Election letters special

FOUR years ago the Liberal Democrats took control of City of York Council, pledging "£100 Cashback" on the council tax.

Instead they increased the council tax each year by more than inflation.

Last year and the year before, York's Liberal Democrats imposed the highest and second highest increases in the country.

This year, York's council tax was kept down because the Labour Government stepped in and used its council tax capping powers.

When Labour controlled the council, the tax for an average Band D home was £785, the lowest in Yorkshire. After four years of Liberal Democrat rule, they charge £990.

When you add the police and fire precepts, York's Band D households pay £1,231: more than Band D homes in Bradford, Doncaster, Leeds and Wakefield.

The Liberal Democrats say it is all the Government's fault. But the Government's grants to York have gone up by more than inflation.

In 2002-03, when Labour ran the council, York received £109 million from the Government. This year York will receive £145 million - £36 million more.

Under the Liberal Democrats, York council's budget and its council tax have both risen faster than the national average.

At the last count, the council had hired 315 extra staff; 300 are senior staff earning more than £30,000. Only 15 are frontline workers earning less than £30,000.

York's council tax is high because Liberal Democrats have let the city's finances run out of control.

They now want to replace the council tax with a local income tax.

They don't tell us this would increase income tax by three pence in the pound.

And judging from their record with the council tax, their three pence income tax hike would be only the start.

Hugh Bayley MP, Holgate Road, York.

Health pledge

FRIDAY'S Press article (Condition improving, The Press, April 27) confirms the local deficit for the North Yorkshire & York Primary Care Trust (PCT) to be a whopping £34.8 million.

On top of the cuts already imposed this year, there will be more tough times ahead with major cuts inevitable if the PCT is to even come close to repaying this debt.

Local Labour politicians seem quite happy to stand by and support the destruction of services.

The Tories hope that we have forgotten that they stopped free dental checks and want the council taxpayer to pick up the cost of dental treatment for York's primary schoolchildren - an increase of at least three per cent on council tax.

Liberal Democrats have campaigned hard for better health services for York residents, and will continue to do so to ensure that we really do have a "national" health service.

Coun Susan Galloway, Executive member for adult social services, City of York Council, Stirrup Close, Foxwood, York.

Fear of defeat?

OH dear, I fully expected the Liberal Democrat candidate for Bishopthorpe to attack my action over the potential traffic problems in Bishopthorpe following and during the Terry's site development (Terry's traffic village ban bid, The Press, April 26).

But now I have a Haxby councillor attacking me (Traffic scare, Letters, April 30).

Whatever next? Can I smell the fear of defeat?

I don't nor have I ever used scaremongering tactics in any election in which I have been involved.

For the record, I was approached by residents in Church Lane and Sim Balk Lane, who were extremely concerned at the impact the development will have on these two roads.

Indeed, one or two of the residents who contacted me attended a ward committee meeting, where I understand the matter was discussed, and their comments were that they had no confidence whatsoever in the ward committee or indeed the planning committee to deal with the issue, hence their approach to me. They have a pretty good point to make.

Quite honestly, I don't give a fig who gets the credit for allaying residents' fears. What is important is that the safety of Church Lane, Sim Balk Lane and indeed the whole village is not compromised.

I will, if elected, work hard to make sure such safety is not compromised.

If not, then I shall watch developments with interest.

John Galvin, Conservative candidate for Bishopthorpe, Ash Street, Poppleton Road, York.

Litter cash shame

SO the Lib Dem council considers that spending between £62,000 and £77,000 a year on three rubbish officers is value for money, eh (Battle to beat rubbish louts, The Press, April 28)? Why does that not surprise me?

It is important that we address issues of fly-tipping, whether in rural beauty spots or in residential areas, but is this Draconian action really necessary? It is like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut.

The Lib Dems have decided education and community work isn't the way forward. Instead they choose enforcement action using potentially confrontational tactics.

Lib Dem councillor Andrew Waller stated that this initiative is to tackle the small proportion of people causing problems. I think £77,000 is a large amount of residents' money to spend on a small proportion of people.

It would help if the Lib Dem council endeavoured to get the refuse and recycling collection sorted out properly and consistently over the whole of York.

