I AM more than mindful that the debate over the tram may now be becoming tedious but important questions continue to be asked, not least those raised by Dr Ross Coles (Your Views, February 14) and also Mr S Williams (Your Views, February 15) namely, how representative of public support are the city council being and how much regard is being given to the costs in these challenging economic times?
I myself am troubled by an article in the October edition of the Arrow, the publication of the city council, which claimed that, and I quote, "the first phase of NET Line One generated �100 million for the local economy and created 1,000 new local jobs".
I have twice written to the publishers of the Arrow, and my question was "what evidence did you use for each part of this statement?"
As yet I have received no reply or acknowledgement.
In my opinion it feels as though there is a propaganda campaign going on to force the next phases through.
I very much support the further development of public transport but have always considered a priority bus route through the areas concerned to be both much more cost effective and far less disruptive.
Also, buses offer far more seats to passengers than trams, which in peak periods require the majority of users to stand.
I believe that it is time for a radical rethink and some statesmanship by our elected representatives to ensure that real cost effectiveness in transport planning is achieved.
JOHN CHAMBERS Bramcote Lane Wollaton
AFTER delivering his democracy lecture to the demonstrators about to oust president Muhammad Hosni Mubarak, it was gratifying to learn our Prime Minister's departure from Egypt was not inconvenienced.
Alas, Britons stranded in Libya were not so fortunate, as their leaders faffed and dallied.
How unlike Russia, America and France, who got their people airlifted to safety in the crisis' early stages.
A few years ago, the Foreign Office acclaimed universal respect seeming to issue passports like confetti.
Now they lack a sense of pride and patriotism has been outmoded with political correctness.
If the democratic process is so important to Mr Cameron, he must insist upon a referendum for the UK's withdrawal from the EU, and support the best form of electoral reform.
By sticking with the majority vote, referred to as first past the post, it will be interesting to assess how Britain will be ultimately governed; especially when traditional voters tend to support a party, irrespective of its policies.
The characteristics of the electorate might change utterly, as thousands of displaced citizens fled the upheaval in Middle Eastern countries and voyaged across the Mediterranean Sea in flotillas of craft to the Italian island of Lampedusa.
Once on Italian soil they can claim asylum, allowing them to settle in an EU country. Many favour living in the UK.
If the alternative vote is not adopted, in my view Parliament could end up consisting of representatives with little knowledge of the British Isles, as what I would call Englishness is tempered with diversity and induced multiculturalism.
It is unlikely a right wing party will win an election, but the alternative vote ought to enable them sufficient support to restore the balance of fairness.
While politicians continue in dilatory mode when managing the nation's affairs, Parliament is at risk of being encircled by braying multitudes; reminiscent of scenes when dictators are deposed from power.
NIGEL J STARBUCK Carnarvon Close Bingham
ONCE again Eric Goodyer (Your Views, February 25) offers us Labour-party-type propaganda regarding our economic performance.
It seems the Government "cuts" are hampering our economic recovery, and he quotes figures from several countries.
It is noteworthy that the EU states (Germany, France, Sweden, UK) all had low or no economic growth rates, yet China and India are doing really well.
Apparently we should not be concerned that our government is still borrowing massively, while trying to reduce the astonishing national debt inherited from the last government, the annual interest payment on which alone equates to our combined defence and education budgets.
Cynics among us, myself included, might well think that the success of China and India relates to their workers having not yet developed the "world owes us a living" mentality prevalent in the West, so they are prepared to work harder for less than Europeans.
They probably don't have dinosaur trade union leaders prepared to destroy their members' industries by repeated irresponsible striking.
Perhaps their governments can levy lower taxes on industry, as they are not burdened with the need to finance a monstrous welfare benefit system, or to send military forces to meddle in the affairs of foreign countries, or to take the moral lead on matters such as global warming and carbon credits, however damaging to the national economy this may be (remember the closure of the Corus steel-works, putting 300 British workers out of a job, while exporting the business to India).
