YEP Letters: May 9

Support for the junior doctors

Dawn Beck, Morley

I am appalled that the junior doctors have been driven to take such drastic action.

I have two long term serious health conditions and rely on the NHS to keep me as well as possible, both on a day to day basis and in emergencies.

Jeremy Hunt appears to have backed himself into a corner and is now unwilling to do anything to resolve the situation. I hope that he can learn that the junior doctors dispute is not just going to go away, that the majority of the public support them (after all we want a doctor who is awake and rested to help us, not one who is so tired they can’t think properly) and that he needs to think about what compromises he can make.

Fracking is about profit for companies

Paul Dainton, President of Residents against Toxic Scheme (RATS)

There are many people who believe in fracking despite the massive health and environmental problems seen in the USA.

Indeed the problems have been so bad that many European countries refuse to have fracking within their own borders.

Believers in fracking state that new regulations will protect our health, welfare and the environment.

Perhaps these people should take a look at the most regulated power industry in the world: the nuclear industry. Despite massive legislation in every country with nuclear power it has not stopped catastrophes in the USA, Russia and Japan.

Strange as it may seem there is no comprehensive list of nuclear accidents, escapes or leaks, to water, land, or air, held in the UK either by the government or the industry.

In fact, the industry and government do everything to prevent the public from finding out about and viewing such problems.

The nuclear industry is the most secretive power industry in the UK and makes massive profits with no solution as what to do in the long term with its waste,

The industry, just like the fracking industry, is about profit, any one who believes that domestic or industrial gas prices in the UK will fall to the level of the USA will be sadly disappointed.

Fracking is about one thing - profit for the investment companies. No amount of regulation will keep the environment safe, just as masses of regulation has failed to keep the nuclear industry clean and safe.

With dozens of companies drilling in every part of the country the industry will be able to keep secret any problems from the public, and the cheaper the costs the bigger the profits, the cheaper the costs the more dangerous the risks.You can make all the regulations you want, pass laws and have regulators but when things go wrong as it did in the USA, Russia, and in Japan’s nuclear industry, sorry will not be good enough. The health and welfare of us all, along with the environment, will be lost for a profit for the few

Consider all EU issues

Dr Martin Hemingway, Leeds 6

Steve Pearson (A green and pleasant land YEP May 3) puts his no vote preference down to the democratic deficit in the operation of the EU, and to reducing the number of lorries on our roads.

On the first point although many decisions, and the most important ones, are taken by co-decision between the Council (our own ministers and those of other countries) and the Parliament, the powers of the Commission are greater than many would like. To correct this, for the good of Europe, we should be looking to increase the power of the European parliament.

This would have been a worthwhile reform for Cameron to have reached, along with stopping the moving Parliament, and reform of CAP for example. But whatever the faults it is simplistic and inaccurate to say decisions come from faceless bureaucrats, better to stay in and pursue reform of the relationship between the institutions.

As a Green I would be in favour of reducing the number of lorries on the roads, but I would rather achieve this through transport pricing and enhanced alternative modes of transport rather than by the destruction of trade with our largest trading partner.

Complete withdrawal would lead to a fall in exports as tariffs affected, particularly food, exports, but it would be unlikely to affect imports.

The EU debate is about significant issues, and all must be considered with the appropriate seriousness.

A never ending treadmill

Ernest Lundy, by email

Housing and banking moguls have come up with a ‘brilliant’ idea to help people buy a home.

One which will do little to help, unless house prices drop or are held at a level by some form of legislation, and we all know that the cost of houses is reflected in the price of everything. Therefore, that will never come about.

Those institutions say they are prepared to offer 100% mortgages to help those who are unable to raise deposits. Can’t see the idea being of much use!

All it equates to is greater debt over a much longer period, like being on a never ending treadmill.

In days past house prices on average were based at three times yearly earnings.

Today they are nearer eleven; therein lies the problem. Meanwhile those who hope to obtain a decent return on invested capital receive next to nothing.

Wonder what would happen if everybody withdrew their funds?

Residents deserve better

Peter Haddington, Bradford.

AFTER reading the article (Yorkshire Evening Post, April 25) about tougher fines for pet owners I see that Leeds City Council are reducing their early payment discount for on the spot fines.

How they just make it appear that they’ve been so charitable down the years in offering a discount to people for an early payment and that they really are firm but fair as they claim to be. The YEP article asks the question is this fair or just another cash making plan? I would say no, it’s not another cash making plan, it’s the same one that’s been going on for years, it has just been adjusted slightly to raise more money.

People who have no intention of cleaning up after their dogs and people who deliberately drop litter deserve to be punished, but Leeds City Council also fine people who have every intention of cleaning up, who have just made an error.

Their failure to catch the real offenders who allow their dogs to foul everywhere is the reason why this is such a problem.

They are far more focussed on making money from this problem than they are of finding a solution.

I know several people this has happened to including myself and they are far too fond of money to give anyone a chance to make amends.

I have noticed recently that councillors are urging people to clean up their litter, which people should do and it has become a major problem in many areas, but I don’t remember the council being as concerned about this problem when the red light area of the city was given the green light.

Could anyone imagine it getting the go ahead in the affluent areas where some of these councillors live, and them having to deal with the mess that’s left lying around?

The residents who live in the red light area of the city pay a lot in council tax like the rest of us do and have the problem of litter to contend with.

These people deserve a lot better than they get for their money.

It is in everyone’s interest to clean up litter and keep the place tidy, but the council also need to use more ethical methods towards the public, or amend their slogan to the firm but unfair council.

Truth and justice should be sole aim

Mavis Harrison, Leeds

TO say that public confidence in police forces is on the wane is an understatement.

Obviously doubt creeps in when those in high places allegedly misrepresent the truth.

Policing is for public protection across the board, and truth and justice should be its sole aim.