Letters to the Editor - 8th July 2008

Jul 8 2008 Liverpool Daily Post

Drop VAT to end cash crisis

TODAY the nation is on the brink of the worst financial crisis since the 1930s. Food prices are rocketing, petrol, gas and electricity prices are rising at record levels, and mortgage payments are increasing as the value of homes plummets.

The Government seems to have no idea how to solve this financial mess. Each day, its debts increase as government expenditure exceeds income.

Drastic times call for drastic measures, but there is a way Alistair Darling can get the nation out of bankruptcy. The Government should abolish VAT on petrol, gas and electricity, which will save millions of hard-working families thousands of pounds each year.

To offset this drop in income, the Government would have to cut back its expenditure. They could do this by looking at job advisors. Every day the Government wastes millions of pounds on these job advisors because every day they interview thousands of job seekers and every day unemployment rises.

The problem is that these people have no incentive to find people jobs, they still get their salary even if they never find anyone a job.

The Government should contract out job advisors’ duties to private enterprise, let them pay their workers a basic salary and then commission for each person they find a job for.

Which would you rather see – VAT abolished on essentials and committed professionals getting people into work and lowering unemployment, or paying VAT on fuel and power to keep thousands of job advisors wasting taxpayers’ money while unemployment rises?

H Dromey, address supplied

Not at war

HOW dare Gordon Brown have the cheek to tell hard-working families in this country that we should not waste food.

Suggesting that we could save up to £8 a week and make our money go further by storing food and making fruit and vegetables last longer feels like a real slap in the face. It is as if he is somehow apportioning blame on rising food prices on us. What a ridiculous idea.

There is talk that Mr Brown wants us to become thrifty again. Why should we? We are not at war. We are not under siege.

Mr Brown and the other world leaders can do plenty to make this current situation better for everyone, they could start by lowering the tax on fuel, then we would all have more money to spend on bread and milk, which I can assure you we never waste in our house.

J Swale, Runcorn

Praise is due

WITH so much negative news like the gun and knife epidemics, we all need to take one or two steps back if only for a little relief.

We should congratulate those that deserve it, for instance. Our fire service, nurses, doctors, and all those people that are doing quiet service to fellow creatures, knowingly and with absolute surety they will never be recognised for their life’s work.

I feel compelled to congratulate all the staff that originated and developed and succeeded in The Walker art gallery’s brilliant Age of Steam exhibition.

If, like myself, you are not “arty” or if your kids need something to do, or if you have a spare couple of hours, then just visit this venue and prepare to be humbled.

My knees nearly collapsed when I viewed the Monet. These works of art are here in our city.

The thinkers that brought this collection of beautiful art together need knighting, kissing and putting in charge of our council.

If you miss this display, you will regret it forever.

Michael O’Keefe, Anfield

Show us the plans

WHY on earth change the seafront at West Kirby? When all that is needed is to demolish the so-called tatty 60s shed and build a new sailing school (if I am not mistaken, the 60s shed was removed in the late 70s).

Does West Kirby need a boutique hotel? West Kirby is a seaside town, where day trippers come from Liverpool on the train with all their paraphernalia for a day out at the beach.

I used to take my boys to the beach and we had an enjoyable day, now I take my grandchildren. All that was ever needed was somewhere to get ice cream, drinks and some toilets and, of course, the putting green.

I don’t think that people have changed all that much? West Kirby inhabitants have always greeted the influx of day trippers, and I don’t think that your letter writer Alan Churchman (Daily Post, July 4) is in a position to call the locals “ultra-nimby”, when all they are asking is that they have the plans put in front of them so that they can make a decision.

Frances Edwards, Thingwall

Wet and wonderful

I WAS one of the thousands of women getting a good old soaking on Sunday for the Field of Women event, and I would just like to say what a wonderful day it was.

Despite the often torrential rain, it was fantastic to be part of this fabulous event.

It was lovely to see so many people braving the great British summer and getting into the spirit of it all. Many people had brought their children and picnics, and had got all dressed up in pink, and everyone seemed to be really having fun in aid of a very deserving cause.

Aside from all the fun, there was also a fantastic feeling of camaraderie among the women – and men – present, a feeling that we were doing something really worthwhile and important.

There is already talk of another Field of Women event next year (I will definitely be attending) and of making it twice as big, which I am sure will not be a problem. It would only take every person there yesterday to bring a friend or two next year, and they would achieve that aim.

Congratulations to Tom Southern, Gary Millar, Maxine Shisselle and everyone else who helped to make the day a success.

J Quigley, Wigan

Leave her alone

SO IT looks like Britain could have a great new hope for tennis. I am speaking, of course, about young Laura Robson, who took the girls’ singles title. However, knowing this country, we will probably hype up the poor girl and pour that much pressure on her, she will either run for the hills or crack completely.

We have a great track record for ruining our heroes in this country. The media are largely to blame. Instead of just letting people get on with their jobs, we push them and prod them and pry into their lives until they can no longer concentrate on the task in hand.

We almost did it to Lewis Hamilton, but he seems now to be back on form. Let Laura blossom in peace, and we could really have something to celebrate in a few years.

S Thomas, via email

Get tough

WHAT is happening to this country?

Yet another teenager has been stabbed to death in London, this time in broad daylight in a busy residential area.

A complete crackdown is needed on gangs and weapon possession before children start to believe a knife is no longer sufficient to protect themselves and they turn to guns.

There is no legitimate reason why anyone should be carrying a knife, unless they intend to harm another person.

It is time for zero tolerance to mean exactly that. Anyone found carrying a weapon should be arrested and dealt with immediately with tougher sentences.

C Jones, Heswall

What legacy?

I WONDER if the praise, much of it self-congratulation, for Liverpool’s year as the European Capital of Culture will ever end?

What has really been achieved in this year that wouldn’t have happened any way?

I watched Alexei Sayle’s programmes about it on TV. He was in a humble mood, perhaps trying to make up for his criticisms of Liverpool in the past.

But in the end the only thing he seemed able to find was the shops in the new Metquarter.

I do hope that is not to be the only legacy from this year.

Perhaps we would have been better to accept Will Alsop’s Cloud on the waterfront after all.

Bill Henderson, Woolton

Unprovable

YOUR correspondent B Jowett “A belief in the miraculous “ (Letters, July 4), assumes both the existence of God and the nature of Jesus Christ, ie, a man born of a virgin woman who lived, died, came alive again and then disappeared into the clouds to become a third of a “Holy Trinity”.

I say that is highly improbable.

As regards the question of existence, we do not yet have the answers to explain all there is, but the difference between an atheist mind and one infected with religious faith is that, given two unprovable theories, the atheist would prefer the one that states, for example, that the universe has always existed rather than it having been created by a divine being, since that begs the question “who created the creator?”.

PR Jones, via email

The boys are back

CAN I Just tell you how much I enjoyed the Duran Duran concert at the Echo Arena on Saturday night. It was my first time at the Arena, and not only were the boys absolutely brilliant (they may be pushing 50, but they are still boys to me) but I was also very impressed with the Arena itself.

All the staff were lovely and very helpful when we had difficulty finding our seats, and we had fantastic views from where we were sat.

I can’t believe it is so long since Duran Duran last played in Liverpool, but, after the welcome they received from the city on Saturday, I bet they will be coming back again soon.

LM, Aintree