Sunday, 27 April 2008

Apr 27 2008 Wales On Sunday

THE April 20 issue of Wales on Sunday published 10 tips on how to beat the credit crunch.

On the previous day the Daily Telegraph headline had run “Austerity Britain, families cut out luxuries.”

Over the weekend other papers had published articles on the troubles of Citigroup, Merrill Lynch and the Royal Bank of Scotland.

Of more concern here is the report that two of the six UK towns most affected by the sub-prime fall out are in Wales – Cardiff and Newport.

The 10 tips constitute an effective money-saving programme.

But will people take them?

Some mind sets do not adopt quickly enough to circumstances as they change.

People see luxuries as necessities and might not give them up until it’s too late.

They might cling to the hope that things will get better. In fact, they are likely to get worse.

As they do people will stick together in small communities of blood, interest or place. They will trust only those they know.

The ‘Totnes Pound’ will set a precedent.

The castles in the air of global finance and credit could collapse or be completely restricted while actual exchange at grassroots level is conducted by virtual barter.

As Vince Cable, treasury spokesman for the Liberal democrats, has been the only front rank politician to foresee and warn against this continuing disaster, he should be asked for his advice.

That is, unless anyone seriously thinks that the present government is capable of dealing with the situation.

Margaret BrownSt David’s, Pembrokeshire

VOTING is our only opportunity to have a say in the running of our country.

Politicians are much influenced by our votes, but they take little notice of what else we say or do.

Voting requires effort and responsibility, but not voting is an even bigger responsibility.

When we abstain we give two votes to the party for whom we would not have voted.

Those who vote will have a big say. Those who do not vote will have no say.

Gwilym LevellTonnaNeath

MERTHYR Tydfil has the highest percentage of male incapacity benefits claimants of anywhere in the United Kingdom.

Merthyr Tydfil is not isolated in this respect.

Of the eight highest male incapacity benefit claimant areas in Britain, five are in South Wales – in addition to Merthyr, there is Blaenau Gwent, Neath, Port Talbot, Rhondda Cynon Taff and Caerphilly.

And within these local authority areas, the highest concentrations of incapacity benefits recipients are in the top ends of the Valleys.

In some wards as many as one in four of the working age population are on incapacity benefits.

What is Labour’s answer to the problem?

Tougher tests on who will qualify for the incapacity benefit to cut the number claiming the benefit by 20,000 a year.

Gordon Brown’s decision to change tax bands would hit low paid workers the hardest. Standard income tax was cut by two per cent to 20%, but the lowest 10p band is being scrapped entirely.

Council tax has gone up under Labour, petrol taxes have gone up under Labour. Labour promised no more boom and bust economy, another promise broken.

Old Labour was once accused of taxing the rich but New Labour taxes the poor.

Andrew Thomas NuttHeolddu Road Bargoed

WHO does John Phillips (WoS Letters, April 20) think he is? Kidding about the many weeks of travelling by ship to America that Freddie Welsh, Jackie Kid Berg and Ted Kid Lewis undertook.

He should know very well that they each lived in the USA for a number of years.

The great Ted Kid Lewis spent the whole of the First World War boxing in America while his compatriots like Dai Roberts, Tom McCormick and others were dying for their country.

Patrick WhiteChristchurch RoadNewport

When Tony Blair uttered the words “education, education, education” before he became Prime Minister, few can have imagined that what he meant was change, change and more change.

Since they came to power the Labour Government has done nothing but meddle in schooling.

Today every aspect of education is more complicated, and our feature on the myriad of exams and qualifications is proof.

How ironic that after more than a decade in power the government responsible for introducing many of these bizarre qualifications now wants to reduce them!

Twenty years or more ago education was far simpler and, many would claim, far better.

Cliff JonesBristol