This morning’s letters to the editor of The Courier discuss travellers, the cost of imprisoning the Lockerbie bomber, Dundee’s games industry and ‘champagne socialists’.
We should treat gypsy travellers as taxpayers Sir,-Having read the many letters in The Courier dealing with travellers, I have come to the conclusion that they should no longer be called that.
I remember how, years ago, these people would call on houses to sell their wares, which consisted of items they had spent time making.
Nowadays, they live the life of ordinary citizens with expensive cars and caravans and should be treated as such taxpayers.
Neil G. Sinclair.New Fleurs,St Martins,Balbeggie.
High cost of bomber
Sir,-Regarding your editorial on the release of Megrahi (August 20) the lobbying and compassionate angles have been well examined.
There is a third reason, seldom mentioned, as to why he was released finance.
It was costing a fortune, and would have continued to cost the Scottish Prison Service a fortune, to keep Megrahi suitably medicated and attended to. Remember all that human rights legislation? Not to mention his special individual prisoner isolation status.
Did the Americans offer to help pay for all this?
Much easier to release him.
In some other countries, he would have been executed long ago.
A. T. Geddes.68 Carleton Avenue,Woodside,Glenrothes.
Questionable use of public cash?
Sir,-It is galling to watch the clamour of claim and blame that is circulating among local and national politicians over the demise of Realtime Worlds.
Despite accusations that Realtime met its fate due to the absence of tax breaks, the real fact is that the company developed a product that the market did not take to in the volumes necessary to make it a success.
This is nothing to do with the tax situation and wholly to do with the judgment and decisions of the company, as evidenced by the fact that other businesses in the same sector are surviving and even flourishing.
It is also quite incredible to read that Scottish Enterprise officials “have written to the administrators to seek recovery of the grant” of £200,000 that was given to Realtime Worlds less than 12 months ago.
Scottish Enterprise will be lucky to recover a few pence in the pound.
So, when SE talk about “recovery of the grant”, what exactly do they mean by that?
And since they seem to be indicating they expect large-scale recovery, were they of the mistaken impression that they had more than unsecured creditor status?
Kenneth Crooks.Thornbank Court,Dundee.
City in grip of cultural buzz
Sir,-Graham Duncan is quite wrong to suggest that, “before 2002, we had no history of computing expertise greater than other similar cities, let alone expertise in computer games” (August 20). Mr Duncan could usefully visit Dundee’s newly refurbished McManus Galleries and acquaint himself with the Sinclair ZX Spectrum range one of the first games industry hardware and software successes whose production was licensed to Timex and which was mass produced right here in Dundee.
David Jones worked at Timex before going on to develop Lemmings, Grand Theft Auto and found Realtime Worlds, as The Courier has confirmed.
In helping the industry through current setbacks, Dundee can also remind potential inward investors that as well as a skills base which is Dundee-based but internationally mobile and probably willing to commute to LA or Paris from Riverside airport the long-established animation courses at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and the history of cartoon production in this city are complemented by the specialist games courses at the University of Abertay.
There is a cultural buzz about the city at the moment which artists and computer geeks seem to like, as do the city’s fine mathematicians.
Neil Robertson.4 Glamis Terrace,Dundee.
London to blame for firm’s troubles
Sir,-The fact that Realtime Worlds has gone into administration is a damning indictment on the ConDem coalition’s dumping of proposals to introduce tax relief for this sector.
The Chancellor’s dumping of plans to introduce tax relief for the games industry, which would safeguard 3550 jobs in the UK, will now potentially see Scotland lose out to countries such as Canada, the US and France, who have boosted their computer games industries by introducing tax relief.
In the case of Quebec in Canada, the government pays 37.5% of the salaries of the developers, giving them a clear advantage.
There is, of course, a need to get our economy in control but the dropping of games industry support doesn’t make sense as any tax relief would be outweighed by the increased growth in the sector.
Alex Orr.77/2 Leamington Terrace,Edinburgh.
Champagne socialists
Sir,-Don’t you just love these new socialists?
You reported that Tony Bair, a reportedly 30-times millionaire, is opening an investment bank.
And then there is Gordon Brown. He has let it be known that he is available for speaking engagements at £64,000 a time; not only that, he wants a first-class air ticket and three business-class tickets.
Tony Blair and Gordon Brown brought this country to its knees with debt. But, hey, let’s all become socialists to see if it helps us.
(Mrs) Myrtle Jamieson.40 Tarvit Gardens,Cupar.
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.