Sir, I was glad to read Margaret Fraser’s letter (February 26), re the closing of the Marchbanks recycling depot, ostensibly to make savings.
She is absolutely right to claim that fly-tipping will increase (costly to remove) and the recycling and re-use rates will fall as people will not trail across the city as is claimed in the council’s report.
Falling recycling rates equals rising fines.
The financial savings claimed are dubious especially as recently installed expensive kit has to be removed and sold at a loss and relocation isn’t free.
There may be other agendas but they are not disclosed. There was no consultation about this, no chance to put alternatives on the table.
A very well conceived plan to run Marchbanks in a more commercial way but on a charitable basis, with much greater emphasis on re-use and shop onsite for example, was proposed during my tenure in charge of Tayside Recyclers.
Transport management has been very inefficient and most people using Marchbanks will have seen the scandalous disposal of perfectly good re-usable or repairable items.
The plan would have earned income for the council and not cost it a penny!
This was ignored by the previous administration and currently there seems to be a prevailing lack of vision and ambition regarding the role the community can play in obviating the cuts.
Doug McLaren. 2 Crail Place, Dundee.
Is he living in same country?
Sir, Reading the statement of Scottish Labour MP and millionaire’s son, Anas Sarwar, left me wondering if he lives in the same country as me. What he does not, or will not, see is the growing feeling of confidence in Scots who want to decide where their money is spent.
The Labour party had too much power for far too long in Scotland. Anas Sarwar sees the Scottish Labour vote vanishing like snow off a dyke so is panicked into making ludicrous statements in defence of Labour party policy formulated by Hampstead Heath boys who hijacked the Labour party.
So what Mr Sarwar is actually saying is vote “no” come the referendum and we will get no free personnel care for our old mum and dad, no free tuition fees for our sons and daughters, no free prescription charges, no free eye tests and no free bus passes for the over-60s. Make no mistake, that will be the result.
Mr Sarwar’s comment on the fact that some members of his constituency will not live long enough to enjoy free health care is an absolute own goal. Scottish constituencies that voted for the Labour Party for 50 years and have the lowest life expectancy in the country never counted their ballot papers but weighed them!
But time’s up for Labour in Scotland. Voting “yes” in the Scottish Referendum is voting for decency, a welfare state, no illegal wars and no ballistic missiles on the Clyde.
Robert Alexander. Bothy Starforth, Carnoustie.
The real tax culprits
Sir, The idea, currently promoted, of “naming and shaming” those who avoid tax is clearly absurd. Tax avoidance, (not to be confused with tax evasion), is perfectly legal and every self-respecting accountant has a duty to his clients to ensure they pay the minimum amount of tax possible, within the framework of the law.
Those who should be “in the dock” for tax avoidance, and thoroughly ashamed, are those who failed to close all the known tax loopholes, namely: Messrs Brown, Darling, Osbourne and their predecessors, all of whom avoided radical tax change and fiddled with tax regulation, allowing perfectly legal tax fiddling to continue unchecked.
Joseph G Miller. 44 Gardeners Street, Dunfermline.
A chance to help people
Sir, I work for Macmillan Cancer Support in Tayside and am setting up a Dundee fundraising group for the charity. I am writing to ask whether any of your readers would like to join this group and help to give the two million people living with cancer the medical, practical, emotional and financial support they need.
More than 5,200 people in Dundee are currently living with cancer and another 800 will receive a cancer diagnosis this year, making the need for Macmillan’s specialist professionals, information and expert care ever more crucial.
Not only will every penny raised by the Dundee group help those living with cancer, this is also a great opportunity for readers to use their creativity and organisational skills, learn new skills, meet other like-minded and inspiring local people, have some fun and to be the face of Macmillan in Dundee.
The time commitment is flexible and the events organised could be anything from a supermarket collection to a 70s night, a quiz, a bridge night, or even a masked ball!
If any readers are interested in helping with our fundraising or would like to find out more about Macmillan, they can contact me on 07793 579372 or email sgeddes@macmillan.org.uk
Shirlie Geddes. Tayside FundraisingManager, Macmillan Cancer Support.