Readers' letters - September 14

I refuse to accept these cuts
A cable car takes in the sights of the French Alps. See letter below			       Picture courtesy of Graham ArcherA cable car takes in the sights of the French Alps. See letter below			       Picture courtesy of Graham Archer
A cable car takes in the sights of the French Alps. See letter below Picture courtesy of Graham Archer

I, on the behalf of the people of Lancashire, refuse to accept any more cuts to our local services for the following reasons:

n The richest one per cent have seen their wealth more than double since 2010.

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n Austerity is a con, the deficit (the debt we owe as a nation) has increased by £555bn since spending cuts and the most unprecedented cuts since the Second World War were commenced.

n According to the IMF (International Monetary Fund), austerity is not working to promote growth in our economy and does more harm than good because investors don’t have confidence to invest.

n Lancashire is one of the UK’s poorest counties, it also has the highest rates of both child and adult illiteracy and innumeracy, and we need investment not cuts.

n By cutting services, you punish the most vulnerable at the expense of the rich. It is estimated the poorest 10 per cent pay 43 per cent of their income in tax.

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When the Conservatives got into power, they rewarded councils and counties for their loyalty by increasing their spending budgets and punishing those that didn’t vote for them.

Elderly people are facing poverty, families are struggling as incomes have reduced 10 per cent since 2008, while household bills have increased by 25 per cent.

Education is having its spending cut, in my local area there are proposed plans to shut down all three children’s centres.

When will these cuts end? Services are already at breaking point. If you cut to save money, when there is nothing left to cut, how will you manage then?

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I understand that services are stretched, but it isn’t the fault of those that work hard, pay taxes, live in Lancashire and use these much needed services. Are we the ones avoiding tax? Did children cause the economic problems? Are the elderly and disabled deserving of these cuts? I refuse to accept cuts to my community.

Name and address supplied

Closures and £1m revamps

Your Lancashire County Council, whom you voted to look after us, spent £1.3m during the last financial years on refurbishing seven libraries. They claim to “we know what we are doing”!

We are now informed our libraries are going to be closed because they can’t afford it. Add to that they are quite happy to accept increases in income and the extravagant expenses they claim.

The only future I can see for us is to suffer even more drastically until we have a clean sweep of this gang. They are seriously unable to control the financial requirement needed.

Dan’s Abode in Clayton le Woods

Rescue brought back memories

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Watching the news unfold about the rescue taking place of people trapped in cable cars over Mont Blanc, reminded us of the time we went up the Aiguille-du-Midi cable car from Chamonix.

The views were magnificent and an experience never to be forgotten, even the creaking of the glacier as it slowly travelled down the mountain! I’m just glad it wasn’t us trapped up there!

Graham Archer, Chorley

Daddy long-legs on the march

No sooner is Create Longridge over, than Plague Longridge is upon us in the form of a mass invasion of daddy long-legs.

Strictly speaking they are not all heading our way, but according to the Telegraph, just under 200 billion of these woman terrorisers are preparing their assault on our green and pleasant land. The Daily Mail has the figure at over 200 billion, so goodness knows what the true number is.

How does anybody work out how many of them are going to turn up in the first place?

Swatters at the high port, Gentlemen!

Gordon Garment via email