CITY of York Council is asking for ideas on how to generate or save money as it appears to have overspent. Well instead of the usual first response from the council which is to hit householders with raising their council tax, lots of Great British pounds could be raised by actually charging council tax on all the properties which have been and some still in the process of being for students.

These properties have and still are built on once thriving businesses which created employment and were paying business taxes.

These properties are basically a hotel business so why are they not paying council tax or business taxes of some sort?

If this is a political issue then as York now has a Labour council, a Labour MP and a Labour government, it's time to change the system.

The thousands of students in York use the same facilities so they or the university or the owners of the properties should be paying the same as everyone else.

With regard to the disgusting state of the War Memorial near West Offices, I'm sure the council has some jet washers so get the community payback people on the job at no expense and stop disrespecting our war dead.

Robert Waite,

Windmill Rise,

Holgate.

York

---

No jaywalking please

Entering the Fairy Trail on Heworth Green, York, I happened to look back across the road to see a lady with a child of pre-school age on each hand attempting to cross the busy A1036 in York.

Amazingly there is a light control traffic light 50 yards one way and a traffic island 50 yards the other way.

Taking a risk, she managed to reach the centre of the road before she had to stop, fortunately a driver stopped to let her across from this very precarious and dangerous position.

It's not unusual to see people wandering off the footpaths and into the road, often preoccupied on the phone or in conversation.

Perhaps the answer to this wandering is to implement the American system of no jaywalking.

If people can't be responsible for their own actions in crossing the roads, perhaps it's time that the law was altered to make pedestrians more responsible for their actions crossing the roads.

D M Deamer,

Penleys Grove Street,

Monkgate,

York

---

What do you think?

Send your views to: letters@thepress.co.uk

Write no more than 250 words and please provide your full name, address and mobile number