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Letters, Thursday, March 27, 2008
Readers write to the Times & Citizen and Bedford Today.
Outgoing boss should take costly entourage with her
SIR – It's going to be interesting to see how the two new unitary
authorities cope with the issue of incorporating the current staffing content of Bedfordshire County Council.
Outgoing chief executive Andrea Hill is apparently being credited for bringing Nirah to Bedfordshire, not to mention the forthcoming cure for the common cold and Elvis' comeback tour!
As widely reported, Ms Hill has done the decent thing by looking after number one, although she leaves us footing the bill for a huge amount of additional senior posts at County Hall, costing us dearly. In addition to impressive salaries for strategic directors, to offset the costs of their having to travel long distances to get to work, there has been a huge influx of assistant directors for 'this and that', on the lines of why have one when you can have three or four, and there appears to any cynical ex-insider unchecked staffing growth in certain areas parallel to the county's inability to walk past any hole without throwing buckets of our money down it.
As the county is now very much a spent force, its tombstone should at least admit that it seems to have gone out of its way over recent years to employ people with no grasp of reality and, like some form of
diaspora, I can't see either Bedford Borough or Central Bedfordshire
wanting to welcome them to the fold.
As Ms Hill brought a number of former colleagues with her to
Bedfordshire County Council, maybe she could take the pressure off the local purse by creating a similar top-heavy structure at Suffolk and
inviting them all to apply.
Name and address supplied
****
Cheaper not dearer should be the rule
SIR – Further to the article 'Hospital phone charges enough to make you sick' (T&C, Feb 7), I have had a meeting with the Bedford Hospital Patient Advice & Liaison Service (PALS) officer, hospital management and Hospicom (the television and phone provider at the hospital) and some correspondence with the latter.
The facts and figures provided by all concerned would seem to indicate that indeed Hospicom was not the sole beneficiary of the call costs charged during that period. It appears that there were at least four different parties all having a bite at the cherry; Hospicom, their provider, BT and my provider!
However, I would point out that the end result, for whatever reason, amounted to a charge to the end user ie. me, involving a considerable amount of money; this at a time when patients, friends and loved ones are at their most vulnerable.
The provision of this equipment in hospitals was meant to be a good thing for the ill and the sick and was put into place as part of the patient charter. The Government once again has never properly thought through the consequences of how this provision, for which it was
responsible, was structured.
In the original published article Hospicom was not mentioned, and it was a hospital spokesman in fact who mentioned them by name.
I stand by my original argument that the calls were, and are, well above average and one would have thought that as a Government proposal, cheaper not dearer would have been the rule, particularly as this was meant to be to help those in real need.
I shall try to take this matter further – nationally if I can.
RT Colman
Russell Way, Wootton
****
Article misinterprets the statistics on drinking
SIR – I have read some funny misinterpretation of statistics in my time but surely yours, 'We've got the best behaved drinkers in the land!'(T&C, March 20) takes the biscuit.
Your article correctly states that Bedfordshire has the third fewest incidents of spot fines given to under 21 females for drunk and disorderly behaviour in the country.
However, this does not allow for the variances in population per county. For example Kent (fifth in the table) has a population of around 1.6 million. With 596 incidents, this results in one incident for every 2,685 people: whilst Bedfordshire, which only has a population of 153,000, has 58 incidents, meaning we have one incident for every 2,638 people. Therefore, we have a higher number of incidents per head of population than Kent!
I am sure this figure will continue to rise as Bedford Borough Council continues to encourage 24-hour drinking by granting late licences to many establishments across the county, contrary to central government policy and despite the objections of many in the local community.
Ghislain Pascal
Church Street, Ampthill
****
Strange way of choosing proposed planning sites
SIR – The letter, reference planning (T&C, March 6) from Jerry Fitch, has hit the nail firmly on the head.
Although we are told that only a fraction of the proposed sites will be granted permission, it does seem a strange way of implementing the
proposals. Surely Mid Beds Council has qualified planners to do this?
His reference to councillors seems all the more poignant, as I know of one site which is actually owned by one of them – are there more?
Frank Page
Shefford Road, Clophill
****
Pleased road safety is priority at last
SIR – I have just read your report on the Ampthill Road Safety Forum
(T&C, March 13). It is news to me that such a body exists. I am pleased that it does and wish it well.
I raised my concerns about the non-observance of the 20mph limit with a Lib Dem candidate at the last district council elections; he did not agree with me. I am pleased that after four years the police have agreed to take action. Perhaps they could also do something about
lorries parking on the pavements and about the non-observance of loading restrictions.
Perhaps we could see a traffic warden at 8am when the roads are busy and not 11am when the town is relatively quiet.
Perhaps the Road Safety Forum could do something about the lack of dropped kerbs for people pushing prams, wheelchairs and riding
electric buggies.
For the latter there is definitely a requirement for those using Russell Drive shops.
And could the town council staff get rid of the weeds and grass which make Russell Drive shopping area look like something from the Third World, with due respect to those living in the Third World. Mind you, the occupiers could do something as well.
If our councillors ever wandered away from the town centre, they would see this sort of thing, and also the street lights which are out.
You will notice I use the word perhaps. I am not holding my breath.
Brian Page
Cedar Close, Ampthill
****
Pupils excelled themselves
SIR – I would like to congratulate the pupils and staff of St Thomas More Upper School on a wonderful performance of Grease. The pupils exceeded all expectations and I was so impressed with their high level of energy and enthusiasm.
