THE SNP has once again forced through a budget which targets the elderly and most vulnerable in West Dunbartonshire.

This ‘emergency’ budget was irresponsible from the start; the nationalists brought in these cuts without knowing what the Comprehensive Spending Review implications for Scotland would be. These budget cuts show that the SNP is nothing more than Tartan Tories. Just like the Tory/Liberal Government the SNP have cut fast and cut deep.

The SNP in West Dunbartonshire should be utterly ashamed of themselves for cutting nearly £2m of funding for social care and increasing charges for the disabled and elderly who are dependent on home care and housing support services. People will also not forget that the SNP run council has twice refused to adopt a Labour proposal to introduce a living wage for the lowest paid workers. However, now that Alex Salmond has jumped on the bandwagon and declared his support I wonder when SNP councillors will finally stop sitting on their hands and do the right thing for the lowest paid workers.

Martin Neill, Alexandria I AM writing in response to James Conroy’s letter (Reporter 26/10/10).

But first a bit about me, so you will know where I am coming from.

I’m an American and hopefully my businesses (US and Scotland) on both sides of the pond will survive.

The people who Mr Conroy is opining for may not.

The country is broke, it cannot continue these entitlements with government funding without putting a debt load on our children and grandchildren that is unsustainable.

Pointing fingers at one party or another and faulting one or the other is a waste of energy.

Over the years I have been living here I was always amazed by the work of faith based organisations in getting the most out to the needy, with the least amount of waste and corruption.

An American commentator who happens to be a Mormon suggested a title by the public to fund helping the needy.

Let the government continue to protect our borders, police the streets, put out the fires, reform the school system, deliver the mail etc.

Maybe if they focus they can improve those items. The country is Christian and that is what we do best.

I’m a Jew, but when it comes to helping my fellow man in need I’m a Christian too.

So let’s get all our faith based organisations together to tackle this problem.

If we do that I know we can prevail.

Stan Feinberg, Loch Lomondside