WHY no meetings in Stratford and/or Alcester? Why are we excluded? Warwickshire County Council is holding Council Tax Consultation meetings during the month of November, in preparation for its annual percentage increase, in the new year. These meetings, dubbed as a democratic exercise, will of course, give us the usual fait accompli ie no increases - cut in services?

The meetings will be held in Kenilworth, Dunchurch, Polesworth, Southam and Nuneaton. (Where are these places?) Three of these venues, are only 10 miles from each other. I would need to take a round trip of 50 miles, approx to Southam to attend. Why no venue in Stratford or Alcester, local, to the majority of the 114,000 in the district? We have been ignored, disenfranchised and we are disenchanted! Do they feel we don't care, perhaps and any increase they wish to impose on us, we can afford? Why would Warwickshire County Council wish to make it difficult for us to attend? It has not gone by, unnoticed, that these meeting venues, are bunched together and specifically in less populated towns. I am sure it would not be fair to suggest in any way, that our exclusion, is a deliberate ploy!

Why hasn't our elected county representative, (councillor) noticed the problem?

We must insist that meetings, these council tax consultative meetings, take place in Stratford and Alcester, and they must be advertised widely, in order to achieve numbers. Councillors take note of numbers; numbers make votes!

I must draw attention, if unaware, to the fact that at a time when our own private pensions (contributory) are being diminished and clobbered, we face a large council tax increase, to top-up and to prop-up, Local Government Workers Pensions (non-contributory) ironic isn't it? I think ironic is the word.

The WCC, have to be seen, to go through a Democratic process; (as much as I am sure, they would rather not). To help this image of democracy, they have produced a form with questions and answers to form your own budget; its called Set your own Budget, 2005/2006. The questions are loaded and designed to convince us that any cuts, in the intended tax increases, will mean cuts in our services. But what is left to cut? The forms, believe it or not, are not readily available; very low-profile; but they are available from Virginia Rennie or Andrew Filby at WCC on 01926 412239/412860; to be sent in or given in, at meetings.

When councillors are assailed to make savings, they always threaten cuts in services; but what is left to cut?

We can cut the number of councillors, we have far too many; We can cut the number of officers; we have far too many, employed.

DOUGLAS J WATHEN, Alcester Road, Rushford, Salford Priors.