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... the rail system, come on people. You cannot be serious. It is a thinly veiled attempt to fob off failure onto the next government. Alright, Labout inherited the mess, but they can't keep using that as an excuse.
Lets face it, Labour is not still going to be in Government in 10 years, (we will get tired of them eventually), so the next government in will just chop and change the budgets and plans. They will probably come up with yet another 10 year plan, and so on, ad infinitum.
What is happening this year, and the next year eh? How will they attract money from private firms if passengers are running away in droves?
I point to the Japanese rail system, which recieves not a penny from Tax Payers, and yet still runs on-time, and has some cool trains. Why is that not possible in Britain? Could it be that "rip-off Britain" extends all the way to companies paying so over the odds for rolling stock that they have to add 17% to rail fares?
Discuss. (Or ignore... the choice is yours)
Lets face it, Labour is not still going to be in Government in 10 years, (we will get tired of them eventually), so the next government in will just chop and change the budgets and plans. They will probably come up with yet another 10 year plan, and so on, ad infinitum.
What is happening this year, and the next year eh? How will they attract money from private firms if passengers are running away in droves?
I point to the Japanese rail system, which recieves not a penny from Tax Payers, and yet still runs on-time, and has some cool trains. Why is that not possible in Britain? Could it be that "rip-off Britain" extends all the way to companies paying so over the odds for rolling stock that they have to add 17% to rail fares?
Discuss. (Or ignore... the choice is yours)
government think tank: we've been throwing around some ideas
minister: what are they then
government think tank: you shouldn't have listened to us when we suggested that you privatise the rail network
minister: I had no say in that matter, it was my predecessor who made those decisions
government think tank: ummm, ok then, devise a 10 year plan, and by the time they see if it was a sucess then you won't be in government and they will all be blaming their pedecessors for the state of the rail system, ha problem solved.
minister: what are they then
government think tank: you shouldn't have listened to us when we suggested that you privatise the rail network
minister: I had no say in that matter, it was my predecessor who made those decisions
government think tank: ummm, ok then, devise a 10 year plan, and by the time they see if it was a sucess then you won't be in government and they will all be blaming their pedecessors for the state of the rail system, ha problem solved.
Oh, just to clarify, the reforms are only proposals right now, not necessarily going to happen.
Government s***s: 'We can't do anything about it until, ohh, a decade down the line. By then we won't have to, it'll be someone else's problem.'
Hence, without longer terms of government, nothing will get done. Long term results aren't in careerist sellouts' interests. Just gets in the way of the short term results.
Longer government the answer? I don't think so, at least while it's short we can keep them on their toes.
Privatisation? Look at railtrack, virgin, and most anyone else (for only slightly better examples). Not doing too well, huh?
Apparantly the problem is that the tracks have too many curves, the trains have to keep slowing down for them. In france and the like, long straight sections let the trains build up some speed. Slow trains = less attractive to travellers.
Oh, and the companies are run by fools haging around until they get their 'golden handshake'.
So unless you think we've got someone about to rip out and re-route all the tracks in the country, and perform surgery to give a few thousand executives new backbones it's unlikely to change there.
Hope?
Heard about the reform of the house of lords?
Summary - a proportion (for now?) will be democratically elected, on suggested 15 yr terms, with elections (of a third of the members) every 5 years.
It has all kinds of democratic implications that i'm not about to get started on (whew - lucky you!), but if the result would also give the house more power, we could see some more positive influence towards long term work.
Then again, maybe the only reason the house of lords seemed to conduct themselves with more integrity than the commons was because they weren't slaves to elections?
Opinions?
Hence, without longer terms of government, nothing will get done. Long term results aren't in careerist sellouts' interests. Just gets in the way of the short term results.
Longer government the answer? I don't think so, at least while it's short we can keep them on their toes.
Privatisation? Look at railtrack, virgin, and most anyone else (for only slightly better examples). Not doing too well, huh?
Apparantly the problem is that the tracks have too many curves, the trains have to keep slowing down for them. In france and the like, long straight sections let the trains build up some speed. Slow trains = less attractive to travellers.
Oh, and the companies are run by fools haging around until they get their 'golden handshake'.
So unless you think we've got someone about to rip out and re-route all the tracks in the country, and perform surgery to give a few thousand executives new backbones it's unlikely to change there.
Hope?
Heard about the reform of the house of lords?
