THE lame ducks intent on crippling Blackburn are at it again - about to introduce even more goodies for their much-loved council tenants.

Blackburn Council is about to move into the insurance business, on the pretext that tenants will benefit. Or is the real reason the commission that would be generated?

Is this fair poaching on private-sector business which has to contribute to this money-gobbling, inefficient spending machine?

This would be all right if the council houses were not so dependent on the taxpayer footing the bill.

Seventy per cent are on housing benefits, some £11 million is owed in rent arrears and approaching 400 houses are empty on a regular basis, necessitating the bringing in of private-sector consultants to advise this 'Charter Mark' management.

It's nothing short of a scandal that, after over seventy years' experience in housing, they have to bring in the private sector expertise to advise them.

Another crackpot scheme is the setting up of furnished houses. It's a well known fact that a fair proportion of council tenants have no regard for the property, so what will happen to the furniture?

When are these socialist political pygmies going to see that spending will eventually have to be curtailed if the town is to survive?

WALT MEADOWS, Whalley New Road, Blackburn.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.