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EUvote needs careful thought MailMarks
IN the next fewweeks you and I will cast probably the most important vote of our lives. I have studied hard and made upmy mind to vote to leave the EU – and it will take something very persuasive to change it. Most of myMaidstone friends appear to be broadly in the same position. I become increasingly concerned about
the serious detrimental impact ofEUmem- bership on so many aspects of our lives and lack of national power to do much about it. I have enjoyed living in Maidstone for
about 55 years and am not surprised both foreigners and British wish to live here. But what will happen to us and our town un- less we as a nation have firm control over our borders and decide how many and who we welcome from the rest of the world? In my travels among the British I see this view mirrored by so many. I now expect a thumping majority for Brexit. For so long South East England has been
about the most overcrowded part of Eu- rope. In the last few years this has escalated powerfully. Unless we leave the EU it will get worse. The impact has been massive on housing growth, traffic movement, education
Appalled by phone-tracking
Dear Sir – Regarding your article about tracking mobile phone habits, I amboth amazed and appalled at the news that this is happening. I amamazed that it is legal, and appalled
that both Maidstone Council and Maidstone Town Centre Management condone this activity. Itwas only a short time ago that we had the press tapping into phones; how is this any different? Whilstwe are told that individuals cannot be identified, how canwe be assured that this will remain the case, as I am sure that the technology exists? I have a contract phone so my details are
stored somewhere.We are already targeted with junk mail and annoying phone calls where details of purchases are sold on to third parties; I’m sure this will be the beginning of new marketing tactics. Your report states that it’s just location
and usage.Well, I don’t reallywant people knowing where I am, let alone what I’m using my phone for. That’s personal. Your report also states that November
2015was the eighth month in a row that footfallwas down. Have the two organisations above not worked it out yet? Maidstone traffic is a nightmare, parking
is expensive and there are too many pop- up shops and empty shops; not a great experience really. It’s free to park and shop out of town with less traffic and a beer shopping experience. I realise that retail is tough with the age of online sales, which to be fair I amusing
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places, NHS and welfare services, care of our aged… Nationally the welfare bill is crippling
our sick economy, and financial cuts forced by our Government are really hurting lo- cally – ask KCC and Maidstone Council and many local organisations losing finan- cial support. Where will the Chancellor of the Exchequer look next in his desperation to balance the books? I love Europe, but have had enough of
the EU unless there are fundamental changes. Our Prime Minister is discover- ing these will not happen. I find myself in great sympathy with a paragraph in an article written by ToryMP Peter Lilley, who is voting to leave. “Our membership no longer serves any function in a body whose primary purpose (politi- cal union) we reject, whose main projects (the euro and Schengen)we are not part of,
more and more. However, some shops I do go back to because the customer care is so good.
Tracking phones will only compound the problem and keep shoppers away.Will the public be warned with signs stating that we will be entering a tracking area? Shouldn’t we be asked before being snooped on? We’ve known for some time that big brother iswatching us with the cameras about town; now he’s tracking our phones. Neil Cole, Grove Green
Mote Park is fine as it is
Dear Sir – Having lived in Maidstone all my life I have seen Mote Park change, but I’m afraid a lot of the recent changes have not been for the beer. Many of us appreciate the peace and tranquillity of the park and the nature which makes its home there and would like it to remain thatway, without the need for even more building and commercialisation. Yes, perhaps it does need a new cafe, but
only because the present onewas built with such a definite lack of forethought and planning and one of the biggest problems has always been the lack of stock control. I have been in the cafe at least three times only to be told I couldn't have a cup of tea as they had no milk. On another occasion during the school holidays the only ice creams they hadwere the very expensive ones.A lot of the mothers weren’t too impressed with this and none of this is hard to sort, but unfortunately that is theway it always seems to be.
whose laws we find onerous and whose economic attractions have turned into costs.” He has the knowledge to be convinced
that Brexit can be achieved smoothly and with no losses (even a profit) to our export trade. I can understand most international con- glomerateswanting to retain our EUmem- bership. But they view things from a very different angle. And I find many smaller business people will vote to leave for both business and personal reasons. There seems to be wide belief that Eu-
rope will wish to continue to trade with Britain – andwe will be able to trade much more freely with the rest of the world. The economic arguments seem likely to dominate the next few weeks. I accept the el- ement of risk. But weighed against all I in- creasingly dislike about the EU – and the economic and other dangers facing that huge body – I believe it is a challengewe can meet. We are about to make a decision so vital to
our future and that of generations to come. There are many sides to the argument and no one can cast this vote with complete certainty. For me the balance is now heavilyweighted.
In this modern stressful world, a lot of people love to escape to the peace of the park and do notwant this interrupted by Segways, noisy model boats etc. There are already too many cars in the park and one has to be very careful when taking small children or dogs over there. Less environmental damage might also
give the nature of the park a chance to recover. There has been talk about provision for nature but most of us long- term residents have sadly seen it all decline over the years. Ifwe don’t all help protect it, it will disappear altogether. This is one of the few places in Maidstone wherewe can make a difference andwe ought to limit the damage. I do love Mote Park and care passionately about its future. I resent all these commercial ventures. I met a number of mothers at Gillingham Strand last year and they were moaning about the fact that they couldn’t come to Mote Park during the summer as they had several small children and didn'twant to spend the entire day being pestered by their children to be allowed in the fair! I did complete the survey when asked at
the park, but let’s face it, the questions were worded to get the answers they wanted – not to get honest answers and opinions. Mote Park is not a London park and I for
one, whilst I do appreciate the path round the lake, would suggest hands off everything else. Leave us to enjoy it just as it is. Jean Howland, by email
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