Letters to the Editor - 12th February 2008

Feb 12 2008 Liverpool Daily Post

Be accountable for tolls rise

IT HAS been my observation that Lib-Dems hate being characterised as a bunch of vacuous fence- sitting centrists only capable of direction once a strong wind of public opinion has already blown.

This unflattering portrait is rather exact in the case of the seven Lib-Dem councillors on the Merseyside Transport Authority, since they were unable to give any opinion on the increase in tunnel tolls and abstained.

This issue is far too important to the thousands of people who use the tunnel, particularly commuters, for elected members to stand on the sidelines.

As far as I can see, if you fail to oppose an increase in a tax or charge, you are supportive by default, but lack the character to make the case for such extra money being taken from the public.

In this particular instance, it is just another burden upon the motorist who has already had to pay, at great expense, so-called road tax and the crippling weight of duty on petrol and diesel.

In Scotland, the funds have been found to abolish tolls, but here in Merseyside it seems the motorist is forced to pay at the pump and at the tollbooth without restraint.

These tolls are just another tax and those who support tax increases should come out and be accountable, not hide behind the ambiguous status of abstention.

Cllr Chris Lenton, Liberal Party, Tuebrook & Stoneycroft Ward

A no-go area

THE toll increase last week was bad enough, but on Saturday you also reported a call for “road charging” in Liverpool.

The people who are pushing this idea referred to all the work that they say has already been done to “ease traffic flows and reduce congestion”.

These toll advocates must come from another planet or time dimension. The inner motorway and other major schemes that would have improved traffic flow were abandoned long ago. Instead, we have had a series of schemes which one can only assume were intended to permanently turn the city into a no go area.

John McGoldrick, Mersey Tunnels Users Association

Absolute disgrace

RE: the tunnel tolls increase. With reference to elected councillors abstaining in an issue that seriously effects electors on both sides of the river, this is an absolute disgrace.

Councillors are elected to serve the wishes of the electorate, they have no right to abstain, even if the only reflect a purely personal point of view they should vote for or against and give their reasons when questioned. I will never vote for the Lib-Dems again, and I hope that many others will follow suit.

Hugo Marchen, via email

Plant life

HAVE you seen the flower boxes outside the entrance of the Wallasey tunnel? What an eyesore. Won't the car fumes kill any plant life? Is that where the proposed extra 10p in toll fees will be going . . . on manure? This stinks – and not of roses.

AJ Welburn, via email

Budget plans

TO PUT into context Cllr Anderson’s interpretation around the budget process, I would make the following points.

The Liberal Democrats have for 10 years brought forward budgets in the city with the priorities of the people at the heart, while removing waste.

Residents in the city have continually supported our stance on a fair level of council tax, with not above inflation rises.

We have without question delivered improved educational attainment of our young people, who are taught in buildings fit for the 21st century, while facilities, like libraries, sports centres and one-stop shops are attractive and modern.

We have a refuse and recycling collection service that is reliable and deliver services to our elderly and vulnerable, to a standard you would expect for your own family.

That is how the Liberal Democrats have engaged in the budget process; a process that is continually undertaken throughout a 12-month period, not four weeks prior to the deadline date.

If Cllr Anderson had offered his expert advice on the budget before Christmas, then maybe we would have welcomed him with open arms; but, as he has never produced a budget under his leadership, I doubt his advice would have been expert.

If Cllr Anderson is really concerned about the budget, then he could speak to his Labour government to find out why they have allowed councils up and down the country to use their own money to fund one-off events, yet the funding of Liverpool’s Culture year is different?

Warren Bradley, Leader of Liverpool City Council

Stand for council

RE: THE comments made in the Liverpool Daily Post by the most eminent solicitor Mr ER Makin.

He says that the Liberal Democrat leader Warren Bradley should step down in favour of Cllr Flo Clucas, or even Paul Clein.

People of Liverpool, I feel, are sure that all the Liberal Democrats should step down, and if Mr Makin is so concerned why doesn’t he stand for the council and run the city himself?

