Can we trust States to strike best deal on social housing?
BRUCE COVA’s opinion [Transferring social housing to GHA not a risky proposition, Monday 18 April] in the first part of his letter, shows me that an expert such as himself would be a great asset to the Guernsey public and the States of Guernsey. We could, if there are enough others like myself, have a GoFundMe page on the internet to pay his fee. To explain how it all works in detail, I would have thought if he had negotiated with both sides of the House of Commons, it would have insisted on a fail safe as a back-up plan, [as] you are not supposed to speculate with public money. Or not?
We only have the States Assembly, who do not have a good track record with bonds and recent decisions and past decisions are not what you expect from intelligent States members. That’s where the risk lies. Bruce Cova admits in the latter part of his letter he has no knowledge of the rent roll or the valuation or what the States Assembly intend to do (we need to know, the public are paying for it). Does transferring social housing mean handing over for free or sold outright?
Are they going to be used as collateral to raise money in the marketplace?
If we had the democratic right of freedom of information we would, or might, think more of our failing government.
JOHN CUMMINS
Kawana
Rue Mainguy
GY6 8NL