When we’re young we think we’re bullet-proff, I know, but with so many accidents a bit of patience wouldn’t go astray, for not only their safety but that of other road users, too. Unfortunately the message about mobile phones in vehicles seems to be falling on deaf ears, with texting still commonplace, which I think is more dangerous than talking while driving. And P-platers aren’t the only culprits, either.

So many fatalities and injuries could be avoided if we all drove safely.

- Ian King, Warners Bay

I AM 92 and recently on returning from visiting my husband in the Hakea Grove Aged Care unit, I missed my bus and decided I would walk the 1.5 kilometres home, up the length of Louisiana Road.

It was a very hot day and I was feeling very weak. I was rescued by Kyle who works on the Robsons building site on the corner. He got his truck, took me home, came in and opened the fridge, got two glasses of cold water, and pulled up two chairs.

When he was satisfied that ‘Grandma’ had recovered, he was on his way.

One hour later the doorbell rang. It was Kyle, seeing if I was OK.

How about that for community help! God bless, Kyle.

- Shirley McVey, Hamlyn Terrace

IT’S been often said ‘Work a Sunday at double time, and you work a day for nothing’ meaning the extra tax payable on the extra hours paid often leaves the take-home amount around 50 per cent of the extra paid.

I believe the way government can get out of a situation they did not create is to make all overtime extra payments tax free for the group of workers affected by the wage reduction.

For example, work eight hours, get paid for 12 hours, but get taxed only on eight hours, with the four extra hours tax free.  

These people will still pay tax, but will save almost as much as they are losing. This is so simple it's probably below the organisers’ intellect. It means employers pay less, workers take home the same, and the government collects the same as they would for an ordinary work day.

Surely government taxation can survive without capitalising on penalty rates on casual employment. Or is greed the name of the game?

- Carl Stevenson, Dora Creek

ANYBODY who thinks abolishing weekend penalty rates will create more employment must believe in the tooth fairy.

- David Davies, Blackalls Park

WHY are roofs on new Hunter homes, black to dark colours (hot), requiring extra air-conditioning, etc? Instead use light to white coloured (cool). Perhaps they should be charged extra accordingly.

- Wal Spice, Wallsend

BIG surprise, Australia avoided a recession on the back of Christmas spending. Now we need to charge up the credit card with choccies to secure the future of the false economy.

- Steve Barnett, Fingal Bay

IF politicians have to go out and ‘listen’ to the people to understand the message then they are obviously not ‘from’ the people. The elite ruling class has to be thrown out; we need to start again with politicians from the people.

- Joe Roskell, Charlestown