LET THE WORLD SEE THROUGH YOUR EYES sponsored by WIN A TRIP TO ANY METRO CITY WORLDWIDE! Imagine your photography being seen by millions of Metro readers worldwide! Its that time of year again. Yes, the Metro Global Photo Challenge is back! This year the themes will be: People,Places and Climate Change. For your chance to see your work in print around the globe and win one of 3 trips for two to a Metro city of your choice, simply submit your photographs by Sunday 18th October 2009. No entry fee required. Go to www.metrophotochallenge.com/ie for more details. Now let your imagination run wild! CLOSING DATE FOR ENTRIES THIS SUNDAY D Wednesday, October 14, 2009 METRO 17 Pension a privilege? Our cash: Fast disappearing Maria and Jean, stick to the point please the disaster of the Government we have is a separate topic altogether. Strikes are valid where injustices in working conditions occur. Certainly not the case in the public sector other than with frontline workers like nurses and teachers. A pension isnt a right these days, its a privilege many cannot even afford, so excuse my lack of sympathy over a levy. Threatening strikes over pay cuts that will still leave you earning considerably more than private sector counterparts, is nothing more than economic blackmail. Cuts have to happen as there is no money available to pay wage levels set in a time of economic boom. Im sure the nearly 400,000 unemployed would be happy to do your jobs for a lot less pay! Heather The reason public sector workers need to take a pay cut is that only 32billion is coming in from taxes annually, but 55billion is being spent each year this cant continue. Employers in the private sector cut their wage bill in such circumstances the State needs to do the same for its employees. Pat At this stage it would nearly be easier to take another pay cut being a civil servant rather than start every day by reading about how much everyone thinks my pay should be cut. At least then we might be able to discuss some real solutions to the current economic position. We have heard your message loud and clear. However, we public sector workers cannot do this on our own! Levied To The Hilt Dublins best-read letters page Metro Mail E-mail letters to mail@metroireland.ie with a name. Or text us. Text MAIL followed by comment and name to 53131. *Texts cost 30cent per message + standard network charges. SP. Oxygen8 Communications, Hospitality House, Cumberland Street South, D2. Customer service number 0818286606 talk to us Bored: Always Tired, my dogs are inside during the night and outside during the day and of course they bark if they hear/see cats/cars and the postman thats their job. I would suggest that you talk to your neighbours and suggest a dog toy that can be filled with treats to distract them. Maybe those poor dogs dont have any toys and they are bored. Or, get some earplugs. Dog Lover But why? Can anyone come up with a good reason/explanation as to why they use pencils, rather than pens in the voting booths in Ireland? I was thinking long and hard and still cant come up with a good reason which would support the democratic election process. Confused Sceptic Thanks: A huge THANK YOU to the two lads from Dublin Bus who helped out my partner when she fell and broke her ankle outside Pearse Street Garda station on October 4. Thanks also to the ambulance guys and everyone in A&E in St Jamess Hospital. The wit and banter from you all helped ease her pain. Thanks! Aidan Grr: Always Tired, try not to hear the dogs, in fact, become the dogs and you will find peace... Ohm In Brief Can I be the first to say good luck to Captain Shames T Kirk as he takes the chair on the USS Dil ireann! Keeping the Vulcans/Fianna Fil (theyll tell you they are incapable of lying) and the Romulans/Fine Gael (theyll tell you they are a different race from the Vulcans, but everyone can see theyre exactly the same) apart is no easy job! Keep a close eye on the Cardassians/Labour theyre all about making alliances, but drop your guard for a second and they will take over the place. Remember: Dont be afraid of The Borg/Greens they are just robots who cannot think individually. As for the war mongering Klingons/Sinn Fin, just keep them fed and watered (but dont insult them whatever you do) and youll be fine. As Ceann Comhairle, perhaps you should consider hiring some Ferengi to do your accounts they are quite adept at financial matters and might help you navigate tricky expenses asteroid fields. Lastly: live long, but dont prosper you seen what happened to the last guy! Troublesome Tribble Sendusyour txt OMG! Is anyone else as excited as I am about this Commuter Passenger and Guy With Grey Pinstripe Suit? So exciting! Please please keep us updated. Metro just got a million times better. Excited To all the dog lovers that dont pick up after their pets, I hope you get what I got poo on your shoe! And I hope you have children like I do, that put hands in mouths... Dimi. Manufan62, youre not far off but think about this with regard to rinsing out recyclable items. Youre worried about the costs incurred when the water charges come in, but what about the increasingly finite resource that water is fast becoming? Pretty soon we wont have enough water to drink, never mind wash out bloody tin cans! Echo Stafro, your tongue in cheek reply to Backpacker about her tight jeans had me in stitches no pun intended. I got some real odd looks from my fellow commuters though! Keep up the good work. 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