Today our correspondents discuss renewable energy, the European Union, high-tech Bingo gizmos and the grandstanding and hypocrisy of US senators.
Time to stop this ‘green’ economic madness Sir,-Your leading article on July 27, seeking efficiency in government expenditures, and the opinion (in your C2 supplement) that public money should no longer be spent on unproven medical treatments are obviously relevant to our nation’s perilous financial position.
However, reports that Fife Council has spent tens of millions of pounds on new street lighting and that billions are to be allocated for wind turbines, partially to solve the energy gap and curtail carbon emissions, do not sound like sensible economics in a broken economy depending on borrowed money.
Rather, these policies reflect an economically crazy devotion to a secular religion of “greenness,” with no regard to value for money or efficacy in power generation.
Before UK industrial production flagged in recent years, our nation accounted for less than two percent of world CO2 production; nowadays, with Asian industry roaring ahead, without strict attempts to curtail carbon output, any such action by us is pitifully meagre and insignificant, despite being ruinously costly.
In the last century, European politicians and militarists threw away many of our most valuable assets in terrible wars, careless, evidently, of what they were doing. Now we are at risk of wasting our financial assets on unproductive, fundamentally futile “green tokenism.” Instead, our political leaders should end their ideological posturing on renewables installations, proven in their present, still inadequately developed, forms to be near-useless.
The money would be more relevantly spent on effective means and new developments in electricity generation to meet our looming power gap.
(Dr) Charles Wardrop.111 Viewlands Road West,Perth.
Daft world of the coalition
Sir,-The Government tells us we cannot afford fully to defend the country. But we can afford to channel wealth to heavily subsidise less then fully effective wind turbines and daily we can pour millions into the European Union in exchange for costly additional bureaucracy and legislation. It’s a daft world under the coalition.
Mike Scott-Hayward.Sawmill House,Kemback Bridge,Fife.
Whizz a bit of a swizz!
Sir,-As a regular patron of my local bingo hall (Gala Glenrothes) I have become rather disillusioned of late by the onset of the computerised version of the game known as the Gala Whizz.
This small electronic device provides the player with up to as many as six books at the one time, thus greatly increasing their chance of winning. It has taken a while but I now realise that the vast majority of ‘calls’ are made by players using these machines. As these players pay more for the privilege of playing these machines you may think that is fair enough.
Where my grievance arises is that Gala Glenrothes only has 150 of these Whizz machines whereupon on a busy night up to 600 patrons can be attending. This therefore leaves a small majority (25%) with a much greater chance of “calling” and this indeed is the case.
On approaching one of the staff to complain about this he informed that Whizz players do indeed get the majority of calls, but if it were not for them paying the extra amount, prize money would have to be reduced. I told him I had no complaints about the standard of prize money prior to these machines being introduced and would gladly go back to that with everyone playing on an even playing field.
I would also be content if Gala Glenrothes had 600 of these machines available thus rendering every player the opportunity to use them or not. So, I hear you say, why don’t you avail yourself of one of these machines?
My answer? Chance would be a fine thing! It would seem you have to be in the hall at least one and a half hours before the main session to obtain one and this, of course, only being if you can afford it!
You see you get to know the faces at the bingo and by and large it is the same people who get themselves in early enough to purchase the Gala Whizz especially on the ‘big money’ nights, thus leaving the rest of us playing with what the member of staff referred to as ‘paper’ with a vastly reduced chance of winning.
Sour grapes, I hear some say. Perhaps, but I for one would just like to see bingo return to what it used to be, an equal chance for all!
Bob Donald,Cupar.
Just looks like grandstanding
Sir,-I agree with several of your recent correspondents that it is right that Kenny MacAskill and Jack Straw have declined to appear before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Mr MacAskill put it very succinctly when he said, “I am answerable to the Parliament of Scotland.”
Having said that, the questions the senators pose are perfectly reasonable in themselves, especially given BP’s record on lobbying (not that the company is at all unusual in that respect).
However, those questions have already been asked, and answered by the Scottish and UK governments. If the senators wish to keep asking them, it suggests they are not actually interested in the answers they get, but only in making sure they are seen to be asking the questions, and publicly expressing their well-rehearsed outrage.
The accusation of “grand-standing” looks more accurate, the longer they keep it up.
(Dr) Richard A’Brook.82 Thomas Street,Carnoustie.
US hypocrisy is breathtaking
Sir,-So John J. Marshall thinks most Scots are embarrassed by the Scottish Government’s handling of the Megrahi affair? If he took the trouble to read the letters pages of all Scotland’s daily papers I think he’d have to concede he’s wrong.
My impression is exactly the opposite most Scots, I believe, are quite relaxed about Mr MacAskill’s decision to free the supposed Lockerbie bomber and are proud of the Government’s decision to politely decline the “offer” to appear before the US Senate inquiry.
Frankly, the arrogance and hypocrisy of the US senators behind this inquiry is breathtaking. Still, Mr Marshall has previous form in this regard. His willingness to denigrate all things Scottish and toady to the Yanks is well documented.
Andrew Walker.31 Step Row,Dundee.
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