The Argus - News, Sport, Brighton and Hove Albion and Entertainment for Brighton, Hove and Sussex

Not my view

From the The Argus, first published Friday 19th Jan 2007.

Jean Calder's question, "Who will shout for the ordinary man?"

(The Argus, January 13) is answered very easily - not her.

Her article does not represent an ordinary man's views and is biased against students.

She refers to "student households with four or five cars". I work with students and do not know of any such student household.

In addition, she says students have caused rents to rise and, without them, more affordable housing would be available for others.

However, reducing the number of students would simply reduce the number of rented properties because, as the majority of such housing is an investment, rents are the result of a simple sum based on cost and return. Without a sensible income, the properties would no longer be offered and rents are driven up by the expenditure needed to meet ever more demanding new regulations.

Ms Calder's paragraphs "right to equality" and "right to safety"

wrongly assume people can have rights without responsibility.

Ultimately, rights should be earned. In order to have the rights due a citizen, an individual must deserve them and this includes being part of society and contributing to it.

If Ms Calder genuinely cares about local politics and engaging voters, she should concentrate on getting back representation of the individual.

The ability to use modern communications to canvass individual opinions does not seem to have been utilised - in fact, during my 20-plus years living in and around Brighton, I have never been asked by any politician what my views were on any issue.

Michael Sexton
Meadow Close, Rottingdean