In viewing with gloom the percentage rise in council tax bills (The Argus, January 11), it is worth noting, in money terms, local Sussex councils will be taking a larger extra slice of our salaries and pensions than last year.

This is because the percentage increase is built on top of the past two year's percentage increases, so the real amount is even higher.

In other words, someone who paid council tax of £800 in January 2004 will be expected to find another £131 by spring of this year.

For a pensioner or a young family, that is a lot. I am self-employed and can't simply increase my prices by twice the the rate of inflation.

I don't believe councils intend to waste money but my firm belief is they have no choice but to waste money in certain areas.

They are ripped off all the time. Before Mrs Thatcher messed with the system, councils used to do a lot of their work "in house".

Of course, some "old Labour" administrations were hopelessly inept and charged absurd rates, so competitive tendering was brought in.

Private companies rubbed their hands with glee. Councils were meant to go for the cheapest option but a) does "Cheapo Ltd" actually do the job properly and b) are they really the cheapest compared with outside world?

You bet not, only relatively compared to the others who tendered.

Woe betide the budget of the school whose premises manager isn't also a dab hand at building, carpentry, painting and virtually everything else.

-T Nicholls, Worthing