail over who pays. If the government was fair and transparent (if only) it would pick up the entire bill.
But, oh no. They've fudged it so that some councils get full funding whi
le others don't – and guess what, Worthing, Arun and Adur councils, which have a high percentage of old folk, find they have to shell out masses of extra money to pay for the free fares.
It comes from the council tax and means Worthing, Arun and Adur has less money to spend on other services.
That prompted the remark from Worthing council leader Keith Mercer that it was "a council, not a bus company". Quite right.
What's totally unwarranted was the pathetic nonsense from the local Labour candidate Ian Ross claiming that Keith Mercer was being mean in begrudging pensioners their free passes.
He totally ignored the fact that his government, in fudging the grants it pays out for the concessionary scheme, is forcing Worthing taxpayers to subsidise the scheme to the tune of £600,000. It's the same problem with free swimming for OAPs.
Come on, Mr Ross, smarten up your act or you'll be laughed out of town at election time.
What a generation!I was in Barclays Bank the other day filling in a paying-in slip and using one of the bank's pens which they supply.
A woman in her 20s walked beside me and I made space for her, believing she wanted to do the same thing. Not a bit of it. She helped herself to every one of the pens in the display and made to walk out of the bank.
I said to her: "Excuse me, how many of those pens do you think you are making off with?" Without any hesitation she looked down at her hand, looked up at me and brazenly said "five", and walked out. Just for the record, Barclays say pens are there for customers to use and if they want to keep it afterwards they can. But not five!
Heaven help us, for this is the generation we will be turning to to help us in or doteage.
Organic? It means "with wildlife"Last weekend among our shopping we bought a container full of "organic" blueberries. Opening it we discovered what "organic" really means (apart from being more expensive) because wriggling around inside was a caterpillar!
Disgusted, my wife went off to the supermarket to ask for her money back, but on the way the little critter escaped. It's somewhere in her car no doubt. Maybe we'll find it if it turns into a butterfly.
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