DICK Eberlie (Letters, December 11) argues against the Liberal Democrat proposal for local income tax with faultless logic. Unfortunately, his admirable powers of reasoning have taken him from a totally wrong premise to an equally wrong conclusion.
The rate of local income tax required to provide the sum currently raised by council tax is not, as Cllr Eberlie states, 4.7%, but well below 4%. This means that single people earning up to £34,000 a year would pay less in local income tax than they pay in council tax.
Altogether, over two thirds of the population would be better off. Some pensioner households could save up to £1,000 a year.
Because local income tax is cheaper to collect than council tax, there would be significant savings which could either be spent on much needed services or returned to the taxpayers.
It is interesting that the Conservative Party remains so attached to the council tax, despite its enormous unpopularity in Devon. But then they did invent it!
David Walter, prospective parliamentary Liberal Democrat candidate for West Devon and Torridge
Cllr Alison Clish-Green, Leader West Devon Liberal Democrat Group