Chinese and Indian businesses certainly don't struggle under the burden of the flood of over-regulation put out by the European Union of Socialist Republics.
Do I have the solution to our problems? Sorry, but I think this country must accept that the days of affluence are over, and we must all accept a decline in living standards (unless we are employed by the EU, of course).
R DUXON High Oakham Road Mansfield
NIGEL J Starbuck's letter (Your Views, February 24) is typical of the myths, misinformation and selective half-truths that are often portrayed by the anti-wind brigade, in their battle to try and discredit wind power.
In his letter he claims that wind turbines are not green, however that nuclear power somehow is.
His contribution to the anti-wind propaganda is based on the use of neodymium in the manufacture of permanent magnets for wind turbine generators and the apparent environmental damage caused in its mining.
From his letter one might believe that this is a newly-discovered material, being used for the sole purpose of wind turbines!
The reality is that the metal was first discovered in 1885 and is commercially used in tens of thousands of applications including almost everything that contains a magnet, this includes radios, computers, cars, mobile phones, TVs, aircraft and in fact every form of power generation not just wind power, but Mr Starbuck hasn't mentioned that. Does he want to mislead readers or has been misled himself?
Mr Starbuck goes on to claim that, due to the use of neodymium, the environmental credentials of wind power are flawed and the powers-that-be should build nuclear instead.
While everything we manufacture has an impact on our environment, and this includes the wind turbines, the use of wind to generate sustainable and pollution-free energy means that wind turbines soon become, on balance, very environmentally friendly.
In fact wind power is excepted worldwide as the most advanced form of renewable energy and, at a time when our economy is faltering, is experiencing unprecedented worldwide growth.
On the other hand nuclear is in decline and while low carbon, it is certainly not carbon-free or pollution-free. There is a mere two per cent of uranium 235 in uranium ore, this has to be mined and enriched in a very environmentally-destructive, energy-intensive process.
Not to mention the huge amounts of energy and pollution created in the clean-up process, the long-term storage of waste, not to mention Chernobyl.
JON BERESFORD Hobsic Close Brinsley
I WANT to record a big thank you to everyone who contributed to Notts County Council's Big Budget Conversation.
More than 67,000 responses were received through the most extensive budget consultation this authority has ever undertaken.
From the highest praise to the harshest criticism, every comment we received was taken into account
On February 24, 2011, Conservative councillors voted to freeze council tax for the second successive year.
In doing so, we agreed �4.1 million of changes to our original budget proposals in direct response to the outcomes of the consultation.
Extra money has been found from reserves for the supporting people programme, grant aid to voluntary groups, libraries, country parks and welfare rights advice.
Throughout the budget process we have been very direct about the difficult decisions required to save over �80 million from the county budget for 2011/12.
By reducing management and administration costs and reviewing expenditure on non-essential services we have found an extra �42 million to reinvest, largely in services to our most vulnerable young and older people.
Because we were frank with Nottinghamshire residents about our budget challenge, opposition groups have been able to attack many of our proposals, telling us what we should not be saving and what we should not be doing.
Unfortunately, they have said nothing remotely credible as to what they would do instead.
At the council meeting Labour, Liberal Democrat and Independent councillors all failed to present alternative budgets showing where they would find the necessary savings.
Unison East Midlands submitted two sets of budget proposals, but detailed analysis by the authority's senior finance officer showed these would not work. His detailed analysis can be found on the Notts County Council website.
As you might expect, the most constructive suggestions we received were from Nottinghamshire residents and council employees. We have responded by finding extra money wherever we can.
I urge people not be fooled by our political opponents and the trade unions who claim that these difficult budget decisions can be avoided, but cannot provide any viable evidence to back it up.
COUNCILLOR KAY CUTTS County Council Leader County Hall, West Bridgford
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Global climate talks Foreign policy Peter Beardsley Steve Coogan Fulham West Bromwich Albion
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