Do you actually believe it, Coun Waller, when you link rooting through residents' rubbish with the term York Pride? Lib Dem council shame, more like.

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

Fund local homes

NATIONALLY, the Labour Government has failed to provide councils with the necessary funds to tackle the affordable housing crisis - across the country housing waiting lists have risen 60 per cent since Blair took office in 1997. The average house price has soared to more than £100,000 in every town and city in the country.

Locally, Labour supports Government plans to take £27 million from York tenants' rent payments to spend on housing in other parts of the country. Lib Dems have campaigned for this money to be spent on new homes here in York.

The Lib Dems have boosted housing modernisation schemes, and introduced higher York Pride standards for security and cleanliness.

If we could keep the £27 million Labour wants to take from York, we could provide hundreds more homes for local residents.

Coun Sue Sunderland, Executive member for housing, City of York Council, Farmlands Road, Dringhouses, York.

What opportunity?

IN the Press of April 21 Liberal Democrat leader Steve Galloway labels the BNP candidates standing in the York May 3 elections "a gang of opportunists", implying that they hijack issues as a means of self-advancement.

This is contrary to my experience of BNP candidates, who hold sincere views about the way the nation is going. For them the risks of standing far outweigh any possibility of personal reward, due to political correctness which seeks to suppress opposition to the establishment view.

In the past some BNP members have lost their jobs through standing. Just what are the rewards if elected as councillors?

Apart from Mr Galloway, who as council leader gets around £29,000 a year, most get slightly over £6,000 a year - money that for BNP members could more easily be earned a safer way than standing as candidates.

Trevor Brown, BNP candidate for Hull Road ward, Newbury Avenue, York.

Light pollution

AN impressively striking A3-size document dropped through my door today - The Derwent Focus.

Its opening, huge-font declaration read: "When you want something doing in the Derwent Ward area - it's the Liberal Democrats that do it."

It's funny, because while I can appreciate the relatively minor improvements of new "hand-street-sweeping", footpath resurfacing, improvements to the Reading Room and Play Area, I can't find any mention of the new traffic light installation at the York Road/Hull Road junction.

After all, it's their party that is wholly responsible for this multi-thousand pound development.

Could it have been anything to do with the 90 per cent-plus of villagers that were opposed to this scheme, the ramifications of which we have still to see?

And can anyone please explain to me why there are 50-plus new motorway-type street lights in the final half-mile approach to Grimston Bar roundabout? Has this area been an accident blackspot (literally) due to the absence of road lighting, and even if there was, is it really necessary to have a light every 25 yards or so?

It just looks like the council had a job lot to dispose of, and thought this might be as good a place as any to put them. I'm seriously worried about flights into Leeds/Bradford airport getting disorientated.

Graeme Rudd, Kerver Lane, Dunnington, York.

Voters' demands

THERE have been one or two interesting readers' letters recently revealing the voting habits of the electorate, with one regular contributor confessing to have voted in both the Tories and New Labour, later regretting his choice.

In the early 1970s I used to canvass the west of York. There were certain areas which were so predictable where, from the front door opening, the well-rehearsed line was trotted out: "I have voted Labour all my life, and always will."

If I had heard that once I must have heard it a thousand times, so much so I got to thinking that if a two-headed monkey wearing a tutu and hobnailed boots was standing for election they would have put their cross next to it.

Thankfully the electorate these days are more demanding, and I would think the only people voting for New Labour would be the 5.36 million people of working age who choose to live on benefit rather than get a job.

Bob Waite, Holgate, York.

Loony leaflets

PERHAPS a good guide to how wasteful your main political parties are can be shown by the leaflets dispensed.

Surely there is no need for A3-sized glossy pamphlets, with pictures of all the candidates, taking up more space than the important issues of the election?

And how many hundred thousand of each leaflet were produced? We may be the Loony Party, but our manifestos were on recycled plain A4 paper, with small pictures of the candidate and more emphasis on policies.

The Monster Raving Loony Party aims to reduce everybody's carbon footprints by issuing residents with large rubber brushes so you can rub them out.

Eddie Vee, Wenham Road, Woodlands, York.