Home truths on pensioners and property

From: Eileen Fergusson, Moortown, Leeds.

HERE we go again. Pensioner- bashing, this time from the Fabian Society which claims that high levels of home ownership among older people threatens fairness, as middle income workers’ wages stagnate and they cannot afford to buy a home (Yorkshire Post, April 22).

This so-called “think tank” believes that pensioners should “share the pain” of austerity cuts and pay a tax on property wealth to promote inter-generational fairness in the housing market. What a load of tosh and twaddle. Which stone has this so-called “think tank” being hiding its head under for the past few years?

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Don’t they realise that pensioners are already sharing the pain by having their hard- earned savings and pension contributions eroded by greedy bank and building societies?

The Fabian Society should get its facts right. The “dramatic fall” in home ownership among the under-45s has not been due to the 76 per cent of pensioners owning their own homes, but due to the high price of housing, the decision of banks and building societies not to lend to potential home buyers and the lack of affordable new homes being built for first time buyers.

Why should pensioners be expected to pay for the greed of others? What next, compulsory euthanasia for the over-60s? It can’t be too far in the future.

I have one thing to say to the Fabian Society, and all the other pensioner bashers. We have worked long and hard for what we now have, so back off and leave us alone!

Coal should be made history

From: Ron Willis, Mt Lawley, Perth, Western Australia.

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MANY of the late Baroness Margaret Thatcher’s critics simply lack imagination, initiative and the ability to see her bigger picture. To hand, a picture of the Barnsley Main Colliery that astonishes and baffles me by still existing and being gaped at by a local and his dog. In fairness to the dog, it appears to be eyeing the photographer. How many other colliery relics survive? Why have they not been demolished or recycled (museums telling their stories?); the land made productive?

Coal has played its part. It should, with pride, be made history. Yorkshiremen are good at gaping. I should know, being one myself. Even Mrs Thatcher could do nothing about the weather: my main reason to emigrate.

From: Ian Tomlinson, Westbourne Gardens, Leeds.

WE cannot continue providing succour for the world’s lame ducks, whether at home or abroad.

What about the indigenous population’s human rights? Surely we deserve priority consideration. I, for one, find it incomprehensible and reprehensible that we provide free housing and benefits for immigrants and tolerate the insidious presence of Abu Hamza and the imprisonment of foreign criminals in the UK when they should be expatriated to their country of origin.

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Our inept legislature appears to be incapable of providing a logical judicial system. It’s about time someone grasped the nettle and put the great back into Great Britain. Alas, the Iron Lady and Winnie are no longer with us. Ukip is probably half asleep like all the other parties.

Surely there must be someone out there with integrity, resolve, common sense and ability to mount a rescue operation?

Stuck in slow lane of Europe

From: ME Wright, Grove Road, Harrogate.

LIB Dem Transport Minister Norman Baker makes the smug assertion (Yorkshire Post, April 22) that “people who use public transport can be well pleased with what the Government is doing”.

Are we to assume that he has never set foot beyond Dover? Many of us have and not only is the fragmented, non-integrated UK system greatly inferior to those in mainland Europe, we pay twice the price for such services as the money-grubbing operators condescend to provide.

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In two years, there will be an election. Perhaps Mr Baker and his Westminster chums need to state, unequivocally, whose side they are on – the public’s or the privateers’ – and then legislate accordingly.

Ill will on how to train nurses

From: TW Coxon, West Auckland Road, Darlington.

I WAS shocked and ashamed by the response of the Royal College of Nursing to the Government’s proposals that those seeking nurse education have some pre-training experience in a suitable caring situation. It seems that degree education is more important than the nurse’s caring role (Yorkshire Post, April 23).

As a former senior nurse, I am very disappointed. The Royal College seem to be more preoccupied with the number 
of nurses rather than their nursing skills and compassion, and less on the fact that trained nurses today spend more than their duty time dealing with administration and the ordering of equipment.

To my mind, this attitude does no credit to the RCN of which I was a member for 45 years. Had this attitude prevailed when I was involved in care I most certainly would have resigned in disgust.

I think the RCN needs to re-think why nurses train and promote the quality of care rather than academic achievement.