Sir, In his defence of Fife Council’s decision to follow the expensive route for care provision, Gavin Yates tells us that it’s “right for service users and for the council”. It is right for service users, but so was the alternative, which would have seen all service-users with the service that 76% enjoy already. If it’s not good enough for the majority then it’s not good enough full stop and Councillor Yates should be shouting that from the rooftops.
“Right for the council.” What does that mean? The council exists to provide services to the public. It should be looking for the best value for the public’s money, subject to maintaining standards. It isn’t.
Mr Yates forgets those for whom this decision is wrong. It’s wrong for the next new users who require this service from a council whose social work budget is failing, thanks in no small part to decisions like this.
Will they be subjected to subtle delays in provision because that budget isn’t spent in the best way? No doubt money will be found at some stage to plug the gap but that will just move the problem somewhere else. Probablyinto a another hole in Fife’s crumbling roads.
Much is made of the need for the council to be the provider of last resort. It can only do that if it has spare capacity.
Perhaps Mr Yates could tell us if the council has staff who are underemployed while it buys in a similar service from outside? If not, the route of last resort would be through the external, not-for-profit sector and this decision will have no effect on that.
The big mystery in all thisis “why?”. Why spend the public’s money sub-optimally? Why do that after spending more of that public money on a report to tell you it’s sub-optimal?
The Fife Conservatives aren’t fixated with who provides the service. If the council can match the costs of other sources then it should be the provider but there’s no sign that it can. Mr Yates accusesus of playing party politics. Perhaps he should look in a mirror.
Cllr Dave Dempsey. Leader, Fife Council Conservatives, 7 Carlingnose Park, North Queensferry.
Anti-Semitic propaganda
Sir, If ever there was aprecise categorical example of the aphorism “The road to hell is paved with good intentions” it is surely in the injured righteousness of all the goodpeople who have rushed to criticise Israel for theinnocents, particularlychildren, injured and killed in the ongoing Gaza conflict.
We have seen images of Israeli tanks shelling civilian buildings, bomb blasts from aircraft in populated areas, pictures of civilian wounded yet, oddly, not a picture of a Palestinian firing even a handgun, no pictures of the rocket launchers or their locations, in schools and mosques and UN buildings and nothing onchildren suicide bombers.
Since Hamas reports all its casualties are civilians (and are believed by the UN and apparently most of the media) we know the Israeli Defence Force is fighting against only woman and children. Such defenceless innocents must be a formidable lot, having killed around 70 Israeli soldiers so far.
Our media correspondents seem to toe the lines set by Hamas and are politically blind to events that are not anti-Israel, while locally and internationally we are in the grip of the most vicious anti-Semitic propaganda since Goebbels and the Nazis started the countdown to the holocaust.
Andrew Lawson. 9 MacLaren Gardens, Dundee.
Flagpole diplomacy
Sir, It could be argued that flying the Palestinian flag over public buildings effectively draws attention to the wretched plight of Palestinians. Living under the heel of Hamas they are consequently suffering the collateral misery imposed on them through the conflict as Israel retaliates against the barrage of more than 2,000 missiles, fired by Hamas and aimed at Israeli citizens.
It could also remind us of the equally dire situation that other minority groups in the Middle East such as Kurds, Yazidis and Christians, currently under the threat of genocide, find themselves in and it may make us aware of the murderous intentions of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hamas and ISIS (Islamic State) towards Jews and moderate, decent Muslims who for centuries have lived peaceably alongside each other.
It comes as no surprise that Hamas, ISIS and the Muslim Brotherhood have less than full support from the Arab league and nations throughout the world. Who in their right mind would be seen condoning the obscene and vile acts of inhumanity which they are prepared to perpetuate even upon their own people and their intention to threaten the stability of the world?
If our public buildings displayed the flags of the other groups caught up in this cauldron of evil there is the possibility it could indicate our support for their plight and signal our intention to offer them the hand of humanity.
However, the flying of flags can convey ambiguous and complex signals, the interpretation of which lies largely in the eyes of the beholder. Perhaps our local authorities should stay clear of flagpole diplomacy.
Diplomacy, it has been said, is the art of knowing what not to say. Could it also be the art knowing what flag not to fly?
Iain G Richmond. Guildy House, Monikie.
The pupils will suffer
Sir, I am a former teacher and taught at Forfar Academy for some 15 years and wonder if Ms Pauline Stephen, Head of Schools and Learning at Angus Council has taken leave of her senses in depriving staff and pupils in Angus Schools of the end-of-term pleasure of noon closing at Christmas and summer holiday periods.
The 3pm closure time will achieve absolutely nothing in terms of pupils’ education and reflects a “gain” of approx 1.5 hours considering the lunch break.
Ms Stephen is completely out of touch with what is happening in schools. The days of pupils entering a classroom, and the teacher delivering a lesson to an attentive audience have long since gone in most cases and it is a tribute to today’s teachers that they manage through persuasion and the skill of their profession, to engage with pupils and motivate them to achieve a good education to the best of their ability.
