The Courier’s week begins with readers’ opinions on investment in Carnoustie, the impact of Dambisa Moyo, the future of Scottish coal and the financial viability of independence.
Carnoustie suffering from lack of investment Sir,-I am afraid Angus Council leader Councillor Bob Myles seems to have shot himself in the foot with his comments about spending in Angus burghs.
He stated, “If you provide services for any area such as Carnoustie, it will benefit more than just the residents who use those services.”
He should know, having appropriated the name of Carnoustie for the Angus marketing campaign which has generated some £600 million in tourism revenue.
However, and this is his error, this has been done without any investment in Carnoustie except for when the Open rolls around and shopkeepers are given a few pounds from the external funding budget to improve their shop fronts for the inevitable press photographs.
In the meantime, nearly half the working population leaves Carnoustie every day because there are so few employment opportunities in the town.
We want, and need, a new business park to begin the economic revival of Carnoustie.
Montrose is getting, but doesn’t want, a £10 million swimming pool.
Perhaps the students at Carnoustie High School should be offered a new course to train as a swimming pool attendant and another on how to drive to Montrose. It looks as if its the only employment they are likely to get.
Peter Burke.14 Collier Street,Carnoustie.
Iron Lady of Africa on rise
Sir,-Dambisa Moyo is the morning star of the clever African women who will rattle the cages of the West’s white, male economic experts and moral sages in years to come.
The Oxford and Harvard-educated Zambian infuriated the aid industry by arguing in her first book, Dead Aid, that the tsunami of foreign money had ruined Africa.
As if the African reflections of a black woman were not bad enough, she has now given the West some economic home truths in her new book, How The West Was Lost.
She fears for America if it is tempted by the toxic moral hazard of European welfarism that Gordon Brown used to wreck the healthy economy he inherited.
I am sure she will be supported by powerful (minority) women such as Oprah Winfrey but will be seen as a black Margaret Thatcher by the usual suspects in our bien pensant.
(Dr) John Cameron.10 Howard Place,St Andrews.
We need debate on future of coal
Sir,-I have no problem with Councillor Bill Walker (January 12) holding the view that Scottish coal reserves are “uneconomic at the moment given the Australian open-cast advantage.”
However, it is a vastly different matter when he offers his opinions as absolute facts.
Given our consortium’s dealings with Councillor Walker over the past four years, I think we are entitled to ask questions about his knowledge of the subject because our ongoing attempts to rejuvenate Scotland’s coal industry could be seriously impaired if the public is confused into believing that people like Councillor Walker know something about the economics and technical aspects of underground mining.
What we really need is for people with the views of Councillor Walker to present themselves on a public platform so that people can make judgments on their knowledge and experience of mining.
Jim Parker.Scottish Mineworkers’ Consortium,9 Banchory Green,Collydean,Glenrothes.
Don’t bank on nuclear future
Sir,-Recent letters about France supplying the UK with nuclear energy have ignored the financial crisis that EdF in France is suffering. At the end of 2009, its debt was 54 billion euros, causing it to sell its UK distribution subsidiary.
The problem is that its tariffs are unable to support its day-to-day running costs and the French Government has been unwilling to allow them to be raised sufficiently.
Worse, the EC has insisted that 25% of its output is sold on the open market at an unacceptable price level.
Not only can its nuclear running costs not be covered but the tariffs are unable to fund the looming upgrading of two-thirds of its ageing nuclear fleet or its replacement, nor can the forthcoming decommissioning and waste management costs be covered.
A true cost of nuclear electricity is around three times the normal wholesale price.
At one time EdF claimed that it needed no subsidy for its UK nuclear new build, other than an undefined “floor” price for carbon with which its competition could be taxed.
Now it is offered “feed-in tariffs,” capacity grants and its rivals loaded with “emissions performance standards.”
John Busby.Oakwood,Melford Road,Bury St Edmunds.
Scots revenue at risk from EU
Sir,-Alex Salmond has insisted independence offers Scotland a better future than the proposals by opposition parties and he has has said that Norway has “breezed through the recession” thanks to oil and gas.
However, the First Minister seems to have forgotten that Norway is not a member of the European Union.
So, with the SNP wishing for an independent Scotland but within the EU, if such were ever to be achieved, where would all the oil and gas revenues go then?
No longer to the Treasury in London but straight to Brussels.
Neil McKinnon.Tulchan Garden,Glenalmond.
Get involved: to have your say on these or any other topics, email your letter to letters@thecourier.co.uk or send to Letters Editor, The Courier, 80 Kingsway East, Dundee DD4 8SL.