27/01/03

That someone in politics has called their recent action to get a decent living wage 'unpatriotic' is unwarranted.

As we recall the brave fire and rescue services in America on September 11, 2001, we see who the everyday heroes are in our midst.

I've no doubt that should our own nation be in such a horrific situation at the hands of evil terrorists, it would be our gallant fire and rescue, police and ambulance services there at the scene.

Could politicians do such necessary and unenviable and dangerous tasks as do fire service workers and survive on so little as they are being expected to? - Bethany Megan Robinson, Darlington.

MY council tax has increased by 89.53 per cent in the last nine years; 13.48 per cent in the last year alone.

What will the council tax be if the firemen get their demands? Every central and local government employee will demand similar increases.

We hear from the firemen that they have a dangerous job. Prove me wrong if I say farmworkers and fishermen have more deaths per capita than firemen. You could probably find ten more dangerous jobs.

Why does the firemen's union object to amalgamating their call centre with the police and ambulance? Is it because it would become known how few calls they average in any given 24-hour period?

Remember the consequences of unstoppable wage demands in the 1950s when the unions got what they demanded. The shipbuilding industry gone, the steel industry gone, coal being imported because coal can be bought cheaper abroad, all because we cannot compete on the world markets.

Do the firemen have the full support of the public? Not the people I talk to. People of my generation think £20,000pa is equivalent to being a millionaire.

Conclusion: I cannot back the firemen's demands as, like the firemen, I must look after number one first. Any further demands on my retirement income will mean tightening of the belt even further.

So come along firemen, be reasonable. There are those being pushed further into poverty. - John Wilson, Durham.

MIDDLE EAST

PETER Johnson is fully entitled to hold and express his beliefs on the Palestine/Israel conflict (HAS, Jan 22).

He has no right, however, to invent 'facts' to support his opinions. Fifty Israelis killed for every Palestinian?

According to the United Nations and the International Red Cross the figures have remained remarkably consistent over the years - three Palestinians killed for every Israeli. On both sides the overwhelming majority of victims were innocent civilians.

The Israeli deaths were 'claimed' by openly terrorist organisations such as Hamas which are opposed to Arafat's Palestinian Authority. The Palestinian deaths are 'claimed' by the Israeli Defence Force which carries out government orders.

Israeli soldiers have shot and killed mothers, babies, doctors, nurses, journalists and even United Nations peacekeepers and aid officials. Attempting to use the Holocaust to justify modern barbarities is an insult to the memory of the millions who died.

Murder is murder regardless of the religion and nationality of the victim and the murderer. - Stuart Hill, Darlington.

MEAT IMPORTS

YOUR Comment (Echo, Jan 20) agonises over the Government's self-imposed problems with smuggling of cigarettes.

It states the problems caused by our open borders allowing weapons, drugs and terrorists entry with alarming ease.

It might also have said that it is widely recognised that illegal meat imports were the most likely cause of the 2001 foot-and-mouth epidemic, but almost two years later our Government has made only token efforts to implement effective control measures.

Many other countries, like Australia, New Zealand and US, have been successful in preventing FMD outbreaks by keeping illegal imports of meat from entering with stringent airport regulations.

The most worrying aspect of these imports is they could also cause a far more serious threat from human diseases and more recently from terrorist activity, but our Government's priorities lie elsewhere.

In view of this it is even more important to remember that although home produced British food, having complied with expensive measures to achieve improved health, animal welfare, and safety, may not always be the cheapest, it is well worth making an extra effort to buy. - J Heslop, Gainford.

PUBLIC SERVICES

I DON'T think Tony Blair can defend the state of the major services, because nothing seems to be allowed to run long enough to make an assessment before someone else is allowed to let their ideas run all over the ideas of the previous minister.

Education appears to be the favourite major service where everyone wants their ideas to be used; in the meantime teachers are leaving the education profession faster than they can be replaced.

Roll on the next election. - Peter Dolan, Newton Aycliffe.

SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR

DAVID Forward has taken a brave step in naming and shaming his children on the Internet (Echo, Jan 10).

He obviously loves them very much and is trying to curb their wild behaviour. These children are just two among the many who are causing serious problems for schools, society and not least themselves.

Mr Forward cites one of the problems as there not being enough for young people to do. This seems to be the usual excuse given by all and sundry when children misbehave.

The absence of organised activities is not always the problem, it is the children's refusal to take part in them.

Perhaps the time has come for children who claim to have nothing to do to be made to attend organised clubs, organisations etc. Far better for them to be "bored" while doing something than allowing them to run wild as at present. As for forcing them, having their "child rights" hasn't done much good. Time to remove some of the rights for the benefit of society in general.- EA Moralee, Billingham.