THERE is at present much hand-wringing on the part of local authorities as they try to take what I accept are difficult budget decisions while they try to balance their books.
If we can start by accepting that the Tory years of austerity have had a damaging impact on Scotland’s finances at both national and local levels, then inevitably this has made life very difficult for council budgets. However, I think that our councils could be doing much more to ease the pressures on our important local services. Here are three suggestions:
First, an immediate introduction of a tourist tax. You have previously published a letter from me in support of such a tax. A charge of £3 a night would raise something like £25 million annually for the city of Edinburgh. It is frankly risible to claim that the introduction of such a widely-applied tax would deter visitors to Scotland. They are not going to be put off by the cost of a cup of coffee.
Secondly, as an Edinburgh Festival Volunteer Guide, I regularly find that visitors to Edinburgh are astonished to be told that there are four city museums on the Royal Mile that have no admission charges. They are so used to having to pay entrance charges back home or in other countries that they have visited. As a policy, free admissions to such cultural centres was well-intentioned but is now surely unsustainable.
I am sure that those of your readers who have travelled abroad and who have visited such venues would have paid an entrance fee to museums, galleries and, in many countries, even gardens. So why do be we persist in allowing universal free entry to these attractions, particularly when there are other venues such as those managed by Historic Environment cotland and the National Trust for Scotland which do charge an entrance fee? This inconsistency must be confusing for our visitors.
It is perfectly feasible to allow for reduced or indeed free entry for particular individuals or groups. The bottom line however is that there should be a charge which must generate much-needed income. Given our financial woes, can we afford to be so different?
Finally, councils should increase the council tax rates for the three higher bands of council tax, F, G and H. The differential between those householders rated on Band A, the lowest band with those on Band H, the highest band, is very small and certainly does not reflect the present value of the respective properties and the likely income of the residents. The last valuations were carried out as far back as 1991. Why has nothing been done to bring property valuations up to date and adjust the council tax bands accordingly? What happened to the suggested local income tax?
I would suggest more action on the part of local councils and less complaining. There are ways to protect our local services that are readily to hand.
Eric Melvin, Edinburgh
A new start for the Kirk
I NOTE Bill Cowan's letter (January 31) concerning the Church of Scotland and the planned closure of so many churches. In my view the plan will simply lead to the inevitable decline of the Church of Scotland, which can no longer be seen as the national church.Thankfully it is not the decline of Christ's Church, as can be seen in the growth of independent churches and fellowships.
Alexander McKay (Letters, January 31), writing about the gender reform fallout, uses the phrase "it would seem that we are witnessing the beginning of the end". That reminded me of what Churchill said in 1942 when Montgomery defeated the German army under Rommel: "This is not the end, it is not even the beginning of the end, but it may be the end of the beginning."
So let's hope that the Kirk can get that message and go forward in faith and hope that there is the possibility of a new beginning, led by, as Mr Cowan said, "those who got us into this mess in the first place".
Ron Lavalette, Ardrossan
Learning from experience
I WRITE to agree with Neil Mackay on Alan Cumming’s return of his OBE ("Hail the national treasure who returned his OBE", The Herald, January 31).
What Mr Mackay writes is reminiscent of what Muhammad Ali Ali said: “If you think the same at 50 as you did you did at 20, you have wasted 30 years”. I have spent the last 50 years reading widely and wisely, and expanding my knowledge of the world and everything in it. So all praise to Alan Cumming for the return of the so-called honour, for realising what the honour actually means. John Lennon did the same.
Margaret Forbes, Blanefield
Friendly rivalry
THE Rev James Watson's letter re Biggars Music (January 31) made me smile, as my father was, indeed, one of the musicians on these organ demonstrations, giving in situ recitals all over Scotland (he died in the early 1960s, before Rev Watson's experience). He was the manager of the Biggars Cambridge Street keyboard specialist branch.
However, Biggars and McCormicks (among other music shops in the city back then) were fine institutions. The salesmen were all accomplished musicians themselves, and gave help and advice to young people and were very knowledgeable on strings, reeds, and accessories.
Biggars and McCormicks – by tacit agreement? – each specialised; Biggars for classical, McCormicks for jazz and pop, but, as the Rev Watson remarked, they were most genial and welcoming places to visit.
I don't know what happened.
Hugh Steele, Cumbernauld
Price tag
BBC news tells us that supermarkets are price-matching with their competitors. Surely they mean price-fixing with their colleagues?
Malcolm Parkin, Kinross
Late call
YOUR excellent golf correspondent Nick Rodger tells us today of emails from a weary sports editor warning of approaching deadlines ("Nick Rodger on Tuesday", Herald Sport, January 31). A story about the late John McKie, composer of the Wee Stinker crossword, relates how Mrs McKie took a Sunday call from the crosswords editor, inquiring about the non-appearance of Monday's puzzle. On hearing of the reason for the call, McKie, aka Myops, shouted: "Tell him I'm at one across."
I live with a lady whose motto is "Punctuality is the thief of time" (Oscar Wilde).
David Miller, Milngavie
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