I NOTED a letter from W J Beazley of Bexleyheath headlined Good Games (News Shopper, February 22) inferring members of the Bexley Borough Pensioners' Forum were a miserable bunch for resisting the Olympic levy imposed on all Londoners by Ken Livingstone.

I can assure Mr Beazley we are not at all miserable and while I recognise he is entitled to his opinion he really should not cast aspersions without prior knowledge. In fact, we are alert and active.

We are not against the Olympics but do object to having a tax imposed on us without consultation, especially as we are not exactly rolling in cash with the state pension as low as it is.

We all know it will go well over budget and we shall be paying for more than the proposed 10 years.

You only have to look at previous Games venues and other projects our Government has been involved with, such as the Dome, the Scottish Parliament Building, the Millennium Bridge and Wembley Stadium all overdue and over budget.

Mr Beazley says quite rightly "not all pensioners are tight" so perhaps he would like to donate his £1.67 per month to the forum until such time as he has to start paying it to Uncle Ken.

Peter Coulter
Bexley Borough Pensioners' Forum