WHEN public figures start to talk about spending our money I get very nervous.

In last week's Citizen we had our council leader bemoaning the fact that he needs £3 million to build a new Town Hall - but I, for one, am not convinced that we need a new building. And if Salt Ayre is anything to go by, £3 million will very quickly become £6 million.

At the same time, our Lib-Dem MEP Chris Davies wants to commandeer an untold sum on collecting batteries for recycling, saying his main reason for this is that five other EU nations are already doing so.

I am willing to bet my last Euro that every one of the battery collecting models of EU virtue are net recipients of money from the union rather than contributors like the UK.

In fact, after Tony Blair's recent triumph' on Brussels, Britain's net contribution to the EU will rise from £3.5 billion to almost £6 billion per year. Even the Lib-Dems don't agree with it, but perhaps they haven't told Chris Davies yet.

It is not too difficult to see why national taxation is growing and our council tax in this area is one of the highest in Britain.

T S Senior, Morecambe.