Pantomime economies (Murdo McKay)

What a lovely austere word austerity is. What pleasure some folk get from imposing it on others, especially on pensioners who they believe can’t fight back.

The cleansing service have come out with all guns blazing, “no more grass cutting for old folk,” and “no more carrying your old rubbish to the town dump”. Sorry, I should have said Gremista Waste Management Facility and Recycling Centre, or Gwmfarc for short.

I would like to ask how much has these two adverts cost us. Could I estimate their cost at around £600? If I am wrong they can always correct me.

As the men who go out on this collections lorry are already employed by the council and as the lorry also belongs to the council, the only extra expense is the cost of the petrol. Would the petrol cost more than £600, Mr Greenhill?

In regard to the grass cutting, most of this was done by people doing community service, so no further cost was involved apart from petrol for trips round town.

These cuts are pantomime economies involving costly adverts making a big show, with very little product at the end.

Perhaps Gordon Greenhill, the executive director, could go to night-classes to learn how to apply austerity to himself. We cannot really afford his spindthrift habits in today’s straitened times.

Murdo Mckay
14 Sandwall,
Lerwick.