Sir, – I write in response to Bob Taylor’s letter (August 15) in which he challenged me to say whether I supported Heather Stuart’s approach to Fife library closures.
I am surprised at Bob’s personalisation of this issue. It is not the approach that wenormally see or expect from him.
Heather Stuart, as chief executive of Fife Cultural Trust obviously bears some responsibility but no more than her board and they together no more than the councillors on Fife Council, myself included.
Before taking aposition either for or against the current closure proposals because that is what they are at the moment, it is worth giving the facts around this issue some consideration.
The cultural trust has a great big budget hole, some £800,000. Not one councillor or party, at the most recent budget-setting meeting proposed to give the trust the £800,000 they need to fill that hole.
The chair and officials of the trust gave a detailed report which included a breakdown of usage at an executive meeting of Fife Council.
Their plans as to how the library service should develop in the future were equally impressive and compelling.
I saw their approach to an antiquated and out-of-date library and related services as innovative and resulting in better, if different provision, than we have.
When I asked the trust’s representativesif they were given an additional £800,000 would they continuewith the current service arrangements, they were emphatic in answering no.
Change is difficult and because of political posturing and opportunism, change in the public sector is even more difficult.
Is Bob really saying that we should continue to do the same things in the same ways because, well, because we’ve always done them that way?
Some of the facilities under consideration for closure are very poorly used and others are both poorly used and not in the best of condition.
I would urge everyone to attend the public consultation meetings, listen to the facts and make their views known.
But bear in mind, if you want these libraries to remain open, it will require £800,000 to be found from another Fife Council budget.
Councillor Bryan Poole. Fife Council education portfolio holder.
Recycling frustration
Sir, – I feel that I have to write to voice myfrustration at the approach of the recycling system employed by Angus Council.
We are all encouraged to recycle our household waste to the best of our ability.
To this end, in my household, we religiously recycle all that we can, however, as the uplifts are now bi-weekly one bin is insufficient, so we start on a second similar bin and last week onFriday I put out both of the bins, pretty full I have to say but with lids down and secured.
On returning home from work I found that one of the bins still had all the recyclablematerial in it. Why would this be?
There was no notice from Angus Council to say that there was aproblem with the contents which has happened in the past.
If Angus Council wants the public to do their utmost to reduce waste to landfill then theymust accept responsibility for the good citizensof the county doingtheir best and collect all of the recyclable waste from those who do their best to help.
John Balfour. 10 Burnhead Terrace, Redford.
Title belongs to Burntisland
Sir, – I do not wish tobe a killjoy or spoilsport or say anything todetract from an obviously well organised sporting event on the beach at Kirkcaldy, however, I must challenge the statement that thebeach highland games is the first such event in the United Kingdom.
A horse race alongthe beach at Burntisland was initiated by thetown when OliverCromwell’s cavalry troops were billetedhere after the towns surrender to Cromwell’s army in 1651.
The race, however, evolved into a market/games day.
Burntisland is reputed to have the second-oldest highland games in the world (from 1652) as a result of this so I consider that we canconfidently state that Burntisland is thetrue holder of thisaccolade.
If you have doubts,why not visit the town’s heritage exhibition which is currentlyrunning where you may view a painting depicting this event.
Ron Blanchard. 177 Kinghorn Road Burntisland.
Showcase for Kirkcaldy
Sir, – Thank you to everyone who supported the inaugural Kirkcaldy Waterfront Beach Highland Games on Saturday.
The crowds enjoying the spectacle of the pipe band, twirlers, dancers, athletes and heavies and the local traders’ stalls, all showed Kirkcaldy at its very best.
It also showed the potential of our waterfront with its refurbished sea wall.
Many individuals and organisations helped us to organise, promote and deliver the event and we are very grateful to them.
They include Kirkcaldy and Central Sports Council, who were the major sponsor of the event, Fife College who lent the stage for the dancers, Fife Council licensing staff and the cleansing crew who made sure that we had all our consents and that the prom was cleaned before the start, our litter-picking team, Kirkcaldy YMCA and K107 for sound and the local fossil expert who provided the 350-million-year-old corals for the trophy.
We are very grateful to Fife Provost JimLeishman for leading the parade and declaring the games open and to Roger Mullin MP and David Torrance MSP and the many local councillors who supported us on the day.
We also thank the local businesses who showcased much of what our town centre has to offer, the Army Reserve and RNLI, Burntisland First Aid, Police Scotland (Fife, Cycling Division) and the volunteers who marshalled on the day.
Kirkcaldy 4 All is particularly grateful to Don Campbell and Andrew Bowie, who first brought the beach games idea to us and who organised and operated the various elements of the games and the commentary.
We look forward to the next events in the town centre calendar and are already planning the 2016 events programme, possibly including a bigger and better Beach Highland Games.
Bill Harvey. Manager, Kirkcaldy 4 All 189a High Street, Kirkcaldy.
Law right to back Corbyn
Sir, – It is difficult to understand why Jenny Marra is complaining about Chris Law supporting Jeremy Corbyn’s early day motion condemning cuts in student grants (August 13).
There is no inconsistency between Mr Law’s position and the SNP position.
Student bursaries in Scotland are lower than in England at present but English students have the extra burden oftuition fees.
Chris Law is doing the right thing and Jenny Marra should acknowledge that instead of pointless political point scoring.
Andrew Medley. 12 Lawside Road, Dundee.
Is poverty now a thing of past?
Sir, – Some years ago Westminster was awash with allegations over what became known as cash for questions and the SNP were vociferous in making political gain from the scandal.
For those who are not au fait with that situation, basically it involvedpeople in privileged positions making arrangement, fixing deals and setting up meetingswith leading politicians for personal gain and advantage.
So it now it appears we have a somewhat similar situation here inScotland.
In this case Jennifer Dempsie, the partner of Angus Robertson the leader of the SNP in Westminster and herself a well-establishedScottish politicalinfluence in SNPcorridors, secured employment with the very profitable T in the Park parent company.
This resulted in ameeting between themusic festival management and ScottishGovernment representatives. The multi-million pound festival organisation was then handed £150,000 of taxpayers’ money.
Are we now to assume that Scottish child poverty, Scottish foodbanks and lack of hospital and school funding are now a thing of the past and money is in abundance for frippery?
Colin Cookson. Hatton Green, Stenton, Glenrothes.
Pressing need for opposition
Sir, – My Labour friends were uncomfortable with the compromises that being in power required and welcomed with relief the ideological approach of Gordon Brown and Ed Miliband.
The disastrous results of the last two elections, to say nothing of the catastrophe in Scotland, have done little to dent their ardour for leftist purity as the rise of Jeremy Corbyn shows.
However, the economic lunacies of a Jeremy Corbyn-led party would result in it being abandoned by its business donors and leave it at the mercy of the unions and manifestly unelectable.
Yet the failing, one-party state now existing north of the border, where a rampant nationalist government cannot be held to account, underlines the need for an effective opposition.
Dr John Cameron. 10 Howard Place, St Andrews.
Get Scotland’s priorities right
Sir, – I could not believe when I read that Social Justice Secretary Alex Neil says he wants to support failed asylum seekers.
Does he not realise that schools in this country are in dire straits, the police are a joke, the NHS is crumbling , the roads are full of potholes, courts and police stations have closed and we cannot afford to give life-prolonging cancer drugs to people who desperately need them.
Bob Duncan. 110 Caesar Avenue, Carnoustie.