Observer Editorial

IT was as inevitable as night following day that Rother's budget-setting hand-wringing that it needs to continue to cut spending by half a million pounds a year would touch off a New Year firework display.

The immediate reaction from many has been to the effect "If they need to cut that much how on earth can they afford to squander 3.5m on the Next Wave scheme?"

A good point.

It will immediately be countered by the authority, of course, by the argument that Rother's contribution to Next Wave is being met from its capital reserve, not from revenue.

This will cut no ice with the scheme's critics.

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They will argue that Next Wave is unnecessary, unwanted and counter-productive. They will say that if the hitherto carefully-hoarded reserves are now seen to be there to be raided at will then even greater use should be made of them to shield the taxpayer.

For the layman, the problem of how to trim 500,000 off the budget in a single year seems a Labour of Hercules. To have to go through that exercise in successive years produces a cumulative effect of staggering proportions.

Whatever one's views on Next Wave, it has to be acknowledged that Rother's is the lowest Council Tax demand in East Sussex. Another statistic of which the authority is proud is that it is the "leanest" of the county's authorities with the fewest staff.

Its share of the total Council Tax bill local householders will have to bear in April is small in comparison with that of the county council.

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But if Rother is destined to struggle in future years with cutting 500,000 off spending, proportionately, that is nothing in comparison to the belt-tightening which will be faced by many local electors.

The district may be divided for these purposes between those of working age and those in retirement.

Those of working age are looking anxiously over their shoulders to see if 2009 will spell the loss of their jobs.

Those of retirement age and who are heavily dependent on their life savings do not share the luxury of Rother's willingness to dip into capital. Instead, with interest rates on investments at a 50-year low, they must do everything they can not raid this nest egg.

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All this makes the scale and the perceived objective of Next Wave '“ and in particular the apparent determination to press ahead with it despite the very evident depth of public feeling on the issue '“ all the more difficult to comprehend.

CIRCUS Etc at the De La Warr Pavilion looks to have gone down well.

Early indications suggest around three quarters of tickets were sold during the week-long run.

Entertainment-value, it wasn't bad, and it was certainly an enjoyable night.

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But, to be frank, it was a low-cost show and was never going to set the world alight.

Now the DLWP management has to decide what the public really wants at Christmas time.

What they should be aiming for is a production that sells out the theatre every day.

At the moment the ambitions for the Christmas show are very low - and that is a great pity.