HAS Sunderland's council lost all common sense and logic?
I refer to yet another large wheely bin, brown this time, they are now going to make us all pay for, out of council tax.
Two or three times a year I cut grass the size of a postage stamp, so they are also going to make us pay for yet another collection service every two weeks for nothing and no doubt high rise flats will also get them for windows boxes.
Observer

Ivory tower chiefs
COULD the City Hospitals of Sunderland Trust explain why they recruited auxiliary nurses in October knowing they were in the red by £2.7million?
My daughter left a well-paid job taking a pay cut to be an auxiliary nurse hoping this would help her towards becoming a full-time nurse and to have a career in nursing for life.
The Trust stated in Tuesday night's Echo they were working with the local healthcare organisation to find vacancies for staff. What a load of rubbish.
All my daughter was given was a week's notice and sent on her way.
The management states that the patients' healthcare will not be jeopardised by these cuts. How can this be? The remaining staff will now have more work to do so therefore their duties will not be up to standard.
Lack of money is not the cause of these redundancies. It's the "chiefs" sitting in their ivory towers who don't know how to use the allocated money correctly to get patients' priority.
I know I am biased but it is Sunderland Hospitals misfortune that in my daughter they have lost a very good, caring and dedicated auxiliary nurse – as I am sure is the case with all the other staff who had their contracts terminated.
A Very Angry And Upset Mam

Free calls abused
ON Saturday, January 29, I had reason to go the Accident and Emergency Department at Sunderland Royal Hospital. This was at 4.10 am.
I waited about 1¾ hours (this I expected). I had something wrong with my throat, but they were very busy. I was given treatment and advice, and was treated with civility.
Now comes the "hard bit". I arrived by taxi, and needed a taxi home, but I could not use the public telephone, because (I was later told) it was constantly being used by kids coming out of the Monkey Club.
It's a free call you know. So kids leaving the Monkey Club come to casualty, buy pop and wait for a taxi.
This is not a good thing for the real patients, and should be looked into. I am 67 years old and need my sleep, but I had to wait.
W Ross,
Sunderland

Not very hygienic
CAN someone please tell those people that insist that their bins are kept at the front of their house, it doesn't look good and it's not very hygienic in the summer months, not to mention all of the rubbish out of these bins can cause a lot of problems with vermin.
Is there not enough germs to contend with, without adding to them?
Binwatch,
High Barnes,
Sunderland

Convincing evidence
THERE has been a great deal of misinformation about wind farms.
The article by Echo reporter Trevor Hoyland was a good introduction, but perhaps I may add a few more details.
The pollution to be saved by these machines will not be from the Nissan factory itself but from the various coal-burning power stations whose output will be displaced as long as the wind blows.
Each one of the seven Nissan turbines will save the emission of about 5,000 tons of CO2 per year, together with proportionate amounts of acid rain and other pollutants. That is as much as could be absorbed by 500 acres of forest.
Objections have been raised relating to noise but in fact, this will be lost by comparison with the road traffic noise. Ecologically, of course, there will be net gain as present pollutants are no longer produced.
Bird strikes against wind farms are fewer than those against road vehicles and visual intrusion will be less than that due to grid pylons and lines.
I am told that these machines are actually second-hand, having been removed from a continental site which is up-grading to new turbines of about twice the power, leaving the Nissan machines with about 15 years of useful life available.
There is a very interesting report from the European Commission on external costs and socio-environmental damages due to electricity generation by a variety of means. See www.externe.info/externpr.pdr. It lists the external costs, that is the costs such as pollution damage, imposed on society but not borne by the generator, as 4 to 7 Eurocents per kWh for coal but only 0.15 cents for wind.
See also the US Department of Energy on www.eere.energy.gov for a review of clean energy sources.
Without wishing to prejudge the issue, I do think the evidence so far is pretty convincing.
Owen Dumpleton,
Washington

