Today’s letters to The Courier.
Sir, David Cameron has a wonderful opportunity with the rethink of the EU constitution to fulfil his promise and let the electorate decide in a referendum what to do about Europe. Among many other issues are three outstandingly important ones which he must resolve.
One is the government’s ongoing obsession with renewable energy, particularly wind power. This is a no-no with the majority of Conservatives, if not the country. Cameron must opt for nuclear power as soon as possible, keeping oil, gas and coal-fuelled power stations going meantime until the looming energy crisis is solved.
Next, this government must get to grips with the salaries, bonuses, perks, pensions and golden handshakes of top executives in banking especially state-subsidised banks and industry. Apart from fairness and common sense, Cameron’s troubles with the unions and strikes will not end until he cuts the fat cats down to size.
Once he has shown he means business with the private sector, he must really go to town on the public sector. Our quangos, our civil service and our local councils are grossly overmanned, oversupervised and overpaid. Their numbers, promoted posts, bonuses, perks and inflated salaries must be cut and the whole salary structure reorganised from the top down, so that it can no longer be possible for local council executives to earn more than central government ministers and top civil servants.
If David Cameron does not tackle all these issues satisfactorily and soon he can say goodbye to the support of many rank-and-file Conservatives.
Watch it, Cameron, or UKIP here we come!
George K. McMillan.5 Mount Tabor Avenue,Perth.
The answer to road rage?
Sir, A very recent study found that drivers who listen to classical music on their car radios are less likely to indulge in road rage, tailgating or other unacceptable driving habits.
I can empathise with this as compositions such as Beethoven’s 6th Symphony Pastoral certainly have a calming effect.
However, I’m not so sure if listening to Mars: The Bringer of War from the Planets Suite by Gustav Holst might be a good idea when confronted by inconsiderate drivers who disrupt the flow of traffic on roundabouts by blocking the entrance and exit points.
Robert T. Smith.30 Braeside Terrace,Aberdeen.
There was no ‘over-provision’
Sir, I write in response to an article printed in The Courier last Wednesday, which suggested that on Sunday November 27 the emergency services over-resourced the rescue of a young kayaker at Campsie Linn on the Tay at Stanley.
The sheer volume of water in the Tay, caused by recent heavy rain, was always going to make this a labour-intensive rescue. Careful pre-planning and operational preparedness allowed the incident commanders from both Tayside Fire and Rescue and Tayside Police to mobilise the correct resources and execute an operational rescue plan.
An early decision was taken to request a helicopter, resulting in the young girl being given a swift transfer to Ninewells Hospital to receive the necessary medical treatment.
On many occasions in the last few years the emergency services within Tayside have worked alongside those from the voluntary sector, coming to the aid of injured climbers, kayakers, canyoneers and mountain bikers, particularly in the Highland Perthshire area, and that’s down to the commitment and dedication of the personnel from the various agencies who contribute.
A significant amount of investment, both financial and time, goes into supporting these teams, which are made up from personnel from Tayside Fire and Rescue, Tayside Police Search and Rescue, Scottish Ambulance Service, NHS Tayside and the volunteers from Tayside Mountain Rescue, as well as other agencies who give up their free time on a voluntary basis.
We train together regularly, reporting back through the Tayside Strategic Co-ordinating Group.
On that Sunday the emergency services did not over-resource a rescue on the Tay. The co-ordinated multi-agency approach adopted in Tayside ensured the young visitor from England returned home from her holiday.
Even in these challenging financial times, all those organisations involved, I know, will continue to deliver this excellent service to the people and communities of Tayside. Over-provision?
Keith Dyer.Emergency Planning Officer, Tayside Fire and Rescue.
Law will look an even bigger ass
Sir,Lest the term ”same-sex marriage” should achieve formal recognition by default, perhaps we should pause.
”Marriage” has always signified the complementarity of opposites, whether in human relations or in engineering component terminology. (Try asking a plumber to join two male, or two female, fittings!).
Language may evolve but in doing so can it ignore an inherent contradiction?
If the law is to attempt to create an obvious oxymoron it may enhance its reputation for being an ass.
Do our legislators endorse the Humpty Dumpty Principle?
It was he who said: ”When I use a word it means just what I choose it to mean, neither more nor less”, and we all know what happened to him.
Geoff Miller.Glebe Cottage,Newtyle.
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.