Save our pubs! Can we take action before it's too late.

The Sun newspaper recently reported that according to group CAMRA, up to 12 pubs a week are closing across the country.  Bad news all round, but analysing why I find it quite obvious the reason, it's too expensive.  Both for the drinkers and the landlords.  Fair enough drinking can be quite dangerous for people, and cost the NHS millions, but this ain't the pubs fault in my opinion.  Well it is, but only because there too expensive and people are drinking more cheaper booze from the supermarkets as a result.  It isn't because people don't want to go to the pub, they do, but simply can't afford it any more, so stay at home.  The major reason why these age old institutions are closing, and what do they (The Government) do about it? they keep on putting the prices up, even though it was already too expensive the last time they put them up.  It's never enough for them, year after year taking the risk of bumping up price's by 10/20p - and they wonder why more people are going to Supermarkets.  Not to mention the rising prices of rent and whatever else, is it any wonder that the breweries are selling pubs.  The worst part is their idea to put Supermarket prices up, can you believe that their logic is that this will help the pubs out.  If anything it will mean that people will spend more at Supermarkets and less at pubs.  I mean it would be okay if this extra money was actually going to the pubs, but come on; do you actually believe that, I mean even if they could be more sympathetic to the worst hit pubs in villages and small towns, make them cheaper that would be the best thing they could do, but no - it seems like people like Nick Clegg & David Cameron just don't see this.
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The pub to the left is the Red Lion in the village of Weston.  It closed its doors for the final time this year because it wasn't making enough money.  Sad though is, its rich history in the village where villagers & visitors have been drinking here since the 17th Century, maybe even earlier.  I can't imagine why the Government would stand by and let pubs like this close down, but i imagine what isn't far from the truth is that pubs like this one are closing all over the country.  They say use them or lose them, but what do they expect - it's not enough for them that they let foreigners take all our jobs, but they have to make places like this too expensive as well.
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And it gets worse, as well as the Red Lion above is the Pelican of Letchworth Garden City.  This pub wasn't as old as the Red Lion before it closed, but it was still a nice little community pub.  A centre of local activity, but now to the horror of close by resident's it's being demolished to make way for a new Tesco Express.  Even though a petition was signed by angry locals & shopkeepers in danger of losing business.  In fact one shopkeeper even offered to buy the pub, for well over the odds of what the building was worth. Just to keep the pub open, but the sad part of this story is the government still allow things like this to happen.
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The ironic factor in all of this though is that both pubs were owned by the Greene King brewery of Bury St Edmonds owner of several pubs across the region.  It seems as if that, because these Breweries are suffering from the loss of customers so much, that they are being forced to close the pubs which don't make enough.  Which is sad really because most of these pubs are the nice quiet places where people can go to, to get away.  The ones where people can go to after a nice long walk and the places that can bring tourism to some of the most peaceful places across the country, our small towns and villages.
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My conclusion is that something needs to be done and fast.  In France Bars & Restaurant's are VAT free, which it has been suggested could be the answer to the pub problem.  The government should do this, but they could also do more as well; like for instance, put supermarket prices up & pub prices down.  Allow Housing Benefit to some of the worst hit establishments, remove the tax on local brews & maybe perhaps most of all stop putting prices up.  All things that will help tremendously and in my belief, if these are things they actually do, then more people will start using these pubs again & more people going out again will =

• Less money for the NHS because people are drinking less because they're buying less down the supermarkets; 
• more people will get jobs because a.) they won't be depressed being stuck indoors & b.) it will introduce a more social country with more people talking about work. Oh &   c.) More Bar work! 
• The return of community spirit; people who might have stayed in before will go out because it's more affordable.  Friends will be made.  Deals will be done & problems will be solved.
• Crime will be reduced, with less of a desperation for what they can't afford those who would normally miss out won't & because they'll be happy they won't want to break the law. 

It's simple really, the turn around could be pubs opening up instead of closing, the sad part is though that it could be too late before the toffs in Westminster actually realise.