Soft on crime
AS we all know, Labour is soft on crime, tough on the victims of crime – the opposite to their false promise.
It admits we do not have enough jail cells to accommodate the rising number of criminals.
Its answer, hard to believe, is to give soft non-custodial sentences to those convicted of crimes, and set those imprisoned free half-way through their sentences.
Building more prisons until it has the gumption to reduce crime is too logical for the Government.
We know that about a quarter of young people are into crime. And the reason is very simple – lack of punishment.
On TV in a school room pupils said they liked boundaries, they then know there is a line they cannot cross.
This Government has a different answer to crime. It has as good as legalised cannabis – calm people down. It proposed 40 gambling casinos all over the country – keep them occupied and hard-up, and let us have 24 hour pubs – at least we'll know where they are!
Marjorie Matthews,
Millfield,
Sunderland

Cameras justified if they stop accidents
IN response to J Brown's letter of January 22, I would like to point out that we did let drivers know where the cameras were located last year, not only through our website, but also in local council publications and this very paper.
The only reason we are "targeting" motorists on Whitburn Road is because we believe in reducing the number of people killed or seriously injured on our roads, and will not stop doing this simply because a minority of motorists seem to think they are being "unfairly penalised" because they are unable to keep within legal, posted speed limits.
Information regarding the number of collisions at this location has also been printed in this paper, but as at least one reader appears to have missed those editions, for the record I will repeat the statistics as we have nothing to hide.
The baseline data for deciding to put this camera in was taken between 1999-2001 when there were five collisions involving someone killed or seriously injured and 15 minor collisions on this road. This is the stark reality; it was not chosen to make money out of motorists, but to help reduce unnecessary suffering.
Since we have been visiting the site with mobile cameras while waiting for the fixed camera to be commissioned, we have managed to reduce this to just six minor collisions between 2001 and 2003 and we look forward to further improvements now the fixed camera is up and running.
If any of your readers would like a copy of our Annual Report, which includes information about everything from finances to camera sites, please write to NSCP, PO Box 124, Cramlington, NE23 1WA.
Sarah Cossom,
Communications Manager,
Safe Speed for Life

Taxed after death
WHY is it my late husband, who worked hard all of his life, is still paying taxes on his pension I get. That is hard enough to stomach but to actually see for yourself what is going on is even worse.
Certain people can get taxis here, there and every social where for personal use. If they worked for it fair do, but guess what, they don't . Now if these taxis were for important trips, fair do, but they are not.
Now when there was two wages in our home we couldn't afford taxis all over. Other people have to walk or get the bus. So how is it these people can get taxis? Is the bus too expensive perhaps for these non-producers?
No, it's obvious too much money is going in to their household and its their right and privilege to spend it on what they see fit, while the genuine workers have to do without. So unless you get taxis everywhere it's not worth going out, if you can afford it, of course.
B Crute,
High Barnes,
Sunderland

It's your turn now
MY name is Jude Law and I am writing to you with a special appeal.
International development charity VSO (Voluntary Service Overseas) is offering a thrilling and extraordinary trekking experience in India – open to anyone who is willing to take up a new challenge. VSO needs you to join them for an awesome taste of India.
This trek, running from August 27 to September 3, 2005, is an unforgettable journey and possibly one of the finest treks in India. The stark and rugged landscape is bordered by two of the world's mightiest mountain ranges, the Great Himalaya and Karakoram. Overall the trek is only moderately difficult, following trails away from the popular routes, passing through quiet villages and monasteries, offering an extensive range of flora and fauna and in insider's view of the real India.
Participants will also have the unique chance to visit a VSO project and see how the money they have raised will be used to help others.
Many children in India, particularly girls, are denied an education, and an estimated 55million children are child labourers. One main focus of VSOs work in India is education.
Education suffers from massive disparities between rural and urban communities and between males and females. Literacy and school attendance have increased since independence, but rural schools are poor quality and under-resourced. Indian women not only have a minimal chance of receiving an education, but their disadvantage is also reflected in a restricted access to health services and a right to formal employment.
VSO's overall aim in India is to support local non-government organisations that reach the poorest and most marginalised communities.
We need people to raise vital money to continue to develop the availability of education in India and around the world, to give others the opportunity to learn. You can help by signing up for the trek of a lifetime through the heart of India.
Places on the India trek are limited so call the VSO Events Hotline 020 8780 today or email events@vso.org.uk for an application pack. More information can be found on the VSO website www.vso.org.uk/events
I'm supporting the work of VSO, now it's your turn!
Jude Law, actor

