Waste of taxpayers' money

I would find it hard to nitpick any of that! I think it was unfortunate that the inclusion of gay rights in your o p led to this thread taking on a whole new direction which had not been your original intention.

galen went to bed so couldn't answer last night! Anyway back to the subject in hand - you couldn't use income tax for companies as tax isn't on income it is on profit.

True. 'Twas but a passing insignificant thought!

I have a lot of those!

I thought your original post was very clear and again you are not being unreasonable.

There used to a Department of the Environment headed up by a Minister, with statutory duties and a budget authorised and overseen by Parliament. That was said to be inefficient so the quango we now know as the Environment Agency was set up. Nature has given the whole of the UK a good kicking this winter and all sorts of environmental cracks and fissures have been revealed, some going back a very long time.

Finger pointing will not solve the problems. I suggest that the way forward is to set up a cross-party and expert group to look into and prioritise the problems and recommend strategic solutions with estimates of costs. This all to be done over as short a time as possible. The chances of this happening? Not good, I feel. Many people demand instant solutions paid for by others, and in the meantime its far easier just to blame somebody else. I hope I am proved wrong.

PS: There is a very interesting article on the BBC about the 50 or so organisations entitled to dig up our roads and pavements and the colour-coding they use to indicate what they are up to. The complexity of it is amazing.

It is all so complicated these days! Long gone are the days when, if the council wanted to dig up the road or pavement, then a notice was sent out to the utility companies asking if they wanted to do any work in the area to save the road/pavement being dug up twice. Way before computers.

Soutra, I mentioned the support of a gay pride march because that was what I heard of (Birmingham newspaper many years ago now, but resurrected recently). I didn't hear anything about religious marches or antiracist marches so they were not relevant in this particular instance.
I did also mention corporate-style entertaining - what was wrong with tea/coffee and biscuits or a sandwich in the HQ?

And if I had every report or statistic at my fingertip I would apply to work on Panorama.
I'm just a retired person asking a question.

I could not agree more. It is impossible to have all of the facts and figures at one's fingertips. I am sure that like me, Margaretm wants a simple life in retirement.

I am learning, charleygirl, but it seems to backfire from time to time! Just a slow learner I think!

Meanwhile DGD2 is rearranging my conservatory

I wonder if the finger pointing in the press about money going to 'inappropriate' non-environmental work is to divert attention from the fact that major flood defence programmes were cancelled, postponed and curtaile, despite advice from the EA, as part of Government cutbacks?

Goodness how long ago was this gay pride march? Before Chris Smith's time?
When a relative of mine was a very senior civil servant in the Welsh Office a decade or so ago, money was so tightly controlled that he was not allowed to order tea and biccies for a meeting with an external visitor unless he paid for it out of his own pocket. Not exactly the high life.

Very good point Penstemmon. I do not understand the ignorance that goes hand in hand with expressing bigoted views about gay or lesbian people.

Have I said anything bigoted? I may be ignorant, and by golly I have discovered since joining GN that some people are quick to let you know if they think you are!

But I am not and never have been bigoted and I totally refute that suggestion and resent it. I wish I could delete the whole post: I only asked a question and do not feel I deserve some of the challenging and antagonistic remarks that have been made by people who should actually take a good look at their own attitudes as they hide behind their pseudonyms.

There are some people on GN who sound lovely so sorry to say farewell to them, but why should I log in just to be insulted. Life's too short, too many lovely people to meet to waste time on here.

Iam64 that was totally uncalled for.

I was referring to a post that has now been deleted.

Well, perhaps you should have said so - now margaret must feel really got-at!

Jendurham Council tax is a "flat rate" tax depending on your property value, not your income. That type of taxation seems to me to be inherently less fair than taxing people according to their actual income.

Moving to a lower value property is not always practical. That solution is as disruptive to individuals well being as the "bedroom tax".

Many posters may be gay themselves, have gay children, friends, family members etc. People whom they love dearly.

It is hard when it feels as if people talk about 'gay' people in a negative way and as if they should be considered second rate citizens. I suppose those of us who have fought for equality do not see it as a 'PET PROJECT' but more as a mainstream issue about the quality of humanity.

Fair enough, Penstemmon, but what do any of those issues have to do with the EA?

No one's denying any of the things you say, but shouldn't government departments stick to their own (publicly funded) remits? There are other (also publicly funded) departments addressing inequality.

My son is bisexual and I don't like bigoted remarks. Thank you Penstemmon

Oh, I give up! No one is making bigoted remarks.

Why do posters have to make it about them? - Galen?

How do we know the post was bigoted when it has been deleted? And we don't even know which post it was?

Where do government agencies get the money from to support various groups? It's one thing if they raise the money amongst their employees, quite another thing if it is taxpayers' money. And it sounds as though it is just that.

which deleted post it was kinda bothers me too Jingle. Think I am about to fall on my sword.

It was ninny's post at 09.35 yesterday. Your response was also deleted, LizG, although you must have known that...