TO quote Mr Galloway, "perverse, staggering and totally astonishing" describes the thoughts of the council tax payers of York.

The only "punishing York residents without a scrap of justification" going on here is in the council's wanton waste of council tax monies over the past 12 months.

Please explain how exactly it costs £120,000 to print out new bills? May I suggest the council use a cheaper printer?

So councillors will have to make savings of up to £400,000, and yet we see on page 17 of the Press £400,000, and probably a lot more, has been wasted on this so-called super bus that was brought in against the wishes of York residents.

The council has wasted money on this bus but at the same time reduced our refuse collections service. But we did not see a corresponding reduction in the council tax.

If the council would be so gracious as to let us know how many co-ordinators, facilitators and outreach workers it employs (I'm sure I heard on BBC Radio York of a local government wedding co-ordinator), we'll be able to tell it which ten jobs to get rid of to make the savings necessary.

Steve Smith,

Dijon Avenue,

Acomb,

York.

Updated: 10:27 Thursday, March 30, 2006