Favourite Letter Of The Week

This is a great letter to the Guardian

Simon Jenkins's assertion that the public sector should take a hit because it has been feather-bedded at the expense of the "productive sector" of the economy – when those flagships of the private sector, the banks, have just been handed hundreds of billions of public money – is a breathtaking inversion of reality (Crude, but fair. The public sector must take the pain, 16 September) .

Just how productive would that sector be without public sector education and training to supply its workers; public sector healthcare to keep them fit for duty; state benefits to subsidise poverty wages; publicly funded transport infrastructure to deliver their goods?

Most of what (foreign-owned) manufacturing still operates here does so thanks to massive government subsidy and tax breaks; those rugged free market champions, the farmers, would mothball their tractors without those nice subsidy cheques from the Brussels they affect to despise.

We all know who caused the meltdown, and it wasn't nurses, firefighters or even trade union barons. There is no excuse for not sticking it to the greedy, stupid, cynical bastards responsible, starting with a truly progressive tax system that goes right up to 100% and beyond of any bonus, incentive or backhander not directly and transparently earned by socially useful endeavour.

Root Cartwright

Radlett, Hertfordshire

I couldn't agree more, its a shame that the same people who got us into this mess have been let off with what to me seems a slapped wrist and are now leading the 'recovery'.

Why aren't the bankers, the elites being made to pay for the chaos they have caused?

Depressingly enough this will all happen again, bubbles will form faster and then burst faster.