SIR,
About 45 years ago I could die for my country at eighteen, but not vote until I was 21.
I had an MP representing me at Westminster earning a modest salary and a councillor who went to meetings on a push bike.
Today I have an MP representing me who, until recently, could claim expenses for the most bizarre items, a county councillor earning over £30,000 in expenses, an Assembly Member in Cardiff earning an unknown amount in pay and expenses and an MEP earning massive amounts in pay and expenses – the best gravy train of all (ask the Kinnocks).
I am being asked to vote for additional powers for the bureaucratic forum set up in Cardiff Bay.
These additional powers will mean a duplication of the over bloated administration already in existence.
To handle the new powers, new committees and additional researchers will be required, so the new ministers appointed to administer these additional roles can ensure they have enough information to make decisions.
This in turn, will lead to additional pay and expenses, because of the additional responsibilities of the new roles.
These Cardiff Bay bureaucrats will only replicate the ministries already in place in Westminster, so we shall have duplicate civil servants doing the same job in Cardiff and Westminster.
The cost of all of the above will have to be born by the long suffering tax payers at a time of severe austerity.
If the 'yes' vote wish to volunteer to bear these costs, I am quite willing for the Welsh Assembly to be voted additional powers, but unfortunately I do not believe this will be the case.
Please wake up. Why do you think all the political parties support the 'yes' vote?
It gives them greater opportunity to get on the next gravy train to leave the station.
Vote 'no' and try to keep the bureaucratic costs down.
(Name and address supplied)