I fear that David Kemp (Journal letters, June 19) is being a trifle na*ve when he says our East Devon Council Tax has gone up to provide essential services perhaps some might be spent that way, perhaps not. Is Mr Kemp aware that some 25 per cent of our

I fear that David Kemp (Journal letters, June 19) is being a trifle na*ve when he says our East Devon Council Tax has gone up to provide essential services - perhaps some might be spent that way, perhaps not.Is Mr Kemp aware that some 25 per cent of our council tax goes to keep the pension pot for council employees topped well up, so they all receive their gilt-edged, feather-bedded pensions, come what may - even if any shortfalls which they are attempting to recover might be caused by Gordon Brown's tax on pensions, which raises, I think, around a billion pounds a year to spend on vital costs, like MPs' expenses etc, etc?Personally, I paid into the wrong scheme and, if I saved my pensions for 20 years now, it would just buy me a box of matches. Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe, etc, etc, need I say more. No one is interested in making good my pension by dipping into the public purse. Why should we contribute to a luxurious retirement for council employees, I ask myself? Me and several thousand other ex-Rhodesians were completely conned by the British government into letting a murdering savage attempt to run a modern, sophisticated state. Result, watch the TV news most nights.No, it's not for essential services, but to make sure the central heating is kept on, even if a lot of office windows are left open because it's too hot at EDDC's Knowle HQ, pensions and any other trendy little ideas which might pop into our esteemed councillors' heads from time to time.G Fardell,The Retreat, Lympstone.