Tag: letters

Letter: the ideology of greed

Dear Editor

The Tory Party is known a the rich people’s party; it is motivated by the belief that private ownership of industry, business, energy supplies and land, etc. is the right and only way. Their every policy action is geared to maintaining and extending that control, as the continuing break-up and privatisations of national organisations and social services over the last three years shows.

The very act of privatisation puts the interests of the few above the majority; they believe their money creates all wealth – some honesty about their real intentions would be illuminating. Opponents of the Tories so not hide their intentions: they say and want the wealth produced by the majority to be distributed fairly to the majority, and if it needs national organisations and social welfare in all forms to do it, then that is how it will be done, This is open and honest, the Tories have difficulty in being so by the very nature of investors’ interests having priority over everyone by having the power to close down an industry or business and move their investment, irrespective of the colossal damage to the employees and their families.

It is a very backward, selfish and greedy ideology; how otherwise can it be described?

A. Delahoy

Silverknowes Gardens

 

Letter: A race to disaster?

Dear Editor

Every indicator shows that sources of gas, oil, fresh water and the growing of food needs international cop-operation to secure them for the future; this co-operation is urgently needed now: no one country can solve these problems, particularly the destruction of the world’s forests, widespread flooding and climate change.

Despite all of this, David Cameron continually talks about competing with other nations in an ‘Economic Race’. We know from bitter experience that unrestricted competing ends in fewer people employed, with industries closing in both our and other countries.The ‘economic race’ may benefit investors, but in the long run very little good happens to most people.

Without co-operation, the problems outlined above will become more acute in the next decades. ‘Economic Racing’ will pitch nation against nation with disastrous results for ordinary people.

A. Delahoy
Silverknowes Gardens

Letter: Unite against the Bedroom Tax

Dear Editor

The ‘Bedroom Tax’ is an immoral tax, hitting people who are already on low incomes. The consequences can be devastating for a family, even being forced to move out of their home: to where, and how?

If the impacts of this benefit cut are known to most people, then it is also known to Tory/Lib government. Do they not care, but are quite prepared to break up families and destroy their home life, all this in pursuit of breaking up our hard-won welfare system? If so, what a bunch of bullies and cowards they are!

They also know that local councils are forced by law to implement the Bedroom Tax, the tragedy of which is the potential division between local communities ans their councils – but councils should make every effort to help people affected, and operate a No Eviction policy.

We see in this again the Tory principle of divide the people and rule them being put into practice. This must be resisted by a united pressure from people, their local councillors, their MPs, MSPs and all community organisations. It Can Be Done.

A. Delahoy
Silverknowes Gardens

Letter: Words, words, words

Dear Editor

Words, Words, Words

So many have been written, spoken, thought, agreed with, rejected, ignored.
Far too many for any individual to assess their value, opinion, fact or lies.
Words are an interpretation of events, of life that can be viewed from many angles.
Words can be a guide, this also viewed from many angles.
Words, then, are quite powerful in guiding events and influencing minds.
It follows in whose interest are events guided and minds influenced?

We, as individuals of the human race, have a limited span of time in which to grow up, live and love and create better conditions for the next generations.

Tremendous advances have been made worldwide, yet as you read these ‘words’ there is widespread poverty here in the UK but worse is happening in many countries: thousands of the next generation are dying of hunger and disease – why? Why, when the world has the resources and technology to prevent this happening, but does not or will not so so?

Is it that powerful people are operating a system that cannot so it; if so then the system must be changed. Do the powerful people want to change the system? – the answer is NO. They expend millions of words in support of the existing system; guiding events, influencing minds to ascertain their powerful positions of control.

Are they then evil? Some would say so. Are they indifferent to the results of the system they promote? Most likely, otherwise normal human concern and feelings would conclude this system of capitalism no longer has any place in this world.

A Delahoy, Silverknowes Gardens

Letter – Scapegoats

Dear Editor

The Tory/Lib government slogans of a ‘big society’ and ‘we are all in this together’ are shown as a complete sham by their actions against the many.

They are also past masters at diverting attention from the effects of their actions, for example:

• People on work versus the unemployed on benefit

• People on housing benefit labelled as scroungers and layabouts, ignoring the fact that the landlord receives the benefit!

• People on disability benefit made to undergo a further ‘fit for work’ test, run by a private company.

Creating scapegoats is deliberate policy; they fear a people united against their policies of destroying universal benefits and replacing them with means-tested benefits based on the lowest possible level.

A. Delahoy, Silverknowes Gardens

Letter – Bedrooms,benefits and humbug

Dear Editor

This variation in cutting housing benefit will be inflicted on thousands of people from April this year. In East Lothian alone 788 households will be affected when this ‘bedroom tax’ housing benefit cut of £7.50 to £13.50 a week comes in.

If you are then unable to afford the new rent, the options will be trying to find cheaper, smaller accommodation (where?), taking a lodger or eviction. Can you imagine the devastating effect this will have on people’s lives?

