I HAVE HEARD IT SAID THAT LETTERS FROM LONDONERS TO SEBASTION COE KBE OBJECTING TO THE LONDONERS ONLY OLYMPIC TAX AND LOSSES HAVE NOT BEEN REPLIED TO.    I CANNOT SPEAK FOR OTHERS BUT FROM A PERSONAL POINT OF VIEW I CAN IDENTIFY WITH SUCH A STATEMENT.   HOWEVER, OUR SECRETARY HAS RECEIVED A REPLY TO A LETTER HE SENT TO SEBASTION COE KBE, DATED 3RD AUGUST 2006.    THE REPLY IS DATED 19TH SEPTEMBER 2006 AND IS REPRODUCED BELOW FOR THOSE WHO MAY STILL BE WONDERING WHAT THEIR REPLY MIGHT HAVE BEEN HAD THEY RECEIVED ONE.

"Dear Mr .........................

Thank you for your recent letter.

I am sorry you object to contributing to the cost of the Olympics and Paralympic Games in London.   As you say, you should take this up with the Mayor of London and not LOCOG (London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games) which is funded soley by sponsorship, TV revenue and ticket sales.  However, I can assure you that you are in the small minority that oppose the Games in London.

The development of the site alone will not be tens of millions of pounds over budget.    The Olympic Delivery Authority today announced their Delivery Partner who will ensure that the project is built on time and to budget.

With best wishes, Sebastion Coe, KBE."

IN ORDER THAT THERE IS NO MISUNDERSTANDING ABOUT THE TERM IN THE ABOVE LETTER THAT " YOU ARE IN THE SMALL MINORITY THAT OPPOSE THE GAMES IN LONDON" IT MUST BE POINTED OUT THAT AT NO POINT IN OUR SECRETARY'S LETTER DID HE STATE THAT HE, OR ANY OF HIS MEMBERS, WERE OPPOSED TO THE OLYMPIC GAMES BEING HELD IN LONDON.    IN FACT HE MADE IT QUITE CLEAR BY WRITING (quote) " I AM IN FAVOUR OF THE GAMES, AS MANY OF US ARE, BUT FEEL QUITE STRONGLY THAT IT SHOULD BE PAID FOR BY THE GOVERNMENT, AND THEN EVERYONE IS ACCOUNTABLE " (unquote).

THE ATTEMPT, DELIBERATELY OR INADVERTENTLY,  TO CREATE THE IMPRESSION THAT OUR OBJECTION IS AGAINST THE LONDON GAMES AS SUCH IS SOMETHING THAT MUST BE WELL AND TRULY NAILED DOWN, BECAUSE THE COMMENT FROM SEB COE  THAT  " YOU ARE IN THE SMALL MINORITY THAT OPPOSE THE GAMES IN LONDON " IS NOT A TRUE OR ACCURATE REFLECTION OF THE OBJECTIONS OF MANY LONDONERS, OR THE CONTENTS OF OUR LETTER.       IT'S THE 10/12 YEAR EXTRA TAX AND LOSSES THAT MANY LONDONERS OBJECT TO WHEN, AS WE HAVE BEEN TOLD OVER, AND OVER, AND OVER AGAIN,  THAT THE WHOLE OF THE UK MUST, AND WILL BENEFIT FROM THE 2012 LONDON OLYMPICS, AND YET ONLY LONDONERS WILL HAVE TO PAY EXTRA TAXES AND SHARE THE LOSSES.

AND LET'S NOT FORGET THE FINAL PART OF THE REPLY FROM SEB COE  WHICH STATES " the olympic delivery authority today announced their delivery partner who will ensure that the project is built on time and to budget ".     (THAT'S ALRIGHT THEN, ALTHOUGH THOSE WHO ANTICIPATE STILL BEING ALIVE IN 2012 MIGHT LIKE TO MAKE A NOTE OF THIS PARTICULAR STATEMENT - JUST IN CASE THE PROJECT IS NOT BUILT ON TIME AND ON BUDGET - LIKE MOST OTHER GOVERNMENT PROJECTS ! ! !)

OF COURSE, IF YOU KEEP ON UPPING THE BUDGET FROM 2.4 BILLION - TO 3.8 BILLION - TO 5.4 BILLION TO 9.2 BILLION ANYONE COULD STATE, AS COE DOES, THAT THE 2012 LONDON OLYMPICS WILL BE COMPLETED " TO BUDGET "   

WHEN IT REACHES £10 - £15 BILLION WE WILL PROBABLY BE TOLD THAT THIS WAS THE FIGURE THEY HAD IN MIND WAY BACK IN 2003.

                            THEY JUST "FORGOT TO TELL US " !!!!