Take the land tax proposal to the polls if this deal is a good one
attributed to him:Eddie Jim
I’m glad the warning lights are back on mobile speed cameras. I have 61 years of experience on the road here and throughout Western Europe a few million kilometers behind me, and in my experience, the least proficient are those who advocate strict enforcement.
In the UK, about two-thirds of the 13 per cent deaths, where speeding is a contributing cause, and this speed was caused by intoxication, ‘fun rides’, anxiety evasion, suicide, etc., cannot be controlled by cameras or police Hiding in the bush. We need more realistic cops on the road rather than hiding in the bush to achieve a real safety improvement. Michael Lane, St Ives
It is interesting to read the very reasonable letters of complaint from reporters about this self-serving government’s retreat from removing the signs telling drivers that they may be arrested, before doing what they do, namely speeding and endangering the lives of others. Contrary to these reasonable statements, there was one writer who felt he had the right to be warned, so that he could temporarily desist from his speed, thus avoiding a fine. No soul there. I think there is always one in every group. Ian Osman Lewis, Kentucky
So the NSW government is ‘listening to the community’. I know we also need warning signs for random breath test and roadside driving tests. What about “pointer-free zones”? Speed is the single largest contributor to deaths on our roads. Drivers speeding mercilessly should be fined and disabled for submission. Andrew McPherson, Callaro
Our GPs need political support
Samantha Saling (“GPs are quitting in droves, so we should flip the script”, 12 October) talks about turning heads about the problems GPs face. Many of us within the health system have been knocking on this for years, but it’s not getting the vote against the loud, raucous voices behind this shiny new acute care technology. Primary and extended care is the bedrock of our health system and, if properly funded, is the answer to the crisis we’re seeing right now, with people queuing up in overcrowded emergency departments and hospitals without beds. We need strong political support to get the right funding for health professionals, who are mentally and emotionally exhausted from years of fighting with the system. It is so frustrating it makes one cry. Judi Finch, Tarry
Dr. Samantha Saling’s article highlights the danger that declining numbers entering general practice pose to the health of the aging population and the disastrous impact that will have on the collapsing hospital system. As a member of this menacing species, unlike most young doctors, I don’t have a huge mortgage to pay, I have the freedom to work at a more comfortable pace, mainly for the gift of my patients’ respect and appreciation. This is why I’m not yet ready to hang up my stethoscope. Louise Dolan, Birchgrove
attributed to him:Getty Images
Dr. Saling painted a bleak picture of our primary health care. An important point of her critique is that seeing a GP early with a mild illness can prevent complications or a more serious illness that would cost thousands of times the cost of a consultation. At $40 off Medicare for a standard GP consultation, doctors clearly can’t afford the bundled bills. Until recently, I had the view that a small joint Medicare payment should be made to make a person think twice before visiting their GP. I recently noticed that this would simply keep people away from seeking medical attention. Just a month ago, my local clinic offered out-of-pocket fees, but when patients voted with their feet, they had to drop it. The Medicare deduction should be increased so that a GP visit is not a low-quality, quick meeting. Bundled bills, of course, lead to over-service, but the costs to the taxpayer are more than balanced by the accidental diagnosis of a condition that requires very expensive hospital intervention. John Kimbler, Rose Bay
Medical practitioners becoming specialists is another reason for the shortage. But when I go to the specialists, my out-of-pocket costs are exorbitant, so I only go if it is absolutely necessary. So it seems that no one is benefiting. Mukul Desai, Hunters Hill
There are two main areas I want to turn my taxes into: health and education. Your report is alarming. We depend on our GPs a lot, yet we can’t get appointments on the same day of the sickness. Then we go to the emergency department, which is already overburdened. why? Because the doctors can’t see us. Pay our GPs what they’re worth – and in this respect, our teachers – and we will miraculously find that our health and our education will improve. Really simple. Janine Bourdieu, Mona Valley
Stick to the program
Jane Austenattributed to him:Getty Images
I was the only boy in my class who did Extension English 1 (“Students Are Afraid of Extension in English,” Oct 12) and I remember getting many funny looks when doing material considered feminine. I really wanted to complete Extension 2 of English, but the stressful environment of Year 12, as well as all my other modules, made me give up after one semester. It is imperative that more boys study advanced literature, otherwise an entire generation of students will enter university behaving more like robots than humans, since the essence of the English language is the ability to study in depth and criticize widely. Nowshirvan Nasir, Quakers Hill
stay out of ukraine
The report on plans to send a defense crew to train Ukrainians rings alarm bells (“plans are underway to send a defense crew to train Ukrainians,” October 12). Shades of history let it not repeat itself. From records kept by the Australian War Museum, we read that “The arrival of the Australian Army Training Team Vietnam (AATTV) during July and August 1962 marked the beginning of Australia’s involvement in the Vietnam War… From the time of the first members’ arrival until 1973, nearly 60,000 served An Australian in Vietnam. 521 died and more than 3,000 were injured.” Send materials, by all means, provide diplomatic support, but keep our armed forces out. Trevor Wootten, Petersham
Western countries must immediately stop sending weapons, military equipment and other forms of support to Ukrainians. He simply risks a horrific global escalation over one country. Rod Matthews, Fairfield (Victoria)
cute for some
I’m sure the volunteers who set up the inner-city food carts were thrilled to witness this aerial spectacle (“Everest lights up harbor with clouds show,” October 12), homeless hoping for a bed for the night at a charity hostel not talking about anything else to their colleagues Victims of financial stress. Joan Brown, Orange
Helping persecuted women
We can help women in Iran (“Protest Fee Rising as a Protest Nation,” Oct. 11) by offering to take women and girls who want to immigrate to Australia. If we had done this in Afghanistan, instead of spending millions on military aid, perhaps we could have curtailed the Taliban’s ability to produce another generation of fighters and religious leaders bent on restricting the education and freedoms of its women. Robin Love, Rosell
I got an error with extra banners
I don’t see the need for bridge bridges on the Anzac Bridge to limit speed and regulate congestion (“Bridge Too Far? Bridges to ‘Destroy City Landmark’, Oct. 12). I have never been able to travel more than 40 km/h. Manuela Epstein, Pyrmont
attributed to him:Walters Peters
Since eye tests are mandatory for driving, the current speed signs on the Anzac Bridge are clear for all to see without the visual pollution of the proposed drawbridges. Transportation in NSW doesn’t always go right. Vicki Marquez, Gleb
The government was clearly planning the aging process of the Anzac Bridge and possibly the arrival of Alzheimer’s disease, hence the need to remind users every few hundred meters of the speed limit conditions. Certainly, upon approaching at each end should be a sufficient reminder. Perhaps George and Jane Jetson were flying over such things. Stephen Wilson, Kangaroo Valley
Once again, planning authorities are addressing a problem with blunt force – the plan to destroy the high design success of the Anzac Bridge using clumsy, intrusive speed bridges was a bridge too far. Janet Argal, Dulwich Hill
digital parallax Online comment from one of the stories that got the most reader comments yesterday smh.com.au The plan threatens to “destroy” the famous Anzac Bridge in Sydney
From Cracadog: “These bridges look unsightly and add a great horizontal element to the view – the towers currently offer a beautiful uninterrupted vertical appearance that tends to make you want to look up into the sky – it’s a shame that such a beautiful feeling stops at the arch level. Surely there is a better solution?”
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