Utility bills penalty
NORTHUMBRIAN Water, the North East's monopoly water provider, says that from now on it is withdrawing the instalment book 10-monthly payments plan and inform me that I either pay via direct debit or at any paypoint outlet or post office (Do post offices still exist!) Standing order customers can save £5.50 but I prefer the payment book.
BT inform me on a bill dated January 27, received January 31, that if payment is not received by the due date February 2, 2005, that I will be charged £5 late payment!
There has been no advance notice of this but in the enclosed update guide received January 31 the £5 late payment is revealed effective from December 1, 2004, if payment is not received in full within five calendar days from date of dispatch of red reminder.
Note five days red reminder, that's not what it says on the bill, is it?
Does anyone at BT proof read their £5 customer fine system before they send it out?
Black and Blue,
Wearside

They got off lightly
THE penalty for looting is usually to be shot on sight. The Iraqi looters who were merely roughed up and humiliated by some over-enthusiastic Tommies got off lightly.
Our soldiers are trained killers, not policemen or social workers and in war this sort of thing and much worse will happen.
What the soldiers did was wrong and stupid, but to say this behaviour reduced us to Saddam's level is rubbish. When our soldiers start to apply the electrodes and releasing the poison gas, I'll revise my opinion.
Robert McKinnon,
Sunderland

Investigative Chris
M LEWIS writes that he was shocked to read of Fred Brady's praise of our MP Mr Chris Mullin (Echo, Feb 1).
Well M Lewis should cast his mind back and remember when Mr Mullin took the action he took on behalf of the "Birmingham Six" he was not an MP.
In fact he was an investigative journalist for a TV company doing an article on that subject. He also wrote a book, An error of Judgement, which might still be available to M Lewis in the library.
The last time I looked, Northern Ireland was part of the UK.
A Kelly,
Sunderland

Magnificent work
I WOULD like to thank all the magnificent volunteers whose hard work has helped to kick start the Year of the Volunteer 2005.
January was Health Month and across the country nearly 80 projects and events attracted new volunteers and helped raise the profile of volunteering in the health sector.
Young volunteers bored of watching TV were urged to get involved in hospital volunteering, GPs were called to make better use of volunteers in their surgeries and a major report called for health managers to recognise that volunteers have unique skills.
It has been amazing to see volunteers take the initiative and organise successful projects in such a short period of time and I hope their good work will continue throughout the Year of the Volunteer and beyond. They are truly a dedicated bunch!
David Wood, Chief Executive NAHCF


RE your article on Saturday. My son (19), has just had mumps despite being vaccinated. He is studying at Northumbria University where they have an epidemic.
After all of the debate on should you inject your kids or not. When you do, it appears to have no effect.
Marshall Normington,
Sunderland

TAXI drivers are complain that they are not allowed to use the Durham Road bus lane. In fact, taxis use the bus lanes frequently when the car lane is backed up (and the bus lane empty, as usual).
Terry Elliott,
East Herrington,
Sunderland

IN last night's telly by Emily Mccarrick (Jan 31), she refers to Shelley's weight as not being of Cecil Parkinson's proportions. Surely she is thinking of the former Liberal MP for Rochdale Cyril Smith. Emily, you are the weakest link, goodbye.
Uncle Mort,
Roker,
Sunderland

AUTHOR Chris Stagg, who is based in Kent, is compiling a book regarding Sunderland Football Club. He is especially keen to obtain information from the period 1945 to 1955 and in particular the football programmes for that period. He will return any material lent or will pay excellent prices to purchase for his research. Anyone who may be able to help him is invited to contact him on (01322) 523153 or you can write to:
Chris Stagg,
9 Manor Close,
Crayford,
Kent,
DA1 4EX