PENSIONERS: THE reason why we are seeing rising anger among pensioners with the levels of council tax is because it is disproportionately unfair to pensioners who are on a fixed income, such as the basic state pension, while the tax continues to rise.

Any system of local government finance should be based on ability to pay.

The only fair way of financing local government is a local income tax - based on people's income, rather than on the value of their home. - Councillor Martin Jones, Lib Democrat, Sedgefield Borough Council.

THE political parties are vying to appear to abolish means tests, but what's wrong with them?

I'm a pensioner with an occupational pension as well as savings, so I don't depend on my state pension.

If there were any extra money for pensioners I would rather it went to those who really need it. How to find out who they are? Means testing, of course.

I have been subject to means testing by the Inland Revenue every year since I started work 50 years ago, and have never resented it though it resulted in my paying tax - why should people resent it when it can increase their income?

Maybe if means testing for taxation and benefits were unified into one system, people wouldn't feel so bad about it. - John Hawgood, Durham.

WHY don't all pensioners get a free TV licence instead of just the over-75s.

The present situation isn't fair. For example, you can have a house full of adults all working with hundreds of pounds going into that house but they don't pay for a licence because one adult is over 75.

There's just my wife and I in our house with just two state pensions. This new licence is £116 this year, an increase of £4. - D Simpson, Darlington.

REGIONAL GOVERNMENT

I QUOTE: "The regional assemblies will have the power to raise money through council tax" (Echo, Oct 7).

This sent a shudder down my spine. God knows we pay enough council tax as it is.

I appeal to everyone in this region, if the referendum does take place in 2004, please vote No. - C McAuliffe, Newton Aycliffe.

NEW LABOUR

I appreciate Mars has been close this year, but it appears Gordon Hodgson (HAS, Oct 7) is either speaking from or taking advice from there.

It is surely not wise for Mr Hodgson to align his view to that of the spin, lies and total gimmicks we've endured in the last six years.

Labour has really looked after our region. They've stolen your vote, but you'll blindly follow. It's easier to blame the Tories, who hold no power in the area.

There are too many "I'm alright Jack" blinkered socialists. Stuff the modern worker, who has seen manufacturing fall away dramatically, wages no better than five years ago and tax eating away at our disposable income.

Their political memory is rather selective, should we say. Reminding them of some home truths would be futile. Suffice it to recall the 70 per cent increase in council tax.

I was however quite wrong on Tony Blair's lack of "reverse gear" - more like lost control of the steering wheel and "clutching" at straws. - Jim Tague, Bishop Auckland Conservatives.

HEAR ALL SIDES

AT 79 years of age, I've been a lifelong reader of The Northern Echo, not least because of that excellent forum for debate and opinion in Hear All Sides.

It does appear that this medium is regularly used by some purely to exercise their perversity.

There are those who give the impression that they themselves are convinced they possess an intellect far beyond the reaches of the common man.

May I commend to them the words of a worthy intellect: "Would some power the gift he'd gie us, to see ourselves as others see us." - AW Dunn, Spennymoor.

MIDDLE EAST

TONY Blair, commenting on the latest suicide bomb in Haifa, said the whole business was sickening, especially since children were killed.

Absolutely right Mr Blair, it was sickening. But no more sickening than the hundreds of Iraqi children mutilated and killed by American and British bombs.

Is there no end to the hypocrisy of Messrs Bush, Blair, Straw and the rest of their acolytes?

How the world cried out for leaders of truth and integrity.

Daniel O'Connell, the famous Irish patriot, said: "What is morally wrong cannot be politically right." - Hugh Pender, Darlington.

RELIGION

CONGRATULATIONS that, in this small country, the largest mosque has been built.

Could the builders now speak to Saudi Arabia, a country larger in area than Europe, to see if they can build the smallest (and only) church there? - E Reynolds, Wheatley Hill.