Use your vote to protest at council waste

I READ with disgust the amount of money that taxpayers have to pay for our council bosses. At a time of severe austerity, when services and staff cuts are being introduced throughout the whole country it is in my mind obscene to be paying individuals such amounts of money.

We read and hear of marches by tanker drivers, teachers, students and now, pastry cooks. One wonders will Barnsley voters march in protest at the way their cash is being squandered?

Put this right at today’s local elections!

From: Stan Dawson, Linton Crescent, Alwoodley.

HOW hypocritical of Keith Wakefield (Leader of Leeds City Council plus the other leaders of Wakefield and Bradford) to say No to City Mayors on the one hand and then offer to stand for those posts if the electorate want them. Methinks I smell money and greed here.

If they are wanting to save money, how about cutting down the number of councillors by a third. But then again turkeys will not vote for Christmas will they?

From: Robert Reynolds, Harrogate.

I TOTALLY refute the suggestion that “posh boys” Cameron and Osborne are out of touch.

Only yesterday, I phoned the Chancellor to talk to him about the massive growth in food banks around the country, a consequence of his austerity measures. He said: “Food? And banks? Growing? Can we tax them at 5 per cent or 20 per cent?”

From: Charles Mann, Oughtibridge, Sheffield.

THE case for elected mayors is compelling, providing a figurehead for the city; someone who can advance city growth and present the cities’ case at Westminster.

The only problem being that all those who have stated their intention to stand if the referendum presents a yes, are the same old dead wood – and not a strong, high-powered and illustrious figure, as mayoral candidates in America often are and where mayors have proved to be an astounding success.

From: George Senior, Spa Well Lane, West Cowick, Goole.

“I AM a very dissatisfied Conservative” says David Rhodes (Yorkshire Post, April 28). I cannot understand why the majority of the electorate continues to stay with the three totally lost parties believing leopards will change their spots.

I left the Conservatives after they fired the EU bullets into Margaret Thatcher. The blackest day of Tory treachery.

After the General Election in 2010, David Cameron immediately stabbed his supporters in the back by tying them to the party who were also run with the fox and hunt with the hounds then sit on the fence till they see who wins.

Where was democracy at the last General Election? Only the big three parties were allowed to take part in the big TV point scoring debates. It should be all or none.

Yes, we are all in the EU Titanic disaster. I prefer to sail in the safety of the Ukip lifeboat.

Hot air over gas dangers

From: David F Chambers, Sladeburn Drive, Northallerton.

MY eye always goes to those articles portraying the author wearing a knowledgeable, reassuring smile, first-name abbreviated if possible – I could name several. They always warn of the dire perils of some catastrophe or other.

York City councillor Dave Merritt has evidently been informed that poor air quality (mainly the levels of nitrogen dioxide) in his city is causing “premature death”.

Recalling my youthful experience of the classic London smogs and fearfully turning to the back page, I checked yesterday’s figures for NO2. Degrees of concentration are grouped into three levels: low from 0-286, through moderate, high to very high, which peaks at 764. York is not mentioned, but Rotherham and Leeds each scored 23, Hull 21 and North Yorkshire one point. London’s score was less than halfway up the low level.

When a scientific concept becomes accepted within the political field, it results in the most horrific expenditure, misery and inconvenience, not to mention soaring domestic bills. Only years later is the original theory re-examined. I would quote the CO2 causing global warming via the greenhouse effect controversy.

By all means strive to ease York’s road congestion, but until the first citizen collapses in the street from NO2 intoxication, leave the scientists to their computers and don’t waste our money.

Who was the genius who coined the term “hot air?”

Market positioning?

From: JW Buckley, Aketon, Pontefract.

I KEEP re-reading an article about Lloyds Bank. They have raised £170m by selling new shares.

They use this money to pay out interest on bonds but all this is said to have a neutral effect on its capital position.

So, if I go to Lloyds and borrow money from them, then use it to pay my mortgage interest, it doesn’t affect my capital position.

Sounds too good to be true to me.

Learning from the dealers

From: Paul Morley, Long Preston, Skipton, North Yorkshire.

THE Government believes that by selling cigarettes in plain unbranded packets they will appear “uncool” to youngsters who will be put off buying them. Another groundbreaking idea from the people in the rooms with the rubber walls I presume.

During the 30 years I served as a police officer, I lost count of the number of youngsters I arrested in possession of drugs.

These drugs were invariably in small clear re-sealable plastic packets or wrapped in silver foil which often appeared from parts of the dealer’s anatomy that I’d rather not remember in too much detail.

Hardly the pinnacle of “cool” as far as packaging and storage goes – it didn’t deter the kids for a second.

Back to the drawing board, I think Mr Cameron.