A Stormont Car Levy?
Wednesday's evidence from the Northern Ireland Economic Research Institute's Victor Hewitt to a joint session of the Regional Development and Finance Committees made for gloomy, if perhaps realistic, listening. The economist sketched out his belief that we cannot avoid the consequences of what might be the worst recession in 60 years.
Tonight's it's been revealed that is down around £7 billion in January (that's only about a billion less than the annual discretionary spend by local departments, not including recurring costs like welfare benefits). This shows the kind of uphill struggle the Finance Minister Nigel Dodds might face in his declared intention to resist
As I reported on the news last night, the Institute's draft action plan questioned flagship Executive policies like free prescriptions and free travel for the elderly. Another of Victor Hewitt's ideas for generating revenue would impact directly on the Stormont estate.
He suggested that civil servants should pay a levy for their parking spaces, arguing that in the private sector such a benefit might cost £1000 a year. Ian Paisley Junior jumped to the defence of low paid civil servants, but would the general public share his view?
I'm 
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