Choices on local cuts (From York Press)

Choices on local cuts

11:03am Saturday 6th October 2012 in Letters By Readers' letters

JUDGING by his letter of September 20 and his sycophantic defence of Labour’s cuts in York, it is Coun Barnes who lives in a fantasy world.

What he fails to say is that locally Labour has choices where to spend money. While they can continue to find money for James Alexander’s pet projects – they lavished another £3.3 million on the city centre last month – Labour can’t blame central government for local cuts.

It was Coun Alexander and his cabinet who decided to close Beckfield Lane tip, shut Burnholme School, cut adult social care and remove litter bins.

We know from an ex-Labour councillor that their policy is to blame the national government for local decisions.

Coun Alexander should come clean with voters and admit that Labour’s spending priorities do not match residents’ priorities on a wide range of issues.

Schemes such as free wi-fi for the city centre and £1.3m funding for a “twitter palace” at the flood-vulnerable Bonding Warehouse, are prioritised over social care, schools and bins.

These are the facts, even if Coun Barnes chooses not to recognise them.

Coun Ian Cuthbertson (Lib Dem), Earswick Chase, York.
 

• I READ in The Press that City of York Council is to give an increase of one per cent in the amount it allows for care homes, but is going to have an exercise to work out the true cost of care and how much it needs to pay.

I can understand the need to save money, so how can it justify spending £600,000 on refurbishing Hazel Court after it has just spent £43.8 million on new council offices and £60,000 on a new car for the Lord Mayor?

It seems like they are following in the footsteps of the last Labour government in spending money they haven’t got.

Margaret Mason, Anthea Drive, Huntington, York.