SIR, Week by week your columns areincreasingly dominated by the efforts of South Lakeland District Councilto raise extra cash.

We read (Gazette, August 3) thatconcessionary fares, Joblink, human resources etc.

all facecuts.

The proposed sale of Rayrigg Meadows at Windermere, alsoto raise much-needed funds, is a studied insult to theelectorate.

It is especially so to the long-suffering counciltaxpayer.

A week or two ago a lakeside property, described inthe advertisement as a second home, was on offer at £1.4million.

With the 50 per cent rebate for second homes, the taxpayable would be £911.31 per annum.

Incredible as it may seem,this is actually less than the tax payable by a widow or widower livingalone, even allowing for their rebate, in a band F property, £120,001 to £160,000.

In this case the tax payable is £975.41.

The shortfall to SLDC because of the second homes'rebate is now running at roughly £2 million.

The presentposition is morally indefensible, the more so as it only pertains toEngland, but not Wales or Scotland.

Perhaps if our councillorsdevoted as much time to rectifying this injustice as they do to raisingtheir own incomes, a future ratepayer's strike could beavoided.

E.

PeterJohnson

Levens