Letters put issues in focus

IS IT really only four years since the Liberal Democrats were elected to manage this city, or does it just seem longer?

Judging by the many vociferous letters and articles in The Press over this period, what a disaster they have proved to be.

Cast your minds back to some of the many contentious issues during this period, ie Respark and car parking charges, ftr buses (surely, alien to this city), the swimming pool debate(s), and the Barbican development, procrastination on the development of Castlegate and other major sites, (how much has been squandered on surveys and consultants fees for no gain?), excessive rises in council tax requiring government intervention etc.

I suspect the Liberal Democrats took control of the city in protest at 20 years of similar mismanagement by the Labour Party. They have had their chance and now they have blown it.

The current Liberal Democrat election leaflet is breathtaking in its arrogance in suggesting that the local elections are a two-horse race between them and Labour, ie vote for them or Labour will get in.

It is sad to say that, in this once great city of ours, out of 37 councillors there is not a single Conservative seat represented.

With the local elections coming up readers have the opportunity to redress this imbalance and return a Conservative council in York.

It is no good voting for the same tried and failed administrations. We have had for the last 24 years, then spending the next four years whining and moaning about them. You get what you vote for.

J Calpin, Eva Avenue, Rawcliffe, York.

Park&Ride in spotlight

I SEE that the Lib Dems have announced in their election manifesto that they are to improve and increase York's Park&Rides.

This seems a strange move from a party that has made Acomb residents lives worse due to their cancelling of the A59 Park&Ride.

I would like to let Acomb and Holgate residents know that in February 2003 the site of the A59 Park&Ride was chosen, by both residents and councillors, and expressions of tender had been received by the council in April 2003.

It was councillors Galloway and Reid that cancelled this process and then spent thousands of pounds looking at new sites, many of which were totally unsuitable, before putting the A59 site on indefinite hold.

This move was threatened prior to the election due to the Lib Dems wanting a site outside the ring road, even though they were being warned that such sites have a lesser impact on attracting traffic.

The A59 Park&Ride was due to open in March 2005. Instead, Acomb residents have had to endure increased traffic levels and its knock-on effects, such as pollution.

Coun David Horton and myself will work to ensure that the A59 Park&Ride does happen sooner rather than later as we know that the current situation experienced by Acomb ward residents cannot continue.

Coun Tracey Simpson-Laing, Labour candidate for Acomb ward, Salisbury Road, York.

City must come first

IN Coun Ruth Potter's latest letter (Wrong on tax, The Press, April 10) yet again she tries to defend Tony Blair's government, instead of putting local people first.

Why is she content that the Government has taken more than £12 million from this city on landfill taxes, paid by local people, and given back only £3 million to support recycling services?

The Liberal Democrats are campaigning hard for these resources to be returned to the city to pay for more recycling - to help us build on the city's achievement of more than tripling recycling in the last four years.

The trouble with Labour councillors is they always put their government before the needs of this city.

Coun Andrew Waller, Liberal Democrat executive member for neighbourhood services, Askham Lane, Acomb, York.

A matter of opinion

WHAT a busy time it is for the Lib Dem council at the moment. With the local elections imminent they have pushed through the sale of the Barbican site to developers.

The loss of this facility is a fitting epitaph to the Lib Dems, although I take no pleasure from their decision as I used the swimming pool at the Barbican regularly when it was open and nothing would have pleased me more than to see a public swimming pool in the city centre for both residents and visitors alike.

It is time for York residents to judge the Lib Dems on their apparent disregard of the needs and opinions of local people on local issues.

Sonja Crisp, (Labour candidate for Holgate ward), Emperors Wharf, Skeldergate, York.

Behaviour problems

I WAS interested to read the comments made by Coun Steve Gallloway (Hands off our play area, The Press. April 9) that the answer to dealing with antisocial behaviour in the Back Park area is to build on one end of the site to make the area more secure and stop some of the disturbance.

On this basis, residents in other areas of York with antisocial behaviour problems should really be worried.

Surely, Coun Galloway, it is the bad behaviour of youths that needs wiping out and not the areas in which these people congregate.

Denise Bowgett, Labour candidate for Holgate, Lady Hamilton Gardens, Holgate, York.

Where the blame lies

COUNCILLOR Galloway continues to blame others (Council accused of crime disaster, The Press, April 6) when he says it is the fault of the Safer York Partnership for his administration's cut to their budget.

Yet he is happy to claim the credit for Labour ward committees funding extra Police Community Support Officers (PCSO) from their ward committee budgets. There has been no council funding for PCSOs, other than the delegated ward committee funding.

Coun Ruth Potter, Heworth Ward, Chaucer Street, York.