Necessary role

THE comments made on the news about wasting money on traffic controllers are utter rubbish. These men and women are the lowest paid workers. Labourers get more than them

My husband has worked on the current Range for 12 months now.

For the mayors of both councils to say it has been a waste of money to have these workers onsite is beyond me

I, as a cleaner, get more hourly than him. Yes, that’s right, the person who comes and cleans up after you at your chambers get more than him.

How dare you suggest that these people are a waste? Can your automated system tell the job site of motorists who have not stopped and warn the other workers? I don’t think so.

Just look at other automated systems, e.g. Telstra (now there’s a thought).

The Mayor of Toowoomba said there were two men standing on a road where only one or two cars a day came out of. Best look again, one of those would have been your worker.

Yes, by all means, let’s put traffic lights up at roadworks.

The perfect example is the Meringandan Rd work near school works. It’s great as long as people stop when it is going.

If you sacked some of the traffic controllers, this would be great. It would mean my husband no longer gets abused and he doesn’t have to stand out in the sun, rain or cold all day or start work at 6am and work until 5.30pm.

I don’t see many putting their hands up for this type of job. Maybe he can go on the Newstart Allowance instead and wait for his pension to came through as he is 65 years old.

Maybe what we should be looking at is your wages and that of others on council and in government. How much wasted money is there?

I suggest in future you get advice on the subject before you open you mouth. Find out the facts first. Best you talk to these wasted expensive people.

MONIQUE BENNETT, Kleinton politicians should be addressing right away.

Keep in mind that a job and actually earning an income is the only way that the vast majority of the population can avail themselves of money to participate meaningfully in our system.

No job, no money, no participation breeds a lack of interest, a lack of respect for our system and a general loss of aspiration and direction.

It seems and in fact it is our main aim to use automation to generate and produce our requirements. Why, we can’t even wind the windows of our cars up or down, we need electric motors to carry out such a menial task.

I have on one occasion been made redundant by the introduction of machinery; it leaves one with a very perplexing and distrusting feeling.

Now we are going to ask people to work until they are 70. That’s okay to some extent. There are some people, I feel sure, who have or can carry out some jobs safely and competitively at such an advanced age, however over the long term are the jobs going to be available? I think not.

Check out one huge mining industry. It is unbelievable but I understand it employs only 2-3% of the workforce and let’s face it; it won’t go on forever, maybe 30-50 years we are told. It is hugely automated especially compared to places like Turkey.

I think now is the time to address the looming problem of funds distribution, maybe a 30 hour week is the place to begin.

R. BUTLER, Toowoomba other websites.

So Geoff why should we believe you ahead of a vast amount of other so-called “scientists”?

The planet has been here for millions of years going through various weather cycles and far more serious attacks such as when the dinosaurs were wiped out so I hardly think that your diatribe about melting ice (letters, 22/5) is really worth worrying about.

As John Weymouth’s earlier letter argued there are plenty of facts available written by so-called scientists who have a total opposite view to yours.

To try to suggest these are biased websites manipulating the facts is the pot calling the kettle black.

There are a myriad of points of view about so called “global warming”, more recently conveniently changed to “climate change” and nothing is going to convince me or millions of other people that the world is in the sort of trouble you believe it is in.

It will be here just the same for millions more years.

Natural events, wars, food availability and various pandemics will ensue that the population does not grow to excesses and life as we know continues into perpetuity.

ANDREW CIVIL, Mount Lofty