Much of this effort takes place by providing extra assistance for individuals outwith normal classroom periods, and taking part in the organisation of extra-curricular activities for which teachers receive no reward, neither in time nor remuneration. Against increasing workload teachers demonstrate much goodwill for the sake of their charges.
It is therefore disappointing that Ms Stephen in return gives no recognition of teachers’ efforts and indeed engages in petty sniping, particularly re the season of goodwill. Throughout the workplace employees enjoy a little festive cheer in “company time” in recognition of their contribution throughout the year why should teachers be denied?
It is the pupils who will suffer in the long run as teachers will be less willing to give up time to run extra-curricular activities and assist those having difficulty at school, if Angus Council treats the profession with the contempt displayed by Ms Stephen.
Ronald Oliver. 4 Lethnot Street, Broughty Ferry, Dundee.
Bad move by Angus Council
Sir, With regard to Jamie Buchan’s letter on the move by Angus Council, I worked in Fife Council’s Education department for 36 years, many of them as a teacher, and I agree with him that Angus Council’s decision about end-of-term holidays is completely ill-founded. I would not presume to call the councillors ignorant, but they are at least ill-educated.
Kenn McLeod. 70 Ralston Drive, Kirkcaldy.
We should be downsizing
Sir, I refer to your article, Humans exhausting Earth’s bounty (August 20). Surely it is time that anthropologists and geneticists worked out the means to breed/evolve smaller humans who would require far less foodstuff.
Humans of around half a metre in height and some 18Kgs weight should resolve the problem, for a while, of Earth’s diminishing resources.
Apart from consuming less food, smaller humans would require far less space to live in and just imagine commuting to work in small pedal-powered cars!
Kenneth Miln. 22 Fothringham Drive, Monifieth.
Will it go south too?
Sir, We have heard much from the No Campaign about the volatile oil price and the prospect of rapidly dwindling supplies.
If it is such a negligible resource, why not give the revenues to Scotland, along with crystal clear details of the promised extra powers?
From the point of view of the rUK, a seriously dwindling resource is water with many areas suffering an annual hose pipe ban.
There is more water in Loch Ness than in the whole of England and London tap water has been filtered through at least 11 people before it reaches a glass!
In the not too distant future, there is every prospect of another pipeline carrying another Scottish resource south, for free!
Whilst I’d be the last person to wish our friends down south to die of thirst, could the No Campaign please dry up about Scotland benefiting from the altogether intangible UK Dividend.
Joseph G Miller. 44 Gardeners Street, Dunfermline.
They won’t sway anyone…
Sir, I recently read your double-page article entitled Celebrities unite to ask Scotland to stay in UK. I have always known your newspaper favoured a “no” vote, but this was as one-sided as you are likely to get. But, like myself, you are entitled to your opinion.
I do not take political advice from so-called “celebrities” (some of whom I have never even heard of). I do not believe that anyone who is still undecided on which way to vote will take seriously the opinions of a bunch of people most of whom have no connection with, or interest in, Scotland and never will have.
T Tolland. East Park Cottage, Braidestone, Meigle.
An unedifying spectacle
Sir, Monday night’s debate between Alex Salmond and Alistair Darling was supposed to help the “dinna ken” voters to make up their minds about independence. After the unedifying spectacle of two, supposedly well-educated, grown men shouting down each other like a couple of fishwives on a street corner the “dinna kens” are more likely to become the “winna bothers”.
Robert T Smith. 30 Braeside Terrace, Aberdeen.
Time to take a harder stance
Sir, Re recent discussions regarding the increasing numbers of drug addicts in the town. I think it is time the authorities took a hardline stance and forced them to have treatment whether they like it or not.
A dedicated closed unit for treatment and rehabilitation would surely be a better alternative to prison or so-called treatments such as methadone and in the long term much more productive and cheaper considering the cost of methadone to the public purse with no real results.
It has been said in certain quarters that we should be more tolerant but I disagree. The reason we see so many addicts and alcoholics roaming around the town begging shouting, shoplifting etc is because we are too tolerant and put up with the excuses and sob stories trotted out by users, dealers and people with a vested interest in dealing with the consequences of addiction.
I may sound extreme in my views but many people agree with me, and as someone with more than 20 years’ experience working with addicts and offenders of all description and seeing things getting worse instead of better, I think it’s time for a new hardline approach.
What most apologists for these people seem to ignore is that drugs are illegal and not freely available. They have to be sought out with the help of peers and it is a conscious decision by the user to get involved. Why should our towns and citizens be subjected to the fallout from this disgusting, destructive pastime?
D Stevens. Balgay Road, Dundee.
It doesn’t bear thinking about
Sir, Given the shocking news about the execution by Islamic terrorists of a hostage journalist, our country may have to think back to the situation in Northern Ireland during the 1970s and subsequent decades.
An assessed hardcore group of some 400 republican activists tied down more than 20,000 troops, 10,000 police and large numbers of reservists. In a relatively small area.
It does not bear thinking about if 400 Islamic terrorists, successfully returned to the UK, were to become “active”. The social consequences of the security situation in Northern Ireland during these decades were most unpleasant for the population at large. I hope lessons were learned.
A T Geddie. 68 Carleton Avenue, Glenrothes.