Letters: Voters should show their discontent at next election

Instead, the burden will be yet again dumped on to taxpayers still smarting from George Osborne's VAT hike.

Then the financial experts will say that increasing taxes stimulates the economy. It's just a worn-out soundbite that actually means nothing.

Folk want and need good news in the economy, and voters must let those in power know their feelings at the next election.

Trevor Swistchew, Victor Park Terrace, Edinburgh

Date with the past makes little sense

YOU report that the Edinburgh Trams communications director Mandy Haeburn-Little is paid between 120,000 and 139,000 a year to keep us all up to speed with the progress of this exciting, world-class project (Evening News, January 10).

Perhaps Ms Haeburn-Little could take a few minutes of her valuable time to check out the official Edinburgh Trams website, where the Community page is currently advertising the following "upcoming stakeholder meetings and events":

Your City, Your Views 2009 ("your chance to say what matters to you, and to help shape plans to change things for the better"); and Spa in the City, a "haven of free treatments" which you can enjoy on May 24 – in 2009.

I look forward to a swift correction.

So go to it, Mand! It's only two years out of date.

David Jackson Young, India Street, Edinburgh

Stop this waste of taxpayers' cash

Although I do not pay Edinburgh council tax I am angry that two former employees were paid for consultancy work (Evening News, January 10).

The sums involved were substantial and totalled nearly 200,000 so questions must be asked about how they were awarded.

Why was this work not kept in-house and shared out amongst existing staff?

This type of thing has been prevalent for many years in all 32 of Scotland's councils and no-one, chief executive or councillor, has done anything about it because they hope to be on the receiving end when they retire.

Many of these "consultants" have left employment early with a substantial lump sum and a "gold-plated pension".

Such individuals must not be allowed to work for any council and local councillors must vote to stop such a waste of taxpayers' council tax.

Clark Cross, Springfield Road, Linlithgow

Denied a vote given to others

It was heartening to see the huge numbers of southern Sudanese voting in a landmark referendum on independence of the oil rich south from north Sudan, creating the 193rd UN acknowledged country.

This historic poll was agreed as part of the 2005 peace deal which ended the two-decade north-south civil war and is a move supported by the Tory-Lib Dem Government.

In addition to this plebiscite, the Welsh are to vote in March on acquiring more powers for their Assembly, a move supported by the Labour Party and Liberal Democrats.

There is more than a little irony that as these nations determine their constitutional future through referendums, Scotland is to be denied a vote on its future by those same parties so keen to support referendums elsewhere.

Alex Orr, Lothians SNP candidate, Leamington Terrace, Edinburgh

Charity party the stuff of dreams

It was interesting to read in John Gibson's column about Cardinal O'Brien's party for those and such as those (Evening News, January 7).

Surely the cost of this could have been spent on better things. Maybe, of course, the well-heeled guests made generous donations to some worthy cause. Oops, I think I'm dreaming now!

Mrs S F Wilson, Maxwell Street, Edinburgh