This c-charge debate, which has dominated the letters pages, and appears rather like one group of people with their hands over their ears shouting ‘Nah-nah-nah-I’m-not-listening-I’m-not-listening’, having a go at another group of people with hands over their ears shouting ‘Nah-nah-nah-I’m-not-listening-I’m-not-listening’ is one of the best things that has ever been in the Bury Times.

These letters are worth the cost of the paper alone!

But I had to write after Councillor Boden’s letter last week. Once again, when the TIF is criticised, those in authority respond with comments such as ‘…it is only too easy for people to strike poses but they offer us no alternative way to make some real progress in tackling traffic congestion, with benefits for economic efficiency, public health, community spirit and reduction of our carbon footprint…’ This sounded to me like somebody saying, ‘If you don’t like it, why don’t you come up with a good suggestion?’ Now correct me if I am wrong, but isn’t coming up with good suggestions one of the reasons why we vote/pay for councillors in the first place?

If I paid a builder to do some work on my house and he made an absolute pig’s ear of it and I complained, would it be acceptable for the builder to turn around and say, ‘If you don’t like it, why don’t you do it better?’ Getting constantly attacked and questioned is part and parcel of being a public servant.

I know where my vote is going, but I do see benefits and pit falls on both sides. It is important that we get out of the silly car culture that we have in this country, have cleaner air and work towards a future for our kids.

Having a congestion charge won’t solve all these problems alone, but it’s a good start.

However, it seems grossly unfair to work towards this locally by simply hitting the pockets of lots of normal, hardworking people who just want to provide for their families (which, as it appears to me, would happen).

So, rather than going at it with each other, how about the two ‘sides’ working together on this? Carl Chrystan Bury