Letters: Council propaganda sheet is only fit for the dustbin

I scanned through this council paper and saw an article about the buses. The council has done a poll which showed most people were more than happy with the service our city gets.

Thumbing through the pages I saw nothing about the trams, which are in so much trouble. I wondered why I got this paper. Is it not time for our council to stop squandering money on a paper that appeared to be nothing more than a self promoting publication? Is it right for our council to waste money sending out papers like this?

If our council wants to save money it can start by stopping this paper immediately, which I use as my bin liner. I have always bought the papers that I read and I can see no point in the council continuing with the propaganda sheet.

This paper is nothing more than sanitised news and it does not enlighten people.

Andrew Murphy, Royal Mile, Edinburgh

Forward thinking to avoid chaos

WHILST I have not been a fan of many of the decisions taken in Edinburgh regarding roads and transportation I agree that the large list of road closures printed in the News (September 14) is entirely necessary to allow the visit of the Pope to take place safely and without obstruction.

It is unfortunate, though, that this event is going to cause massive disruption to the movement of general traffic and also to the users of many bus services.

With a bit of forward thinking the disruption could have been lessened somewhat. It occurs to me that Monday is a public holiday when many Edinburgh businesses and council premises will be closed anyway. If someone had thought about this then perhaps the public holiday could have been brought forward to incorporate the Papal visit?

The above would have resulted in fewer cars entering the city and also cut the numbers wishing to use buses and may also have allowed those interested in the events to line the route without possibly having to take time off work to do so.

Alastair Macintyre, Webster Place, Rosyth

No moral lessons to learn in visit

WHAT kind of moral lessons can we expect from Pope Benedict?

Only after international outrage has he recently made a serious effort to get to grips with his Church's child abuse problem.

He claimed that distribution of condoms makes the spread of HIV/Aids worse rather than better. In response to accusations that this was irresponsible, the Vatican softened the wording (a little!) to say condom distribution "risked" making the problem worse.

He rescinded the excommunication of Holocaust-denying Bishop Williamson. Following the fury over this, he ordered him to recant – but Williamson hasn't done so.

His Church continues to refuse to accept that single-sex couples should have the same human rights as the rest of us.

This week, here in Scotland Cardinal O'Brien has made it very clear that neither he nor the Pope is even considering any future of equal status for women in their Church.

And yet Cardinal O'Brien invites us to look forward to the "moral benefits"!

John Dickie, Hopetoun Crescent, Edinburgh

Fuming over big car emissions

JUST because a vehicle looks big or resembles a 4x4 does not mean it is a fuel guzzler ('Gas guzzler' permits set to cost 320, News, September 14).

Unless the council members have evidence that they can "overcharge" a vehicle they would be well advised to back off unless they want to be accused of making false charges or claims. On investigation, they might find that these vehicles have, due to modern engines, very good fuel figures.

It should be remembered that when a vehicle is parked, it is not emitting any fumes at all.

CJR Fentiman, Polwarth Gardens, Edinburgh