MORE and more, it appears that our democratic rights are being eroded and the members of this Government are turning into dictators. Recently we have heard:

1 You will not stay in your home as long as you wish. If you do, you will be heavily fined when you finally move. If we stay until we die, who pays?

If we have to sell to pay for residential care, has this proposed new tax to be paid?

Apart from anything else, why on earth should we have to move if we don't want to?

We've paid good money over the years to get our homes comfortable for ourselves, scrimped, saved and made do; why should we be penalised?

2 You will save money and you will join a company pension scheme.

Everyone would like to save and be in a pension scheme but there are many, many people who are struggling to keep their heads above water, who don't have a spare pound to put away for a rainy day or old age. To them, every day is a rainy day and, quite frankly, old age can wait.

3You will pay twice over for the removal of garbage.

Forget that you have already paid an exorbitant amount in your council tax. You will pay again.

The Government should concentrate on setting up more and more recycling plants. Councils should be siting bins all over the towns, cities, villages, absolutely everywhere, for people to put cardboard, plastic, cans, glass, foil and anything else that can be recycled.

Janet S Kitchen,

Ashley Park Road, York.

Updated: 10:59 Tuesday, July 16, 2002