The latest news that NSW taxpayers will face electricity charge hikes of between 20 and 25 per cent is just another kick in the stomach for an already over-taxed group of people who are becoming increasingly fed up with this current State Government.

And just another change in the leadership is not the answer for quite honestly there doesn’t appear to be any real depth of talent there now to save the day.

So let’s bring on an election and give the people a say in our future.

Judging on past voting performances the same party will probably get returned, but then those who vote for them can share the blame.

But at least give us the chance to perhaps bring about change.

An interesting meeting

The upcoming meeting in early June between the leaders of the recently formed neighbourhood committees and our city council administrators could prove quite interesting.

Items for discussion were due to be handed to the administrators last Friday and I wonder if anyone out there was game enough to suggest we would like the administrators to go home ASAP and for us to re–elect our own council.

I’ll keep you up to date as the outcomes filter through.

But what about the parking?  

While the news that there is a proposal to spend some $30 million on a facelift in Wollongong’s central shopping centre might sound good on the surface there still remains our chronic inner city parking problems.

New shops and a generally brighter look about the place sound good on paper, but parking problems are still keeping many, many people away from the city centre.

And with tenants old and new likely to see their rentals rise I guess we can expect to see prices also lift. They are bad enough now, especially for food, and this is also a deterrent to people coming into the heart of the city.

A new footy pastime  

Many NRL followers are now betting among themselves while watching TV which referee will make the first major clanger.

That one in the Manly versus Gold Coast at the weekend took the cake and its little wonder the coach of the unlucky team let fly about the drop in standards of refereeing these days.

But let’s not just point the finger at an already beleagured NRL, the good old AFL umpiring has also been under scrutiny of late and some of their decisions, particularly where tackling is concerned, leave one with his mouth open in shock.

What sort of question is this?

My local club distributed a “How Did We Do” ticket recently asking patrons to give a rating staff politeness, service, cleanliness, food quality and value for money, for example, but one question left me somewhat amused.

It was the one about how many children you had and were their ages.

Does the club have in mind some extra kids’ activities or a plan to get more eligible teenagers into their premises?  I didn’t think the club rules in NSW encouraged kids in clubs in any way or form!