| Letters - 16 June 2004 |
| Council tax punishment enough |
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| CAN ANYONE enlighten me as to why hiking up the interest rates lowers the price of houses? |
| The only way it may create more affordable houses is at the expense of those owners who can’t manage to keep up with the constant increases in their mortgage.
It will no doubt force the not-so-well-off to sell, probably at a substantial loss.
You would think the outrageous council tax charge (almost another mortgage) would be punishment enough for owning property.
I, like many others, won’t just have to tighten my belt, but will have to make new holes in it. — Dundee Resident.
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| Council house tenants told us their views |
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| I REPLY to the letter from Interested Party, who is “astounded” that I believe a majority of Dundonians, who are council tenants, are opposed to selling their homes to private developers.
At the two public meetings organised by the tenants’ federation, only 74 people voted in favour of going down the transfer road, and 136 voted in favour of council housing.
This was after two expensive leaflets were delivered to 16,500 tenants giving a rosy picture of what transfer involved, and no accounts of the votes against transfer in Aberdeen, Birmingham, or the bad experience of tenants in Glasgow.
With limited resources, Defend Dundee Council Housing leafleted and petitioned across the city opposing transfer, and calling for public investment in council housing.
If the council’s housing debt can be written off for a private developer, why can’t it be written off for an elected council?
We know the views of thousands of tenants on this because they told us.
Their mass opposition is also reflected in forms returned to the tenants’ federation.
Interested Party ended by saying, “The people I have spoken to over the last ten years want a stock transfer.”
That may be so — but the evidence is they are in a minority in Dundee.
Most tenants want investment in council housing and not throwing millions of pounds at private developers. — Harvey Duke, Jamaica Tower, Dundee. |
| Councillors’ complacency seems rife |
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| I READ with interest about the new political party in Dundee — the People’s Independent Party — formed by local taxi drivers.
Could they do any worse than who we have at the moment? Labour and the Tories are a waste of time and the SNP has not changed things.
It seems to me the only people who make anything from local politics are the politicians. Complacency seems rife in all parties.
I for one think a party without a whip is a great idea and where people come first, not the party. This is the way it should be.
If, like me, you think politics locally has become stale, why not give the People’s Independent Party a chance? — Local People First.
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| Plea from Firth fanatic . . . |
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| DOES ANY Tele reader have unwanted Colin Firth stuff (old films, TV etc) they no longer care about or ever look at?
I am a Firth fanatic and have been trying to get his older stuff, but according to HMV the majority of his old films are discontinued.
If anyone has any older material and can help with my collection please contact me. — Mhairi Jarvis, Dochart Terrace, Dundee (tel 07919 975 924).
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| Take a leaf . . . |
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| LAST WEEK my husband and I went into a pub — Charlie’s in the Seagate, Dundee — to meet friends.
I was delighted to find the most excellent clean toilets I have seen in a long time. The staff were so welcoming and polite.
I think there are quite a few bars in Dundee that should take a leaf out of Charlie’s books and clean up their loos. — Mrs M. Weir, Dalcraig Crescent, Dundee.
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| Madness to leave EU |
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| I TOO find some things about the European Union appalling.
But to pull out of Europe completely, as the UK Independence Party suggests, is absolute madness.
The tragedy is many sadly voted for these anti-European extremists. — Concerned Reader.
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| Salsa club sought |
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| I AM told there is a salsa club active in Dundee yet, hard as I try, I haven’t been able to find out where and how often it meets, membership costs etc.
Can anyone help? — Curious. |
| THE ADDRESS for readers’ letters is - Readers’ Page, Evening Telegraph, 80 Kingsway East, Dundee DD4 8SL. They can also be placed in our post box at our offices in Albert Square, Dundee, emailed to us on letters@eveningtelegraph.co.uk or faxed on 01382 454590. We ask correspondents using a nom-de-plume or sending by e-mail to provide a name and address for reference purposes. The editor reserves the right to reject or edit any letter. Please keep letters as short as possible.* |
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