Why not go Hoover's way?

LETTER: The Government have little or no real vision for the future. With the job situation in decline, why don't they do what the Americans did in the depression of the thirties?

Herbert Hoover built the Hoover Dam employing many thousands of workers. This made it possible to harness the water power for electric power generation.

They diverted part of the Colorado River to make parts of the Arizona desert fertile.

Hong Kong built their airport between two islands, Chek Lap Kok and Lam Chau. These projects did not destroy good farming land but enhanced the areas of their country.

The proposed third runway for Heathrow will destroy village and green-belt land, and add more air traffic congestion in that area.

London Mayor Boris Johnson has the right idea to solve this problem and cause little or no disruption to people's lives by using the Thames estuary for the third runway.

Having so much air and road traffic converging around London causes problems. Why not reclaim more of the fen areas in Norfolk, or use a disused air base for expansion? Why should people have to go to London for long distance flights?

Building more houses will not help our trade deficit. To trade you have to offer something other countries want to buy, to balance the accounts.

P Sherwood

Wellington