Letters - February 13, 2017

Reason I say this is when walking our dog on the cliffs at Little Bispham and Norbeck area we noticed a new sign to say the dogs must be kept on a lead.

Whether it’s the local council, the local councillor, or just someone out there that’s anti-dog or someone with the power to make these silly rules, whoever they are, they are no dog lover and certainly have it in for our canine friends!

As for dogs on leads, I and many others would certainly agree that vicious breeds (eg bull terriers) definitely must be kept on a lead at all times but really will that include lap dogs and spaniels as they are trained and certainly not the mauling type of animal?

I have never seen any dog run from the cliffs or park and cause an accident.

If it’s an issue with dog poo not picked up by the owner, no it’s not 100 per cent that clean up afterwards. It may be someone who is just unable physically to clean up after the animal, bearing in mind the majority of dog walkers on the cliff from Blackpool to Cleveleys are pensioners. Of course there are the lazy and bad dog owners who shouldn’t have a dog in the first place and need fining heavily as they are the minority.

To suggest we don’t pick up after fouling it’s true in some cases but you will never find 100 per cent of anything in people as we are all different. we as dog walkers accept that and try to educate everyone the reasons why we ALL have to be responsible.

We have no gates now off the cliffs to the main road, this I believe was because someone trapped themselves in the gate and sued somebody so the gates were taken off leaving the way for children to run out on to the tram track and road, (that was a clever decision by someone) isn’t that now a safety issue in itself.

It has been said by our local councillor that when the Anchorsholme Park Project has finished, no fence or separation will be in place from the park to the new coast road and dogs must be kept on a lead in the park at all times (for whatever reasons).

It seems to me that children never came into the safety equation with a main road adjoining their park here.

There have also been restrictions on the beach when walking your dog besides the May to October ban.

Also local parks have now have new laws banning dogs or imposing lead restrictions.

Have one of our council officers or indeed our local councillors or MPs been bitten by a dog or stood in dog poo or something?

W. Bond

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PRAISE

Thank you 
Chris Moncrieff

Chris Moncrieff is a respected journalist of the old school and I just want to say how much I enjoy his column in The Gazette. It’s always pertinent, balanced and informative.

Mac

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MONEY

Admit reality of the illusion of wealth

It is now very clear that The Great Crash of 2007 marked the end of an era.

The ensuing economic and financial turmoil produced a profound change in social mood and, nationally, political parties are struggling to adjust to the new reality.

Much of the renewed economic ‘growth’ is illusory in so much as it has been driven by transient factors and continued borrowing.

Moreover, many national economic metrics reveal an economy headed in the wrong direction. We have a chronic trade deficit running around 5.4 per cent of GDP.

Services cover some of the gap, but UK earnings on assets overseas, relative to earnings of foreign investors in the UK, has deteriorated markedly.

Leading politicians laud inward foreign investment while failing to admit that, to all intents and purposes, the country is up ‘For Sale’.

We have no choice other than to either issue more and more debt, or sell more and more assets into foreign ownership.

In both cases, a greater amount of interest and dividend income leaves our shores. We are dependent on the kindness of strangers to maintain our standard of living. If this capital inflow stops then the game will be well and truly up. As Dr Tim Morgan has pointed out, prosperity is not a function of the amount of money someone has, but of the extent of ‘choice’ – discretion – a person has after paying for essentials.

Dr Morgan has calculated that, although average wages rose by 25 per cent from 2005 to 2015, this must be set against inflation of 27 per cent. Many people are now running very hard simply to stand still, yet the best that national politicians and the commentariat can muster is to create a catchy acronym to describe them – JAMs – Just About Managing.

When are the leaders of the ruling party of Government – the Conservative Party – going to stop deluding themselves and admit this reality?

Kevin Hey

Address supplied

TRUMP

Speaker doesn’t speak for me

The Speaker of the House of Commons made the biggest mistake of his career when he said that the elected leader of the free world and our greatest ally, President Trump, will not be welcome at the House of Commons.

It is an own goal for John Bercow, but that in itself is of little consequence, but of much more importance is the damage this could cause to our future trade deal and security.

I am almost ( but not quite) lost for words.

Who on earth does he think he is? I hope the more sensible and responsible MPs will find a way to sack this inept politician and apologise to President Trump.

Dick Lindley

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