Name and address supplied

Beautiful buildings

MY VOW to act on the Rev John Oldershaw’s wise advice to give up anger for Lent (Thought for the Day, Feb 7) was tested by Michael Durkin’s letter (Daily Post, February 6) in which he told Peter Elson to stop whining.

Mr Durkin clearly understands the need for cost-effective modern business blocks as a result of Western capitalism.

Yet, as he calls this culturally illiterate age, why does he scorn people with good taste like Mr Elson?

Though nostalgia is not practical, Mr Durkin himself sounded hopeful of Capitalism’s collapse, our present tower blocks meeting the fate of the Victorian slums as we move towards a western world recession.

Who knows what will follow?

At best, small, more attractive business buildings.

The Prince of Wales could be right. Only last week, one of his former aides said the Prince was ahead of his time.

So, although we have to live with ugly blocks at present, let us idealistically hope for more beautiful architecture as well as the preservation of that which remains.

J Exley, Aigburth

An inpsiration

I ENJOYED reading Emma Pinch’s article about Rhydian (Daily Post Box Office, February 8) but I thought I would just respond to a few comments she made about X Factor winner, Leon Jackson.

Leon has many more fan sites than just the two you mentioned. On the official X Factor website, Leon has 10,796 myspace members whereas Rhydian has 4,876 members.

On Leon’s www.bebo.com/vote4leon website he has 14,956 members, where fans add comments every day.

Leon’s father left home when Leon was two years old and his mother brought him up to be a decent, hard-working person.

If he wanted a sob story to end all sob stories, he could have mentioned that his 39-year-old father died of pneumonia a couple of years ago –he never did.

Leon is an inspiration to young people and I hope one of your journalists can write a positive article about him, like you did for Rhydian, before the X Factor tour comes to Liverpool.

Maria Cowgill, Preston

Ruined by transport

THERE have already been a string of fantastic events on in Liverpool, in the run-up to the Capital of Culture year, and I am looking forward to many more throughout the year.

But this weekend showed me how they can be sabotaged by local transport.

It was a beautiful day on Sunday and we decided to take the grandchildren to see the Chinese New Year celebrations.

On Sundays, rail travel – as most people who use it regularly will know – is decimated by engineering works. But Merseyrail put on just one single-decker bus to replace three carriages at peak Sunday travelling time.

Passengers had waited up to half an hour for the bus, and then found there was no room to get on. And this is what we pay full-price tickets for. It spoiled what promised to be a lovely day out.

Marie Jones, Freshfield

Post office appeal

IT IS right that an appeal should be launched, as stated in your paper on Saturday, to reverse the action proposed to close a number of Post Offices in parts of the North West.

Two Post Offices affected are in Wirral – at Spital and in Heswall.

The European directive forcing our government to review its subsidy to state agencies has been a principal lever in this axing of businesses serving local communities.

I would expect our North West representatives to the European Parliament to protest strongly against the action taken; after all, in 2009, they will be seeking our votes in the European Elections.

Allan Guy, Thornton Hough

Excellent work

AFTER the recent bout of deserved criticism levelled toward both nat- ional and local politicians, I would like to highlight the excellent work being carried out by Cllr Rose Bailey in my neighbourhood.

Whether inviting the Home Secretary to personally visit the area or helping to sort out the mess left by (another) bout of severe recent roadworks, she really is a first-class public servant who we are lucky to have in Croxteth.

Perhaps if, on a national level, Hain, Conway et al, and Bradley on a local level, used Cllr Bailey as an example, this country would be in a healthier state.

G Pinnington, Croxteth Park

Cancer rates

RE: YOUR front-page story on the rising skin cancer rate.

Why, in this day and age, when everyone is aware of the danger, do people continue to use sunbeds?

Fake tans have improved considerably in recent years and you no longer need to look orange when you use them. Maybe more people should try them.

A Wilson, Childwall