Hear All Sides

COUNCIL TAX

WE have a senior executive in Darlington Borough Council who likes to compare its responsibilities with that of running a business.

If it wants to be judged by this yardstick, then it should consider the following:

Any business that had depleted its reserves to the level that this authority has, and that had a deficit of around £1m in the trading year, would have little option but to cut its central overheads. It would not, as a first option, pass on price increases to its customers, or cut back its front line customer services.

Of course, this is where the business analogy is fallacious, as the council has a captive customer base upon which it has just imposed a 12.5 per cent tax increase. The business principle that is applicable is the need to control costs and to protect the people of Darlington from swingeing tax increases.

Where are the proposals to cut central overheads and to slim down the executive to a level that the town can afford?

By the business yardstick, the executive and its political masters have failed - they have failed to secure sufficient Government income and to control costs. - Alan Coultas, Darlington.

THE disgraceful rise in council tax in the North-East has everything to do with political power and nothing at all to do with local services.

Tony Blair and his cronies are simply buying votes and holding out a hand to new-found friends in the shires at our expense.

Your votes are in the bag, hence the reason for Durham, Northumberland and Lancashire getting the smallest handouts.

They don't need to make one effort in the region and they will win without a murmur. Kick us in the teeth 365 days of the year and nobody dare question the glorious political defender of the working man.

When will we learn? Massive Labour majorities and one-party dominance are simply not beneficial. Historically, it has kept us rock bottom of every league table produced, barring our ability to graft better than all-comers.

Maybe I will pay when our councils come clean and tell the paying public how much they were paid, and possibly still being paid, for using Tow Law as an animal dumping ground.

It is pointless asking our MPs or councillors, so I plead with The Northern Echo to fight our corner on this matter. - Jim Tague, Bishop Auckland.

IT is far from surprising that Councillor Williams and his administration require to increase Darlington's council tax by 12.5 per cent. Cost cutting appears to be a novelty in his management of town affairs.

The total increase since he took control of Darlington Council now stands at a staggering 55 per cent.

It will also be no surprise if he will minimise tax increases for year 2003 to ensure he does not rock the boat for his group's 2003 election prospects. Of course, dramatically increasing taxes is the last resort of a weary regime devoid of ideas and bogged down with inefficient management.

In May 2003 it will be time for a change in local government and the taxpayers can rid Darlington of this unaccountable, secretive and spendthrift organisation. - Charles V Johnson, Darlington.

I AM delighted for Ann E Carr (HAS, Jan 31) in that she can enjoy the delights of the Dolphin Centre.

We are OAPs who live in a large house since our children left home, but we are partially disabled and unable to participate in the activities of the Dolphin Centre/Civic Theatre, etc.

We are on a fixed income and, since the arrival of the caring, sharing New Labour Government, have seen our council tax increase by £400pa (1996-97 to 2002-03).

Each year threats against the Dolphin Centre and other popular facilities are trotted out as excuses - no mention of a cut in council members' expenses or other crazy spending.

Good luck, Mrs Carr, but perhaps you should think again and remember others less fortunate than yourself. - John Richardson, Darlington.

PRISON CAMP

ONE'S heart bleeds for the Rev Peter Mullen, trapped in a job in which he despises his superiors, completely disagreeing with them on so many things.

How sad it is that he has to suffer the liberal thoughts of the chattering classes expressing their concern for the treatment of the American prisoners in Cuba.

He seems to have forgotten that many men were conscripted into the Taliban army at gunpoint, as was reported during the bombing campaign, and who have probably never heard of Osama bin Laden.

Should they not be treated in accordance with the Geneva Convention if we expect any of our men to be treated humanely in the future? - Eric Gendle, Middlesbrough.

JOHN Young (HAS, Feb 4) defends the torture and animal treatment meted out to the terrorist prisoners of the US in Cuba.

He lives obviously in the Old Testament age, as does George Bush: the eye for eye, tooth for tooth mentality which led to the revenge politics of the US in bombing Afghanistan, descending to the same level as the terrorists, the same kind of mentality which led to the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. - Rev John Stephenson, East Herrington.