Do writers to your paper never find time to read as well as write?

If they did, people such as David Jobson (Letters, October 27) might find time to learn that business rates don't go to local councils but to national government.

I've lost count how many times I have seen this simple fact stated in the media.

It is one of the big bugbears for local authorities that they cannot benefit from business success. York is no different to anywhere else, but we do have particular burdens.

As a tourist city, we welcome hundreds of thousands of tourists each year. But no matter how many businesses set up to welcome tourists, sell them things and feed them - the council gets nothing in business rates.

The city council, ie, you and me, pay to clean the streets or empty the bins after shoppers and tourists have left. The business rates are already in London being spent by national government.

And while we're on the subject, how many residents realise that some of the revenue from parking also goes to central government in the form of VAT?

As for his talk about perks, again opinions take the place of facts.

Why doesn't Mr Jobson simply ask the council to sned him the list of all the monies paid out to councillors, then he could see for himself the difference between his purple prose and the more boring reality. The truth is out there.

Coun C Vassie,

Blake Court,

Wheldrake,

York.

Updated: 08:30 Saturday, October 29, 2005