Sir, I refer to your recent excellent articles regarding the proposed reduction in bin collection services in Fife.
Sadly, I am one of those who, it would appear, areputting the workers who I help pay for via my council tax at risk of all sorts of danger, including “whole-body vibration”.
Much as I would hate to risk the health of council employees and the enormous compensation bills thecouncil may have to foot, I should point out that ifpotholes have this effect on them, it is fair to say the appalling state of the roads in many parts of Fife which up until now we thought only damaged our cars is likely to be causing “whole-body vibration” to us drivers and will create a significant number of claims against the council because it has allowed this to happen to us on a daily basis.
I am joking and would no more expect anyone to take this statement seriously than I would expect them to believe the ludicrous claims being made by Fife Council regarding the dangers lurking in every nook and cranny when they are doing what we expect them to do: collect our rubbish.
If this had been a serious risk surely they would not have delayed it from 2011 until now (to allow a new shift system to be introduced for refuse collectors)?
Surely this delay would constitute a severe neglect of their responsibilities with regard to the health of their employees?
Let us not pretend there is any reason other than financial for this proposed cut in the already very spartan services that many of us who dare to live up a country lane recieve. We are paying the wage bills and what is being proposed is totally unacceptable.
Don Henderson. South Colzie Cottage, Auchtermuchty.
Plant should be berthed elsewhere
Sir, I agree with Anya Lawrence on cruise ship passengers not being fazed by berthing in an industrial area (Saturday’s Letters). I disagree about siting a biomass plant at Dundee docks or any other industrial installation that is out of place so close to the city.
Yes, Dundee needs jobs and it would be great to see the docks area revived. However, the close proximity of the docks to major residential areas cannot be ignored but must be considered carefully when making decisions on which industry to attract to the area.
I note that Ms Lawrence lives in Broughty Ferry, conveniently far away from Dundee docks and unlikely to suffer any ill-effects a noisy and polluting docks-based industry would bring to the locals. Approving of industrial development on an industrial site that is not in your back yard smacks of inversenimbyism to me.
Joachim Neff. Craigie Drive, Dundee.
Mr Salmond’s dogma cake
Sir, When Alex Salmond bleats that “no one has the right to take away the pound from us if we decide to go independent”, it is clear he is redefining the meaning of words like “independence” as he goes along.
To compare Scotland with the Isle of Man and Ulster in their capacity to issue their own banknotes is a pathetic, last-ditch argument. The Isle of Man is an eccentric fragment of the British Isles with no more influence on the conduct of UK affairs than has Inchcolm in the Firth of
Forth, while Ulster, for all its internal ructions, is as British as you get.
In essence, what MrSalmond and his zealots hunger for is a racist divorce from that union which, over three centuries, has seen our diminutive nation participate fully with our English and Welsh kin in the great achievements of the United Kingdom.
Only fools and those blinded by dogma can believe with Mr Salmond that they can have their cake and eat it.
Alastair Harper. House of Gask, Lathalmond, by Dunfermline.
What does No actually mean?
Sir, Mr Scott and Ms Lacaille (Letters, May 1) both attack the SNP on their plans for independence. Both are obviously up to speed with the scare stories emanating from the “No” camp; the most recent being that sales of Scottish whisky would suffer unless backed by Britain.
The longer this campaign goes on, the more ludicrous and less believable the claims by the Better Together group are. The SNP have answered, in detail, all the points raised.
The unionist group may disagree with their opinions but since David Cameron and Co. insist on hiding behind the catch-all phrase “ no pre-negotiation”, nothing definite can be decided until after the referendum.
The unionist camp needs to come clean on what a No vote would mean for Scots. If the previous decades of disorganised decline is the standard they judge themselves by, the status quo is a frightening prospect indeed.
Westminster has recently knocked back additionalpowers for both Northern Ireland and Wales and even Johan Lamont is unable toget agreement on thesmallest tax concessions from her Westminster colleagues.
A huge majority of Scots have let it be known they wish to have control over all our resources. If Westminster continues to refuse this within the present system, they risk Scots taking the very decision they are campaigning against.
Ken Clark, 335 King Street, Broughty Ferry.
Blessed are the midwives
Sir, I refer to Alan Hinnrichs’ letter of April 29. He says it is possible to get away with the most outrageous breaches of truth and morality if you dress it up in the language of scripture.
He does not say what truth was breached by the midwives who did not wish to participate in abortions. He refers to the writings of Bronze Age Palestinian goat herders. I wonder why he despises these literate stockmen?
It would seem that David, the writer of most of the Psalms, learned a lot while looking after the sheep.
The first five books of The Bible were written by Moses, who was raised in pharoah’s palace. He heard God speak to him from the burning bush while he was a shepherd in the desert. He went on to lead the nation of Israel for 40 years in the wilderness and gave them the law enshrined in the 10 Commandments.
In the New Testament we learn that the shepherds were told by the angels of Christ’s birth and went to Bethlehem to worship Him.
If we look at the nation of Israel today the descendants of the goat herders have done rather well in the fields of science and technology, medicine, agriculture, research, engineering and finance.
Incidentally, Moses records that the midwives who refused to kill the baby boys at pharoah’s command were blessedby God.
Paul Read. Clevitch, Wester Lumbennie, Newburgh.
Give a qualified response
Sir, I wonder how many good Scots, especially those of the separatist tendency, know the qualifications for standing for the Scottish Parliament, other than being at least 18-years-old.
One must consider, in looking at the qualifications, how on Earth, or, rather, how in the EU, the SNP expect Scotland to be “independent” and “self-governing” should they achieve their aims.
For clarity, the qualifications are being a British subject or a citizen of the Commonwealth or, and here is the twist, a citizen of a member state of the EU.
Bit like modern football, really.
Mike Scott-Hayward. Chairman, UKIPScotland, Sawmill House, Kemback, Bridge, Fife.
The politics of the pavement
Sir, I moved to Arbroath five years ago and I am now able to tell you somethingabout the people of Arbroath that I have not encountered in other places I have lived or visited.
When I walk alone down the street in Arbroath and two or more people are coming towards me, the personwalking in my path does not move out of the way until the last possible moment. So, I have to slow down or bumpinto them. Frequently, there is physical contact as they fail to move completely out of the way.
Are Arbroath people so mean-spirited that they cannot even make way for a lone pedestrian?
Eric Clyne. 9 Prosen Drive, Arbroath.
We must trade in languages
Sir, Reader John Devlin (Saturday’s Letters) says Gaelic can be learned alongside French and Spanish. I don’t know about Gaelic but I would certainly substitute the other two. Urdu and Mandarin are the languages that should be taught to our people, as these are the mother tongues of most of the shopkeepers we come intocontact with on a daily basis.
George Aimer. 82 Kinghorne Road, Dundee.
A limited view on turbines
Sir, Once again hysteria is breaking out concerning a few wind turbines in East Fife, especially the latest one at South Baldutho. The spokesperson for Scale claims this turbine somehow dominates the East Neuk skyline. Where? It cannot be seen from any East Neuk village unless you use a telescope.
The not-in-my-back-garden-lobby want electricity at the touch of a button but forget it has to be generated in the first place.
Scotland is soon to lose nearly 20% of its generating capacity through the closure of old power stations and new green energy sources have to replace them. Or does Scale and its supporters want to live without electricity?
Christine Gull. Invirie Street, St Monans.