Tuesday 18 January 2011

Cuts & Thrusts

Letter to Wanstead & Woodford Guardian:

Dear Sirs,

The Green Party completely understands the anger and frustration felt by the British population in reaction to our local, regional and national governments' handling of the economic crisis, which is chiefly of their making.

Your last two front page stories perfectly illustrate the fact that these administrations have no idea of how to address the problem of the recession - Fury as tube and bus prices soar (January 6) and Full force of cuts revealed (January 13).

We believe that now is the perfect opportunity to invest in services and green job creation, which would provide work for people who would produce an environmentally sustainable, money saving, energy infrastructure. In this way people would be able to earn and spend money in order that the economy may be regenerated. Furthermore the public should be encouraged to use an affordable public transport system, rather than (as at present) being squeezed dry for every last penny to travel on it to get to work and for our leisure. In this way our roads would be decongested, allowing everyone to travel more freely with less pollution.

However - although this quadruple whammy addresses the issues of the recession, unemployment, Climate Change and transport - the powers that be are heading (in gas guzzling mode) in exactly the opposite direction!

In any event, rather than cutting jobs and vital services, we strongly feel that the government should stop fretting over the size of bankers' bonuses and simply freeze these awards, so that it may first ensure that the most vulnerable members of our society are not being left out in the cold.

Yours sincerely

Ashley Gunstock
The Green Party
Leading Spokesperson - Redbridge