Summary - a proportion (for now?) will be democratically elected, on suggested 15 yr terms, with elections (of a third of the members) every 5 years.
It has all kinds of democratic implications that i'm not about to get started on (whew - lucky you!), but if the result would also give the house more power, we could see some more positive influence towards long term work.
Then again, maybe the only reason the house of lords seemed to conduct themselves with more integrity than the commons was because they weren't slaves to elections?
Opinions?
Customer: Can I have a day return to London please?
Ticket Salesperson: A day return? Feeling optimistic sir?
-------------------------------------------
Modified from cartoon in newspaper before you ask!
Ticket Salesperson: A day return? Feeling optimistic sir?
-------------------------------------------
Modified from cartoon in newspaper before you ask!
Meka Dragon wrote:
> A Government should not be able to make plans that they
> cannot see through.
Yes. I could understand a five year plan, that would be fair enough, but 10 years. Come on. Who are they trying to kid? I think Labour are just thinking ahead and trying to tie the hands of the next (but one?) government.
There is too much one upmanship going on in this whole debate though, people calling for other people to be fired, come on, grow up. We used to have an NHS and education system that was the pride of the world, as soon as the rail system was privatised, it turned to crap.
I work in Leeds. They have spen millions on extending the station so that they can squeeze in a McD's and a Cookie Shop and a WHSmith outlet and a frikkin Carphone Warehouse, great job guys, but why do I have to wait an hour for a train I can actually sit down on?
> A Government should not be able to make plans that they
> cannot see through.
Yes. I could understand a five year plan, that would be fair enough, but 10 years. Come on. Who are they trying to kid? I think Labour are just thinking ahead and trying to tie the hands of the next (but one?) government.
There is too much one upmanship going on in this whole debate though, people calling for other people to be fired, come on, grow up. We used to have an NHS and education system that was the pride of the world, as soon as the rail system was privatised, it turned to crap.
I work in Leeds. They have spen millions on extending the station so that they can squeeze in a McD's and a Cookie Shop and a WHSmith outlet and a frikkin Carphone Warehouse, great job guys, but why do I have to wait an hour for a train I can actually sit down on?
A Government should not be able to make plans that they cannot see through.
Yes they should work towards distant goals, but how about doing something now?
Mind you, I live in a village that has never had a train pass through it. I couldn't realisticly use rail for travel (unless I drive to the station and pay extortionate parking fees - why not drive all the way?)
So I don't want to see further tax increases to fund the bloody rail network. Or cuts from education.
Yes they should work towards distant goals, but how about doing something now?
Mind you, I live in a village that has never had a train pass through it. I couldn't realisticly use rail for travel (unless I drive to the station and pay extortionate parking fees - why not drive all the way?)
So I don't want to see further tax increases to fund the bloody rail network. Or cuts from education.
and it was proven that being dressed as a snail while getting to work 5 miles away on a skateboard is quicker transport than taking a bus,train and a limo.
... the rail system, come on people. You cannot be serious. It is a thinly veiled attempt to fob off failure onto the next government. Alright, Labout inherited the mess, but they can't keep using that as an excuse.
Lets face it, Labour is not still going to be in Government in 10 years, (we will get tired of them eventually), so the next government in will just chop and change the budgets and plans. They will probably come up with yet another 10 year plan, and so on, ad infinitum.
What is happening this year, and the next year eh? How will they attract money from private firms if passengers are running away in droves?
I point to the Japanese rail system, which recieves not a penny from Tax Payers, and yet still runs on-time, and has some cool trains. Why is that not possible in Britain? Could it be that "rip-off Britain" extends all the way to companies paying so over the odds for rolling stock that they have to add 17% to rail fares?
Discuss. (Or ignore... the choice is yours)
Lets face it, Labour is not still going to be in Government in 10 years, (we will get tired of them eventually), so the next government in will just chop and change the budgets and plans. They will probably come up with yet another 10 year plan, and so on, ad infinitum.
What is happening this year, and the next year eh? How will they attract money from private firms if passengers are running away in droves?
I point to the Japanese rail system, which recieves not a penny from Tax Payers, and yet still runs on-time, and has some cool trains. Why is that not possible in Britain? Could it be that "rip-off Britain" extends all the way to companies paying so over the odds for rolling stock that they have to add 17% to rail fares?
Discuss. (Or ignore... the choice is yours)