Dear Rachel
By all accounts things aren\u2019t going completely to plan at the moment but I think you\u2019re missing a trick. \u00a0Dogs, millions of them, and they\u2019re getting off Scot free. \u00a0You\u2019re probably not old enough to remember but in the 50s and 60s dogs had to be licensed. This ceased, I think, because the cost of collecting the fee – 7\/6 in old money – was more than the fee. Now though dogs have to be chipped which should make the collection easier – perhaps you could get vets to collect it and give them a commission for doing it. \u00a0If you were to set the licence fee initially at 50p\/day (\u00a326\/annum) you could raise millions and in a year or two\u2019s time you might consider increasing it further.
You will have to justify it (as dog owners are certain to raise a stink). Currently councils are collecting and disposing of tons of dog poo. \u00a0They need a grant to pay for what currently they do for free. \u00a0
I have to confess, Rachel, that I\u2019m not a dog owner myself and I see so many dogs when I go out walking and think of how much they all contribute to global warming – with the food they consume, the extras owners purchase for them – dog baskets, cages, toys, collars, leads and of course extra large cars. \u00a0If this licence puts some people off owning one, two or several dogs the dog population with come down helping Labour\u2019s green campaign. Another good reason for setting this plan in motion.
Good luck with it.
Yours etc
Bill Andrews<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Dear RachelBy all accounts things aren\u2019t going completely to plan at the moment but I think you\u2019re missing a trick. \u00a0Dogs, millions of them, and they\u2019re getting off Scot free. \u00a0You\u2019re probably not old enough to remember but in the … Continue reading