Letters: Comedy promoter will find politics no laughing matter

Heartening news that Melanie Main is putting her head above the parapet and seeking to tackle the “dusty corridors of the City Chambers” (News, March 15).

Comedians are renowned for a high IQ, and an analytical, razor sharp and retentive memory – but she is venturing into a morass of hapless, bungling ineptitude.

Trams, statutory notices scandal, food recycling that collects (at enormous cost) a couple of ounces of potato peelings per household per day, disabled parking badges now laminated down south, £4 million wasted on an initiative about outsourcing services (just for a laugh?), bikes on offer at £1.25 a day from the Lib Dems with the election looming.

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Also, a care for the elderly service that has “carers” sign out minutes after they have arrived despite a ceiling falling down upon the very people they are tasked to care for.

And nine months of an “idea” to charge people for parking up at the Pentlands but the sums were wrong!

Melanie – good luck to you.

Gordon Murdie, West Coates, Edinburgh

Stop delaying the inevitable

J PETERS (Letters, 15 March) neglects to mention that the Portobello Park Action Group’s legal challenge would’ve been thrown out on merit, even if there hadn’t been such a considerable delay in bringing it.

PPAG’s legal argument had no support in case law or legislation, in contrast to the council’s position that was based on clear legal precedents.

J Peters also neglects to mention that more local people supported the high school planning application than objected.

Portobello High School is in urgent need of replacement, and has been for some time. PPAG should reflect on that before causing further unnecessary delay and expense.

Sean Watters, Brighton Place,Portobello, Edinburgh

Police can tackle the lollipop job

I WRITE regarding your story “Pupil’s leg broken in hit and run near school” (News, March 14).

My main point to your reporter was we have had no success in getting a school crossing patrol for this location. The position is authorised and funded, but in this affluent area it is proving impossible to find anyone to take on the job.

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By admitting a patrol is needed and especially so since this accident to young Max Dunnigan, how can the crossing be left unattended?

I suggest the police have a responsibility to fill the post with one of their officers or a traffic warden. In the past police officers did cover this kind of duty.

I now feel that a light controlled crossing should be installed, but until such time a friendly local community police officer should do nicely.

Stuart Roy McIvor, SNP Councillor for Inverleith

‘Saving planet’ will kill our hopes

ROBERT Miller (Letters, March 15) asks Martin Hannan how much the plan for renewables will cost and how much global temperatures will be reduced.

The UK has a laughable 1.5 per cent of global emissions yet will “save the planet”.

Professor Hughes of Edinburgh University reported that the UK wind farm programme will cost consumers £120 billion by 2020 through higher electricity bills.

It would only have cost £13 billion for efficient gas-fired power stations.

Prof Hughes calculated that even building another 20,000 wind turbines in the UK would only reduce emissions by 2.8 per cent, so 2.8 per cent of 1.5 per cent = 0.042.

For this pitiful figure we are forcing manufacturing abroad, creating fuel poverty and ruining any chance of economic recovery.

Clark Cross, Springfield Road, Linlithgow

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