How Goole has changed

Published on 14th August 2008 in Letters

Sir - I used to work with a guy from Hull and every week I would give him a copy of the Goole Times. After reading it he would say: "How can you live in a place like this?" I would always defend Goole, but now I understand what he meant.

Last week I bought the Goole Times expecting it to be packed with public outrage about the fire cuts, with news of protests and demonstrations. Instead, this vital issue had merited just one letter to the Readers' Page. What will it take to get the people of Goole stirred up enough to start fighting back?

In recent times Goole has seen its police station shut at night, fire service cuts, post office, school and nursing home closures, cuts to front-line education and social services and for five years Shuffleton has been allowed to rot because of the council's policy regarding Phoenix Street and Richard Cooper Street. At the same time Council Tax has doubled in the last ten years.

The powers-that-be have got away with this because they know that Goole will sit back and take it, coupled with the fact that our elected representatives are quite frankly useless. Yes, they are pictured grim-faced whenever cuts are announced, but ask yourselves when was the last time any of them fought a successful campaign fight?

I remember back to 1990 and the queue of ordinary people outside the magistrates' court because they refused to pay the Poll Tax. Boy, has this town changed.

Paul Thompson

Milton Street, Goole