The rapport between Miss Cooper, the drama teacher, and pupils was wonderful to see.
Well done to all, what a fantastic performance, you all should be very proud of yourselves.
A very proud parent.
Louise Shreeves
by email
****
Local tax would end council tax misery
SIR – The Conservative shadow minister for local government makes some strange claims (T&C, March 6). He dismisses the reorganisation of local government as "unnecessary" and "a costly distraction". Why he should do this after all the authorities actually involved locally agreed that restructuring was needed to make services more efficient for residents is unknown. Even the warring Tory groups on the different authorities agreed that single-tier local government is needed, although they couldn't agree on much else while they squabbled publicly.
He then claims correctly that working families and pensioners are already suffering from punishing council tax hikes. He might have checked his facts before firing off his letter. It is the Tory administration at County Hall that is now charging the second highest county council tax level in the country.
The same Conservatives on the county council hardly helped to head off the unitary delay when they launched a legal action against the government's initial decision, at great cost to local taxpayers.
Meanwhile, the Conservative shadow minister's party is committed to retaining the unfair system of council tax which is punishing pensioners and low earners severely. A local income tax based on the ability to pay, as proposed by the Liberal Democrats, is needed to save residents from council tax misery.
Coun Michael Headley
Lib Dem Group Leader
Bedford Borough Council
****
EU should be looking to protect our jobs
SIR – The European Union should be looking into ways to protect our jobs going to the Far East, as in years to come we will be at their mercy. The uncertainty of their governments' actions and trading conditions will have serious consequences, as all we are doing is putting up the actual costs of our welfare systems and infrastructure throughout Europe.
I am no expert but China's government is a communist one; we may get cheap goods from them but at what real cost? In the price we pay at the pumps and the price they pay in slave labour. America is only building up the Chinese economy and it will backfire on us all as China is to spend record amounts on their military.
The EU should bring in a law allowing no jobs to leave Europe; left alone, Europe will be a continent divided by who gets what and who doesn't.
Andrew Jaconelli
by email
****
We say no to stadium at Junction 12
SIR – I write to register my opposition and that of my family to the proposed stadium and commercial development at Junction 12, which would destroy the greenbelt and character of the villages affected.
Roger Ivett
Tabor Close, Harlington
****
Parents will schools proposal all the way
SIR – As a parent with three children at lower school, I am deeply concerned by the proposed switch to a two-tier system.
The reasons for switching to a two-tier system have not been properly explained – and why Wootton is exempt is also a mystery. As far as I can see the children currently in the education system will suffer greatly, with nothing but uncertainty, staff changes and building work looming for the next five years. Children in lower schools will not be sure if they are moving up, staying where they are or moving up for a year, then moving back to complete Y6 in a primary school. Children at middle school will be taught in a climate of staff changes, low morale and general chaos. All this will happen at a crucial point in a child's
education.
I passionately believe in our state education and do not want my children to go to private school. However, if I feel that their education is being ruined by a bunch of councillors, I will pull them out of the state system. I will not be the only one. Other parents I have spoken to are considering moving out of the area altogether. There is a real danger of Bedfordshire being left with nothing but sink schools.
Hundreds of families will be adversely affected by these changes and we will not take this lying down. Any councillor who supports these changes cannot possibly hope to be re-elected. I have not spoken to a single parent who supports this move. They have a real fight on their hands.
Sharon Skilling, by email
****
Protest to save post offices is academic
SIR – As we are all aware, Bedfordshire is to lose a number of post offices as part of the closure of 2,500 nationally. Our local Lib Dem leader and parliamentary candidate has been photographed recently heading a public petition to halt these closures. What he fails to tell us (and he should know, as his party is the most ardent 'we love the EU party', is that it is all a total waste of time. There is nothing he, or we, can do, as post office closures are made to comply with EU Directive 97/67/EC (the state aid directive).
Our Labour MP writes to me saying how, as a matter of trust, because it was in his party manifesto, he supports a referendum on the new EU treaty/constitution, but when it was debated in the House of Commons he was absent and so avoided voting.
However, when postal closures (his own constituency's among them) were debated, he made sure he was present to vote them closed. As for the Conservatives, they are always banging on about how they will regulate immigration and tighten border control but neglect to remind us they support Turkey joining the EU, thus opening the door to 72 million Turks to come and go as they please.
The above can politely be described as political 'inconsistencies', but most of us could find more accurate terminology. And these politicians want our votes – dream on.
Mark Adkin
Putnoe Lane, Bedford
****
Appeal for lost watch
SIR – On March 22 I went shopping at the Interchange Park in Kempston, visiting Toys R Us, Mothercare and Halfords.
Before I left home I put on the watch my husband bought for me for my 50th birthday. The watch was very special, as my husband purchased it, knowing he was going into hospital for a radical cancer operation.
Fortunately he survived this, but died some 18 months later. Unfortunately, on my return, I realised I had lost the watch. We retraced our steps, scoured the car parks, and have left details with Kempston police and the shop staff in the area, but have not had any luck in retrieving the watch. As you can imagine, I would be delighted to get the watch back. It is a gold Sekonda bracelet watch, with a heart-shaped dial.
If you can possibly help me, my telephone number is 07968 411372, or contact me on this email address: janetjeffs@hotmail.com
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Weather for Bedford
Tuesday 14 February 2012
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