Today’s letters to The Courier.
Sir, – Deliberate damage to Perth and Kinross Council properties has amounted to more than £163,000 over the last two years, according to figures obtained by this newspaper (”Shocking cost of damage”, October 16).
Councillor Ian Campbell said he was ”shocked that other taxpayers are picking up the tab of just over £80,000 per year for damage that has been caused deliberately.”
Quite so! When bad tenants abscond, leaving unpaid rent bills and deliberate damage behind them, it is of course difficult to do a great deal about it, but there is another way of dealing with them.
It is common practice when renting out private property for landlords to require a deposit for possible damages. The deposit is recoverable on giving up the let, provided that the property is intact and undamaged.
This would again be difficult in the case of council tenants, especially for those on benefits, but it would be possible to add a small amount to each rental payment.
If deliberate damage were caused, the tenant would not get that extra payment back, but tenants looking after the property well could apply for repayment.
Therefore, deliberate damage would not be paid for entirely by other taxpayers.
George McMillan.5 Mount Tabor Avenue,Perth.
Flooding is not new news
Sir, ““ After reading the article about the flooding at Birkhill cemetery, it brought back a memory to me.
When the cemetery opened, I worked in the office at Dundee Crematorium, and I remember an undertaker, John Davidson of Comb & Davidson, speaking about it and he said he hoped they could all swim because of the flooding.
So the flooding is not new; it was there before the cemetery opened.
Margaret Barrie.155 William Street,Dundee.Independence ““ yes or no?
Sir, ““ There will be a straightforward Yes/No Referendum in 2014. This is being portrayed as a negotiating victory for David Cameron”s unionists despite the fact that the SNP and Alex Salmond have always said that that was what the SNP wanted. The SNP even framed the Yes/No question they intend to use.
What of course happened, was that Alex Salmond noted that a substantial proportion of Scottish opinion supported another possible option, that of increased powers for the Scottish parliament short of full independence. This appeared to be the most popular option. He suggested that, if those who supported this could clearly frame it, it could be included as an option on the ballot. This was in the gift of Westminster but has been refused.
So Mr Cameron”s “victory” has been to be manoeuvred into denying the Scottish people its favourite choice. This looks to me a lot like the victory of General Custer at Little Big Horn.
The unionists don”t appear to have worked out yet that they have tumbled head first into a trap that was cleverly prepared for them.
David Hill.1 Tiom Nan Ragh,Argyll.
Stop all the gassing!
Sir, ““ I have to wonder if Eric Swinney is even living on the planet rather than in the USA, when he claimed (October 13) that electricity prices in the US have not reduced by 50% due to the use of shale gas.
He may wish to check out one such article from a respected US company, namely Bloomberg, entitled “Electricity Declines 50% as Shale Spurs Natural Gas Glut”. Not only has shale gas usage reduced electricity prices, but it has significantly reduced US carbon emissions by displacing coal-fired power stations.
George Lindsay.Whinfield Gardens,Kinross.Open for business
Sir, ““The decision to press ahead with the Aberdeen western peripheral route is fantastic news for the construction industry in the north-east of Scotland.
As well as offering major opportunities for the building and civil engineering sectors during the construction phase, the project also unlocks significant development opportunities in the Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire areas in the years ahead. It sends a powerful message that the north-east economy has the capacity to expand and is open for business.
Michael Levack,Chief Executive,Crichton House,Edinburgh.
Not a plan of action
Sir, ““ Why do I have a niggling feeling after there has been major site changes for the new museum in Dundee to keep within the budget that it is going to result in it being late and over-budget?
Bryan Smith.Bridge of Earn,Perth.