One hundred and fifty thousand people have died in the worst natural disaster for 50 years and we have a local public figure, Steve Galloway, using it as a vehicle to put perspective on a ten per cent hike in council tax (Making History, December 31). Shameful.

Further rhetoric that can only be described as a very poor representation of John Kennedy's "don't ask what your country can do for you" is also in poor taste. To suggest people may want to gain advantage at their neighbour's expense is preposterous.

Here is another John Kennedy quote. The great enemy of the truth is very often not the lie, deliberate, contrived and dishonest, but the myth, persistent, persuasive and unrealistic.

I can't wait for next year, and President Galloway's "we choose to go to the moon". Well, fine, it's your choice.

John Billett,

Highthorn Road,

Huntington, York.

Updated: 09:44 Tuesday, January 04, 2005