What sort of people are they that thought up this vicious scheme? Are they unaware of the havoc caused? If so, it shows how out of touch they are with reality. If they are aware, then it shows they must be the most hard, callous people, devoid of normal human feelings – yet they appear on television and in newspapers saying how much they care. What humbugs!

A Delahoy, Silverknowes Gardens

Happy birthday, Tony!

tony

It was standing room only at North Edinburgh Arts yesterday when local man – and regular NEN contributor – Tony Delahoy celebrated his ninetieth birthday.

Tony, who is originally from London, was joined by friends, family and community colleagues for an afternoon of live music, food and conversation at the Arts Centre. The star of the show remains in good health and has promised to keep those letters coming in for years to come! Speaking of which ….

Dear Editor

According to the Tory/Lib government, because I am now old I am a drain on the economy – a burden on the nation.

Their solution to ease that burden is to restrict what I can buy, by allowing drastic price rises of most items needed, particularly gas and electricity. This continuous lowering of the quality of life will lead to an earlier death for many.

It would seem whatever hardship is imposed, little is being done or can be done; this is wrong thinking – by adding my voice to yours and yours and yours we can, together, change things. Of all people, the elderly know this is a basic truth – it is only through a collective voice that any progress will be made.

This collective voice can be expressed in many ways: through pensioners organisations, forums, trade unions to councillors, MPs and MSPs, demonstrating on issues of concern –  even calling for a boycott of stores that are pushing up prices too steeply. There are so many ways of protesting.

As the numbers of elderly people are growing, so is the power of their vote – and it is essential we use it. All politicians, councillors and officials must be made aware they cannot ignore or sideline our serious concerns.

Tony Delahoy, Silverknowes Gardens

Happy birthday, Tony!

letter

Letter: Divide and Rule

Dear Editor

The Tory/Lib government are trying to make scapegoats of people on benefits. They are playing one section of people against others, for example:

  • people on housing benefit getting large sums of money, but neglect to say it is the landlords who get the money via the tenants
  • people on disability benefits being classed as layabouts, being forced to undergo a work capability assessment test by a private organisation
  • people on Working Tax Credit, benefit being cut
  • Job Seekers Allowance, benefit being cut.

People on these and other benefits have been slandered and labelled undeserving, and – if these benefits were cut – all would be well.

This divisive campaign by the Tory/Lib government did initially fool some people into supporting benefits cuts, but now the real target can be seen: it is everyone’s income, wages as well as benefits.

The following quote may sound very familiar: a group of unemployed men wrote to the Poor Law Commission in January 1835, asking for help. The Commission responded as follows:

‘the amount of relief, you must be aware, ought not to be as to render the situation of the pauper equal to that of a person living by independent industry: a practice of making allowance for idleness equal or nearly equal to the wages of industry must tend to make pauperism preferable to independence’.

Tony Delahoy, Silverknowes Gardens

 

Letters: paying the price

Dear Editor

Every week people when shopping find prices are rising quite sharply; there is no hiding this fact.

Government spokespersons express surprise at the inflation rate of nearly 3%, which is based on a lower calculation anyway. Perhaps the world in which they live a rise of 10p or 20p on an item means nothing.

More and more people search for cheaper ‘own brand’ items when shopping – sometimes it works, other times the size or weight has been reduced so the price rise is hidden.

If th Government can put a freeze on wage increases or restrict them to 1% or 2%, then they can restrict price rises to the same level; this can be done in the name of ‘fairness’, to which they constantly refer!

This restriction on gas, electricity and oil suppliers is long overdue – the increases they have announced for starting this winter are amoral and shows their complete indifference to the hardship being caused.

Pressure must be put on officials of all kinds – whether they are MPs, MSPs, councillors, gas and electricity companies or supermarkets – to take very seriously the question of price rise restriction.

A. Delahoy

Silverknowes Gardens

 

 

Letter: Word of praise for recycling service

Dear Editor,

With all due respect to  Mr Pickering’s  laudable concern for the impact on working conditions of privatisation, may I venture a word of praise for  the recycling service implemented by the   Council, now augmented by the long overdue and very welcome provision of  food recycling?

Surely a very positive outcome of fortnightly collections could be a heightened effort on the part of all responsible citizens to reduce the bulk  of their refuse.  While I concede that it is comparatively easy for  me to reduce the bulk of my refuse given that  my family have grown up and left home , nevertheless I take pride in the fact that with determination and commitment to caring for our environment, I now  find it possible, given the comprehensive provision  of recycling services, to put out  my green bin – containing at most two black bags of refuse –  only once  every second month.

As citizens we  cannot with impunity continue piling mountain upon mountain of stinking refuse into landfill.  It distresses me to witness householders  loading  up their green bins with    recyclable material when the Council is providing such  detailed support in terms of recycling bins and literature, and when there are recycling points within walking distance of all able-bodied inhabitants of North Edinburgh.

Joyce Gunn Cairns, West Pilton