Letter from Greg Dunningham

4:08pm Wednesday 25th June 2008

May I take this opportunity to commend Coun Bluh for his defence of the council cabinet. "What's this?" I hear you exclaim. Well let's be honest, the rewards of being a councillor or in the council itself, are not on a par with being a Division One, Two or Threefootballer. Maybe some do miss meetings, or forget to do the right thing at the right time but we are all human and all prone to making the odd faux-pas. It matters not whether you are a noble street cleaner or an executive, what the public perceive is apparent value for money paid by its rate payers to live in the area.

Maybe Anne Robinson feels Swindon is not to her liking and others may agree with her, but when you compare it to many other places not so far away this is not such a bad place to live. A town is made by the pride (or lack of it) of those who live and work there. If we do not like what is being done for us then we should record our displeasure at the ballot box.

If we hate to see rubbish on our streets then firstly do not contribute to it and secondly maybe we should try and stop those who do actively contribute to it. Like the black cab driver I saw the other day throw a sandwich box, followed by adrinks carton out of his cab window in QueensDrive.Or the cheapskates who steal plants from the displays the council laboriously prepare onthe verges and roundabouts. Or the morons who let their dogs foul the pavements or who dump cars or break the glass in bus shelters etc, etc..

Who will you ring to complain to? Your councillor... Would you want those calls nearly 24 hours a day?

So from the local sceptic on all matters - Well done to Coun Bluh and allthe other councillors and unsung council employees. You have a thankless job that deserves some recognition, after all we only notice the bad things, never all the clean streets and other services which work faultlessly time after time.

PS Can you delay any decision on charging us a wheelie bin tax based on the rubbish we throw until we have had a chance to vote? No? Okay just a thought.

Greg Dunningham Marlborough Road Old Town Swindon