Today’s correspondents focus their attention on the balance of power, praise for Dundee Flower and Food Festival, the tax system, Scotland’s relationship with alcohol, graffiti in Crieff, and the state of football.
Government should be servant not master Sir,-Having gone to our local council office to pay our council tax, I found a notice on the door announcing that payments can now be made only on Monday and Friday.
I would have thought that in these difficult times Perth and Kinross Council would be pleased to receive money at any time, rather than making it less convenient.
Inquiries about who or when this decision was made invoked a stream of “it wisnae me.” Someone had to instigate the change — but why?
I know there are now alternative methods of paying the council tax but for my own reasons I have always elected to go to the office personally.
Yet again, government has become our master rather than our servant.
Alasdair Charleson.7 Fonab Crescent,Pitlochry.
Festival a credit to city
Sir,-Dundee Fund-raising branch of Guide Dogs for the Blind Association congratulate Dundee City Council for once again organising Dundee Flower and Food Festival in such a professional manner and for the courtesy and helpfulness of their many staff on duty over the three days.
We at the guide dog stance met many people from all over the country, some even from abroad, and all were enjoying themselves enormously. I hope this very popular event can continue for the foreseeable future.
Ally Taylor.Tigh an Tober,Templehall,Longforgan.
Workers saddled with tax blame
Sir,-My wealthy friends live in dread of falling foul of the Inland Revenue but, as the former recipient of a lowly clergyman’s salary, I had a benign relationship with my tax man.
I, therefore, have sympathy with HMRC staff attempting to cope with the chaos caused by Gordon Brown’s Byzantine tax changes especially now their own numbers are being cut.
Serious problems involving the entire coding system were discovered when incoming Treasury ministers asked the revenue to check its PAYE numbers.
The coalition would prefer to write off the debts but this may not happen in view of the dire state of public finances resulting from the last government’s insane profligacy.
So ordinary officials will take the blame while the real culprits, who created this disaster and the world’s most complex tax system, are off writing their self-serving memoirs.
(Dr) John Cameron.10 Howard Place,St Andrews.
Poisonous relationship
Sir,-I was struck by two contrasting reports in your edition of September 3.
The front page was dominated by the government proposal to fix a minimum price for alcohol in an attempt to reduce the problem of alcohol abuse and, on page 16, there was an attractive picture of combine harvester cutting barley destined for the brewing industry.
This juxtaposition highlights the inherent problem facing the Scottish Parliament.
On the one hand, we have an escalating problem of alcohol abuse and, on the other, a huge alcohol-related industry which employs many thousands of Scots.
Any serious reduction in alcohol consumption as is hoped must invariably lead to heavy job losses in the alcohol industry.
The problems of alcohol abuse, however, cannot be addressed by legislation on price and legality. In some ways, these are cop-outs for our political leaders.
Increasing the minimum price appears sensible but it may have unforeseen effects. It could reduce competition and increase profits particularly at the lower end of the market and lead to a further proliferation of licensed outlets.
Therein lies one of the problems. There are few places in our towns today where anyone can go for refreshment or to meet friends, that are not licensed, and those that do exist mostly close in the early evening.
This leaves our youngsters with nowhere to go but the parks or bus shelters where the temptations of alcohol, drugs and sex are hard to resist.
I would suggest that instead of concentrating on trying to stop people from doing things, we should be addressing the reasons why they do them.
These, of course, are varied and complicated but one simple approach would be to encourage the establishment of non-licensed clubs and coffee bars, by offering such establishments reduced rents and rates and encouraging them to stay open later.
We might also set precedents by banning alcohol from all local authority premises such as halls and theatres and, of course, the council chambers and the Scottish Parliament building.
Bob Drysdale.Millfield,Star,Glenrothes.
Community action needed
Sir,-I was in Crieff this week and was horrified to see the bright pink graffiti and obscene drawings on the pavement in the main street. But it begs the question why did not one or more of the traders erase it immediately?
Come on Crieff, clean up your act.
David McMillan.17 Skelton Road,Methven.
Has football bubble burst?
Sir,-Just where is football headed? We have off-field indiscretions by players. Wages for men who entertain for a few hours a week have reached obscene proportions and the four home countries are minnows internationally.
How long will those who follow the game by stumping up money at the turnstiles put up with all this?
Though television tries hard not to show shots of unoccupied seats in stadium after stadium, it is becoming increasingly difficult for them to avoid doing so.
Ian Wheeler.Springfield,Cupar.
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