Today’s letters to The Courier.
Sir, Is there any chance that the season of goodwill might break out between Labour and the SNP at Fife House?
Councillors Morrison and Rowley must be seriously under-employed if they want to go on and on about how the decision on the name of the Glenrothes Sports Centre was made (Courier, November 24).
Councillor Morrison might be upset at the things said to her at one committee meeting, but surely she knows by now that not all elected representatives are skilled in the art of diplomacy.
Political argument is not always conducted by people who have been on an assertiveness training course. She should grow up and get on with the job she was elected to do.
Councillor Rowley must know that the voters have more important concerns than this. But just in case he has forgotten let me remind him of some: fuel bills, youth unemployment, rising levels of debt, town centres vitally in need of regeneration, more investment in housing, getting crime and litter levels down, Fife’s future and Scotland’s future.
The naming of a new sports complex, and even the method of making the decision, pales into insignificance beside these matters. Those senior Labour councillors should get a grip and start talking about the things that matter.
Bob Taylor.24 Shiel Court,Glenrothes.
He has a duty to gather the facts
Sir, I note Councillor Macpherson’s response to my letter regarding the proposed cut to the speed limit on Riverside. While I’m sure his postbag may be bursting with calls to reduce the limit, I’d have thought his position would have required him to investigate all implications.
There are European Road Safety Observatory studies which show a pedestrian/car accident at 40mph has an 85% risk of death. Is this really the safe speed he is advocating ?
Will this really reduce the number of accidents and, if so, by how many? If accidents increase following the reduction, as has been seen elsewhere, would he be prepared to champion an increase back to 50mph?
Other studies show a 10mph reduction will increase the vehicle emissions considerably, depending on road conditions. Does he care about the planet?
He represents the people of his ward but also has a duty to gather the facts.
D. Beveridge.Warwick Close,Leuchars.
Lower speed crash preferred
Sir, Mr Beveridge in Leuchars thinks that ”10mph isn’t going to make much difference” on Riverside Drive.
My Higher Physics is still in my head after all these years and an increase in speed from 40mph to 50mph is a 56.25% increase in kinetic energy as this rises in a linear fashion with the square of velocity.
If I’m going to have a crash, I think I would rather have it at 40mph (or preferably lower), than 50mph.
(Dr) Roderick Pattison.3 Dawson’s Court,Balado, Kinross.
Not ”all in this together”
Sir, There is a belief prevalent among many who have criticised the day of action by public sector workers that the pensions these workers are entitled to is funded by the taxes of private sector workers. This is not true.
Public sector workers pay income tax and national insurance at exactly the same rates as the private sector, however, they also have to pay a further tax on their income in the guise of ”superannuation” contributions.
These are not true contributions as they do not go to a pension fund for investment as in private sector schemes. Instead, they go straight to the Treasury as revenue.
Currently, the NHS pension scheme alone generates over £2 billion for the Treasury each year after all retired employees have received their payments. Calling such a money spinner unaffordable is nonsense.
If the UK Government proposals go through, dependent on the particular pension scheme, public sector workers will effectively be paying 6-14p in the pound more tax on their income than private sector workers, while continuing to see their pay frozen.
This at a time when the government are being urged to cut income tax for the wealthy and have effectively written off over £100 billion of taxes due from major corporations.
Clearly we are not ”all in this together”.
Stuart Allan.8 Nelson Street,Dundee.
Problem does need to be fixed
Sir, The Courier has recently carried several items about the radiation risk on Dalgety Bay beach. Some dismiss it, quoting the safe use in the past of luminous watches, clocks etc.
Radium releases alpha particles, which are stopped by sheets of paper, clothing and the like. This is why there’s no risk to anyone away from the beach and, in a sense, very little risk to anyone on it.
However, in less enlightened times workers at factories making luminous dial clocks used to amuse themselves by painting their teeth and watching them glow in the dark.
There was a TV documentary some years ago that showed the dreadful effects on the health of some of those involved.
So you’d be very unlucky to come to harm but the harm for the very unlucky ones would be severe.
This problem has been around long enough. It needs fixed and fixed soon.
(Cllr) Dave Dempsey.Inverkeithing & Dalgety Bay Ward.
Get involved: to have your say on these or any other topics, email your letter to letters@thecourier.co.uk or send to Letters Editor, The Courier, 80 Kingsway East, Dundee DD4 8SL.