by Sarah Bull, Huddersfield Daily Examiner Feb 25 2011

Consider the Examiner report on the protest by carers and disabled people against proposed cuts in services to vulnerable children and adults.

A group of desperate people, representing many others in similar situations, made their voices heard at Huddersfield Town Hall. According to councillors they were “rabble”, “loons’’ and “scaremongers”.

No! They were decent people driven to take desperate measures because of the threats to their health and sanity which any reduction of official support will create for them.

No-one likes to pay more for council services,nor to receive less from them, but we cannot avoid the present financial crisis.

Nevertheless, no-one will die because kerbside collection of bottles is stopped. No-one will be in physical danger because library services are cut.

It is not scaremongering to point out that the health and sanity of carers and those they look after are at risk if their support is cut.

Councillors who make a living from what used to be selfless public service and who resist any threat to their own financial benefits should beware of calling their fellow citizens “rabble”, “loons’’ or “scaremongers”.

These are the tactics of dictators. We should beware councillors who despise the voters who elected them.