The New Free Market

Benign Self-Interest?

The Sunday Torygraph touts news from the feral fringes - an experiment in local taxation whereby "the nicer the neighbourhood the higher the local taxes you pay". I only read the headlines while buying that other paper (and taking the chance to prime my knowledge of serious current affairs via a scan of the red-tops: for detailed analysis I'd need to actually buy the Torygraph).

My first inclination was to get out and about with a couple of cans of spray paint and tag every brick wall within walking distance, set fire to the local bus shelter, throw a brick through only nearby public telephone and/or rip the hand set out and then set myself up outside the local Tesco express with very loud music from my youth, cheap wine, soft drugs and a generally threatening attitude.

Do you think that will be enough to bring my local taxes under control?

I figure I could go further and super glue car locks, scratch duco, strew my domestic garbage in the neighbours' gardens (they'll thank me when their tax bill nose-dives), um...

Any other inspiring ideas welcome.