Letters: Capital ditching its motto without pausing to reflect

In the City Chambers, according to your report “Unholy Row” (News, June 26), the Lord Provost and council are, in effect, about to deny the motto of the city: nisi dominus frustra, which is based on the opening of Psalm 127: Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it.

It seems that the council is yielding to the clamour of the National Secular Society to abolish the spiritually healthy practice of prayers at the opening of council meetings, and to substitute the euphemistically termed “pause for reflection” before, and not as, the opening of the meetings.

This is clear from your report, which shows that, having won a High Court ruling in England abolishing prayers at a Devon town council, the NSS would turn its sights on Edinburgh.

The Lord Provost is being devious in stating: “I firmly believe our solution meets the council’s commitment to achieve equal access for all Edinburgh residents, regardless of race, gender, disability, sexuality, age, religion or belief.” I disagree on the grounds that it denies the city motto. Will the NSS now turn its sights on that?

Donald Jack, Summerside Place, Leith

Wind plan would have huge impact

DEBBIE Chawners from Sustainable Energy (Letters, June 26) does not mention that the “ordinary resident” sample was around 25 per cent of the residents so it’s 60 per cent of 25 per cent – hardly “massive support”. The “independent poll” questions were also a bit selective and weighted in favour of a positive response.

No mention was made of the cumulative impact of the other eight plans for wind farms in the immediate area giving a huge total of 250 turbines if approved.

This development would turn the southern end of the Pentlands into a huge industrial landscape. If anyone is in doubt, just drive along the “Lang Wang” and have a look at the height of the scoping mast.

Gordon Hogg, Uphall Station, Livingston

SNP government leading the way

THE news that the Scottish Government is providing a £105 million package of economic stimulus to support new investment and accelerate projects comes shortly after figures indicated that the UK Government borrowed a staggering £17.9 billion last month, up from £15.2bn in April.

The UK Government has, however, embarked on a supposed deficit reduction programme and yet borrowing is not going down, but up.

Spending cuts are not improving, but making the current economic situation worse, with reduced spending power contributing to the economic slowdown and the private sector unable to pick up the slack.

The UK Government must wake up to the fact that the medicine it is prescribing is not curing but killing the patient that is the UK economy.

The UK Government must reverse its damaging economic policies and follow the lead of the Scottish Government in providing resources for capital investment in order to support economic recovery, spending our way out of what is not a recession, but a worsening depression.

Alex Orr, Leamington Terrace, Edinburgh

‘Soft’ parents are tossing cash away

I COULD hardly believe the article about school “proms”. (News, June 27).

Parents soft enough to splash out hundreds of pounds on outfits and limos should be ashamed of themselves.

It’s bad enough that money is lavished on them for high school proms, but to squander hard-earned cash on primary school children is madness. They should be playing with dolls, not getting all dolled up.

It may seem like a bit of fun to those who can throw their cash away in such a carefree manner, but these parents should recognise the pressure they are heaping on other mums and dads who are struggling to keep their children fed and clothed. Those kids will see their pals splashing out and will expect the same.

The amounts being paid by some parents for one night for one daughter will be more than can be scraped together by some parents for Christmas for the whole family.

Ken Welsh, Easter Road, Edinburgh