READERS' VIEWS 8/1

08 January 2009

Bus company wrong to make threats

I BELIEVE that Stagecoach will shoot themselves in the foot if they reduce the regular and well used bus service to the railway station.
I use this service regularly because it is so frequent, and on nearly every occasion there are other passengers joining or alighting at the station stop. To substantially reduce the service from such a major traffic objective would result both in loss of revenue for Stagecoach and an increase in car journeys to the station, which is hardly environmentally friendly.
I appreciate the problems created by the changed parking restrictions on Murray Road, but Stagecoach and the council should investigate alternative ways of providing the bus service to the station rather than withdrawing it.
Perhaps it would be possible to use Murray Road for southbound buses only and route all northbound buses via Railway Terrace, as already happens with the 63 and GA1 services. In return, the council could help by modifying the Station Approach/Murray Road junction to make it easier for buses to turn at this point.
It would be a disaster for Rugby if this useful service was lost, and I hope the council and Stagecoach will work together to make sure this does not happen.
David Carpenter, Addison Road, Rugby

Council must not raise council tax

I READ with incredulity the report in your paper that Warwickshire County Council (WCC) are preparing to put up Council Tax by an irresponsible 4.9 per cent.
I ask if anyone in County Hall has read or heard the news that we are in, and descending ever deeper into, a global recession and the age of reckless spending is over?
I would suggest the inmates of County Hall and similar intuitions should take a peek over their guilt edged parapets and examine what is going on in the real world of redundancies, falling incomes and investments.
Perhaps then, reflecting the situation they see all round them, they might chose to behave in a more responsible manner and, in the interests of the majority of their long suffering tax paying residents, freeze at current levels Council Tax and cease the endless wild spiral of reckless spending.
No doubt County Hall may have a few problems of trimming their costs to meet their income, but that is precisely the situation everyone else finds themselves in, but unlike County Hall we can go bust.
Please WCC sort out your finances, functions and services, and act responsibly, as it was the failure to recognise the malevolent disease of spending what cannot be realistically afforded that caused much of the appalling mess we now find ourselves in.
Charles Johnson, Norton Leys, Rugby

Cut services, don't raise taxes

THE borough and county councils have a duty to make some cutbacks as they head into a year of financial uncertainty rather than simply increase our council tax.
People will have to reassess their budgets and cut out some luxuries and stop doing some things they normally enjoy because money will be sort for various reasons so there is no reason why the councils should not do the same. Councils fear the headlines which come with cutting back services or axing them altogether, but they cannot keep coming back to the hard-up people they serve asking for money - a line has to be drawn somewhere.
If they do not want to make cutbacks then maybe they should suspend some lesser used services until the money is there to pay for them, i.e. the town hall could go to a four day week, so could the library and other public buildings.
Both the county and the borough council have publicly stated they are facing some tough decisions this year on their budgets, hopefully they are aware the people they serve are too and decide to cut rather than increase council tax. Here's hoping.
Gregory Johnson, Bilton, Rugby

why is the public sector surviving job cuts

AS SOMEONE over 70 years of age who has been fortunate enough never to have been unemployed during my career I nevertheless fell great sympathy for those who have not been so fortunate.
These job losses have been felt country and sector wide from construction, retail, manufacturing, finance, etc.
However, one sector seems to have escaped this pain. I refer of course to the public sector, especially Local Government. This sector not generally known for its efficiency or competence but more for its largesse when spending tax payers' money seems to be immune. This led me to wonder why this should be?
A paragraph from a book on English History that I am currently reading jumped from the page and made it crystal clear.
It reads: "The 1770s saw the rise of the economical reform movement, patronised by the opposition which argued that much and even most government expenditure was a corrupt attempt to subvert English liberties by buying votes and consequently that liberty was best preserved by reducing all public expenditure indiscriminately."
How true, even today almost 230 years later.
A. R Hill, Hoskyn Close, Hillmorton

Council propaganda has started

IT STARTED with a front page article on council costs. These press releases will go on until we get the new community charge.
It's done this way so as not to cause a riot, as you have been subconsciously warned - clever these councillors.
Great letter from Mr J Douglas (Council has given away too much of our money - Observer letters, December 11) about our lost millions. Never mind John, Mrs Sue Byrne (Resident rewarded for car park idea - Observer letters, December 11) has found the answer.
She has informed the council about some lost parking spaces so get to it lads and make sure those meters get fitted - can't miss a chance like this.
Finally, has anybody noticed that the bus stops are having new signs erected just months after being fitted with new bubble path? What a waste.
John Lanwarne, Judge Close, Lawford

Club's demise is sad news

SINCE 1981 The Wurzel Bush Folk Club has been held in Brinklow.
After the function room at The White Lion Inn was converted to B&B bedrooms the folk club moved to The Royal British Legion Club at Heath Lane, Brinklow in 1995.
This small RBL club was an ideal venue for live music events. As the overall finances of the RBL club were somewhat shaky I was persuaded to join the club's committee and together with help from music journalist and folk singer Pete Willow we were able to turn the club's finances around.
I became entertainments secretary and was able to bring in jazz and country music bands all of whom ran events in the club's function room on the same terms as most folk clubs operate. i.e. A rent free room and the venue makes money on bar sales. This worked fine. The RBL club cleared it's £6,000 loan from the brewery and soon had a surplus reaching about £10,000 pounds. This might not sound a lot but it was enough to keep the club viable.
In May 2007 I decided to call time on The Wurzel Bush Folk Club holding events at the RBL club and in September this year Brinklow Royal British Legion Club closed down.
Now the Brinklow and District Royal British Legion Club Limited is being wound up. I understand that a property developer is to buy the land and our smashing little club is to be pulled down. It just makes me so angry that a live music venue which was a very important part of the local live music scene as well as being an important venue for village events will have been lost for ever after myself and other musicians had worked so very hard to keep the venue open.
David Sampson, Founder of The Wurzel Bush Folk Club, Brinklow

Thanks for your support

THE Salvation Army Rugby wishes to thank the people of Rugby for your generous giving during the Christmas period.
Your generosity was especially well received in such a difficult economic climate. Your donations will go towards the Salvation Army's work in and around Rugby.

Gill Jones, The Salvation Army

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