Letters

Current situation

Saturday, 10 July 2010 19:41 | Written by Rose Smith |

Sir,

The EU wants powers to vet budgets of the 27 countries before draft laws are presented to the House of Commons, the Tweede Kamer, the Folketing, the Bundestag, the Assemblee Nationale, or other national parliaments.

It even applies to Britain even though we are not in EMU.

EU ministers will pass judgement on the British, Dutch, Danish, and French budgets before the elected bodies of these nations see them.

Again, more tricks are played on our democracy by the EU, having brushed aside warnings by their own economists that monetary union was unworkable without fiscal union.

Jacques Delors knew this would lead to crises, and force sovereign parliaments to submit to demands that they would never otherwise accept.

Govts have built up massive sovereign debt under the cover of monetary union, concealing warning signals for borrowers and creditors alike.

All this clearly alters the character of the European Project. Meanwhile we watch Brussels duck and weave, squirm, re-arrange the deckchairs and move goal posts to try to stop the whole sad pyramid from collapsing.

What next ? EU direct tax-raising powers ?

Stuart Guppy, Carbis Bay, Cornwall

Threatened Police Cuts

Sunday, 04 July 2010 11:23 | Written by Rose Smith |

The threatened police cuts can only mean fewer officers to respond to 999 calls and to be around to deal with crime and unruly behaviour in the streets.

There are incidents of people calling police, but no-one turns up, or an officer calls the next day, when the burglar has long since gone.

In St. Ives, if you need police urgently, you will not get an officer if there is an accident on the Hayle by-pass, a punch-up in a pub somewhere, and a shop-lifter in Boots the chemist. Several incidents all at once means that available police are all committed, probably for several hours, so the burglar through your window will have a good haul.

We have got to get our own resources sorted out so the public are better served.

Supposing Cumbria had happened in St. Ives, with some deranged gunman driving across the harbour, then to Hayle, then Penzance, then Helston, disptaching pedestrians as he / she felt so inclined !

Could Devon & Cornwall Constabulary cope quickly ? As frightningly unusual as Cumbia was, it will happen again, perhaps tomorrow or in 20 years time. No-one knows, but Hungerford, Dunblane and Cumbria are just 3 of these terrible tragedies.

Stop sending £ 45 million per day ( increasing to around £60 million per day this year ) to Brussels and use the money to increase the police cover. There would still be enough for the NHS, education etc. if only we looked after ourselves properly.

Stuart Guppy

Last Updated (Sunday, 04 July 2010 11:32)

Postal Vote Fraud?

Wednesday, 12 May 2010 11:28 | Written by Rose Smith |

Sir,

Anti-sleaze campaigner Martin Bell said: "There is actually a possibility that the result of the election could be decided by electoral fraud. That’s pretty grim. We are facing a situation where we can no longer trust the integrity of our electoral system. It was a huge mistake to extend the postal vote. It opened up our system to all kinds of frauds."

Out of a total estimated electorate of 46million, 7million have registered for postal votes.

The Metropolitan Police are examining 28 claims of major abuses across 12 boroughs - with four separate investigations in Tower Hamlets, East London.

I am sure we all noticed how the 'swing' suddenly disappeared in many seats; particularly in London.

'Common Purpose' at work?

.

Charles Henry

Somerset

"Postal vote fraud: 50 criminal inquiries nationwide amid fears bogus voters could swing election."

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/election/article-1271457/General-Election-2010-Postal-vote-fraud-amid-fears-bogus-voters-swing-election.html

Short-sighted Council?

Sunday, 25 April 2010 11:59 | Written by Rose Smith |

Was council short-sighted?

I READ the letters in last week's Cornishman: the heliport moving, another supermarket, car park charges – and smiled to myself and thought of that saying: "You reap what you sow".

A number of years ago, British Helicopters applied for planning permission to sell part of their ground for development, and use the money to upgrade and modernise their facilities. Needless to say it was turned down.

If that had been granted we would now have a small development alongside the heliport and a modern, and most probably a more efficient, heliport.

If that had happened would we be in the position we are now?

Was the council so short-sighted then, or did it do the right thing?

One benefit that may come out of the Sainsbury's deal is to improve the fencing alongside the road.

What a mess it looks now.

Combine that with the broken-down fencing alongside the rest of the Eastern Green road, the peeling paintwork on some of the buildings bordering the road; it is like entering a third world town.

What was all that barrier work about?

A fairly straight road with a 50mph speed limit. Why did the central barrier need strengthening?

The money would have been better spent on replacing those fences and improving the entrance to our town.

Car park charges, loss of blue badge concessions. Another result of having a unitary Cornwall Council.

I notice the Liberal Democrat candidates posters, "Working for Cornwall".

It was a Liberal Democrat county council that went against the vast majority of the people in Cornwall to set up a unitary council. As a result, we now have a predominately Conservative and Liberal Democrat council, paying our chief executive, I believe, more than the Prime Minister.

People in Penwith had the largest increase in their rates for many years. "To bring us in line," they said.

And this year we had the largest increase they could get away with without being capped.

Now we can expect our car park charges to be increased.

No doubt they will say "to bring us in line". I am still waiting to see what benefit the unitary council will do for us in Penwith. With everything now being based in Truro, I doubt we will see much. For instance the county financial support for Golowan has I believe, been cut by £18,000 this year.

It will be interesting to see if the same will apply to the Festival of Lights in Truro.

Being a low-paid county, I imagine there are a great many people in Cornwall benefiting from the minimum wage; also a great many older citizens who depend on their winter fuel allowance to cover their heating bills.

Have either of the two main parties guaranteed to continue them?

Only one I think. Think on these things when you vote.

Working for Cornwall? I am glad they are not working against us.

MR B R MARSHALL

Penzance

Don`t we make anything any more?

Tuesday, 20 April 2010 14:17 | Written by Rose Smith |

The paper I`m writing on - made in Slovakia.

The pen i put to this paper - made in Germany.

The only thing British - the stamp!

The envelope - made in India.

Don`t we make any thing any more?

Only pastries & sweets to make us more obese?

Is that all we do?

What a country we have become.

Now they are talking about our power supply being brought to us by perhaps Australia or Japan. Our Government should have stepped in years ago and bought it all back. It should never gave been sold off.

We seem to own nothing, it`s about time things changed and Britaiun was made Great again - but - it won`t happen under Labour, Conservative or even the smaller party, LibDems.

It must come from an Independent Party who will work for Britain and its people. You have not much time left to make up your minds!

Forget William Hague saying "To be in Europe but not governed by Europe".

We are already being governed by Europe!

F J Faleigh

Kingsbridge

[Thanks to WMNs]

Last Updated (Tuesday, 20 April 2010 14:36)

More Articles...