Is this the rubbish service disabled citizen deserves?
WITH reference to the article in the Coventry Telegraph on August 19 relating to the report about the problem with bin collections.
I was registered disabled four years ago and told I was entitled to assisted collection and return service.
Over the four years I have been missed on a regular basis.
My garden waste bin was collected once in July, on the 25, and since has not been collected this month.
They also missed my housekeeping waste one week.
You phone the council but you are not allowed to talk to anybody.
The lady on the switchboard will take your name and details, but over the four years I have never had a call back. I have requested an appointment, but again nothing.
All you get from the phone, is that they will “look into it” and send you a letter.
It takes about three weeks to write a letter. I do not know what the council staff do all day.
I am in my mid-eighties, a freeman of the city, as was my dad, and this is how I am treated. Gordon Hughes
Tile Hill
Democracy debate needed
WHAT a shame that David Hearne reduces what could be a sensible debate about the nature of local democracy to a very shallow “point- scoring” argument for “democracy on the cheap”. In my view there is indeed a case to be made for a smaller professionalised “cadre” of local political representatives who are paid an appropriate salary perhaps, with longer but restricted periods of office (say one period only but six years rather than four).
Elections might be every three years with 36 councillors (so each of 18 wards has two councillors).
There could be an agreed non-political requirement with an assessment process as to knowledge and capability in addition to the selection processes of the parties.
So no one can stand without a certain level of ability (with care as to diversity in the process).
Any such changes could be cost neutral but driven by enhancing capability (whatever the politics) rather than making savings.
The one should drive the other, with full-time councillors who have to have reached an agreed standard.
As each councillor can only stand once, they are less constrained by concerns of re-election.
Although the removal of the party whip would still remain, parties are less likely to use that sanction especially where majorities are likely to be slimmer.
Of course these suggestions are not new but I do think we need a proper debate avoiding the same tired old insults directed at incumbents most of whom in my experience do a thankless job with ever reducing resources and allowances that hardly cover any loss of income. Neil Rider Stoke
Sydney.. now that’s a real city of culture
I WHOLEHEARTEDLY agree with Gaile Allen’s comments (August 17) about being ashamed of our city centre.
In preference to Coventry, I choose to shop in Kenilworth or Leamington as to me those are two places of culture (neither of them cities though).
We have ten family members travelling from Sydney, Australia for a wedding here in Coventry next summer.
How about some of the councillors flying to Sydney (they may as well, as they waste so much money unnecessarily on whole elephants)?
That is what I call a city of culture and then perhaps our depressing faceless, unclean city centre can think about getting ready for UK City of Culture. Jill M Pinks Tile Hill South