(25 Feb 2014, 5:35 pm)aureolin The issue for me is that it's a grant and doesn't need to be paid back. We shouldn't forget that without it though, I'm sure there'd be a good few independents put out of business?
Perhaps a rethink on the fund is needed rather than complete withdrawal?
Possibly restrict it to organisations not exceeding a certain amount of revenue or profit then, such as the smaller independents.
I cant think of any justification, why me, you or your next door neighbour should pay our taxes into a system, that ensures multi-million pound, multi-national companies can buy new vehicles (or in the case of the railways), refurbish/buy new trains.
If the system was nationalised/regionalised then yes, there is justification to keep BSOG, because ultimately, the money will be returned into local/central government coffers.
As it stands, that BSOG money isn't returned into local or national coffers at all, but supplements s new purchase or two, wifi or smartcard technology and the pot of German government, Mr Soutars offshore bank account (and the Airdrie Savings Bank) or some foreign investment fund on Wall Street - whilst passengers see poorer services.
We don't get Government handouts (austerity saw the end to that), yet the money is being thrown at multi-million pound organisations as though it is going out of fashion.
'Illegitimis non carborundum'
