I HAVE listened to the councillors and politicians, watched the TV adverts, and read the plethora of colour brochures and literature, and it strikes me that there is an extraordinary amount of time, effort and expense spent on promoting a regional assembly rather than a real debate.

It is little known that, if one were to trace the origins of the funding used for this promotion, we would see that it is now, and in the future, actually coming out of our own pockets in the way of increased and excessive Council Taxes.

All this promotion and they still manage to fail miserably in explaining exactly HOW a regional assembly will improve the North-west.

Confused by the blurb? Not as confused as when having just read Felicity Goodey's comments in the Bolton Evening News and compared them to what others on the "yes" vote have said. Ms Goodey's comments achieved only to convince me that she actually knew nothing about what a "yes" vote would do for the people of Bolton.

In her comments she said, "There is nothing to suggest it would force up Council Tax bills". How can this be, when the Deputy Prime Minister, John Prescott, has already made it very clear that every Council Tax bill in the North-west would have to increase to help fund the £25m-a-year running costs?

Is Ms Goodey saying that Bolton Council will absorb any cost of a regional assembly, and that Council Tax bills will, in fact, go down next year to compensate? I doubt it.

How can the people of Bolton trust a "yes" campaign when we are told two completely different stories from those meant to promote it? Until at least they can get their stories straight, my vote will be firmly on the NO side.

Ian Upton

Thomas More Close

Bolton