I WOULD like to comment on Cllr Bruce Hogan's and Dave Bowkett's letters in last week's Review.

If Bruce Hogan knew our history he would not have questioned Mike Jones' right to be a freeminer.

Lots of ancient Foresters won coal and the right to do so, without having to work underground by digging what are now call "bell pits."

The cheap comment "Mike Jones, Freeminer (JCB and Bar) just goes to show how much Bruce Hogan is out of touch with the Forest.

Finally, Dave Bowkett is right – the integrity of the council should be questioned.

Was it not Bruce Hogan who stated the council had to be more responsible and stop the two-hour dinner breaks and the exploitation of car expenses? What else is going on, I wonder?

What has happened to the revenue that has been generated by all the new housing that has been built in the Forest?

The council has to be accountable and they should disclose yearly the number of employees it has and what they do and what the salary scales are. Along with this, all the details of how our money is spent, so that we know what is going on.

Maybe the time has come for all the residents of the Forest of Dean to say at the next elections, to hell with politics and vote for people who are prepared to stand for an open council and to listen to, and act for, the community, instead of taxing us to death to pay for their mismanagement. – James Riches (address supplied).