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Saturday, December 17, 2005
Sold Down the Tube
Take a look at these two Underground Stations. One is located in Poland and one is in London. Which do you think is most in need of the largesse of the British taxpayer? Clue: Tony Blair thinks it's the one on the right...
The thought that Warsaw has a nice modern underground railway will make me feel so much better the next time I look at the difference between my gross and net pay.
The Warsaw Metro has only got one line with 16 completed stations, as opposed to the 274 stations that the London Underground has.
Given the scandalous costs of, say the Jubilee line, which is of similar vintage to the 1995 Warsaw system, which city, from a European public money perspective, is likely to make better use of the same amount of money ?
Surely you would not claim that any of the the Conservative or Labour, Rail and Tube privatisations, re-nationalisations and public finance initiatives, outsourcing etc. have been a success in terms of safety, reduced bureaucracy, efficient service to the travelling public or value for public money ?
Why are there no UK engineering or construction firms which are capable of competing for the expansion to the Warsaw Metro ?
Nulab, you're talking crap. I am sure Warsaw would undoubtedly make better use of the money - but it's our money and should be spent on our own infrastructure.
And I certainly would say that privatisation has led to a better service - on the line I use there are brand new trains which would almost certainly not have materialised under the old British Rail. I accept that rail privatsation was bureaucratic and imperfect, but to pretend the old system would have ggiven us a better and safer railway is pie in the sky.
"I am sure Warsaw would undoubtedly make better use of the money - but it's our money and should be spent on our own infrastructure."
Once you have handed your taxes over a Government, whether local, national or international, how can you claim that it is "your" money anymore ?
"I accept that rail privatsation was bureaucratic and imperfect, but to pretend the old system would have ggiven us a better and safer railway is pie in the sky. "
Are you saying that the privatised maintenance of the Tube infrastructure has led to anything other than greater safety risks and wasted public money ? The old system might not have made things better, but the new one has made things even worse.
@ richard
"Typical socialist that. WE can make better use of YOUR money... so hand it over."
Socialist ?? What do you mean ?
Presumably a Conservative Chancellor of the Exchequer would never have his hand permanantly in your wallet ?
7 comments:
The thought that Warsaw has a nice modern underground railway will make me feel so much better the next time I look at the difference between my gross and net pay.
The Warsaw Metro has only got one line with 16 completed stations, as opposed to the 274 stations that the London Underground has.
Given the scandalous costs of, say the Jubilee line, which is of similar vintage to the 1995 Warsaw system, which
city, from a European public money perspective, is likely to make better use of the same amount of money ?
Surely you would not claim that any of the the Conservative or Labour, Rail and Tube privatisations, re-nationalisations and public finance initiatives, outsourcing etc. have been a success in terms of safety, reduced bureaucracy, efficient service to the travelling public or value for public money ?
Why are there no UK engineering or construction firms which are capable of competing for the expansion to the Warsaw Metro ?
Nulab, you're talking crap. I am sure Warsaw would undoubtedly make better use of the money - but it's our money and should be spent on our own infrastructure.
And I certainly would say that privatisation has led to a better service - on the line I use there are brand new trains which would almost certainly not have materialised under the old British Rail. I accept that rail privatsation was bureaucratic and imperfect, but to pretend the old system would have ggiven us a better and safer railway is pie in the sky.
Sorry, didn't Cameroon say you Tories were pro-Europe now? Where is the evidence?
Says nulabour: "...which city, from a European public money perspective, is likely to make better use of the same amount of money?"
Typical socialist that. WE can make better use of YOUR money... so hand it over.
"Sorry, didn't Cameroon say you Tories were pro-Europe now? Where is the evidence?"
Insider, we are very much in favour of Europe. We are however much less keen on the European Union...
Please don't conflate the two!
@Iain
"Nulab, you're talking crap."
Really ? I am not the only one 8-)
"I am sure Warsaw would undoubtedly make better use of the money - but it's our money and should be spent on our own infrastructure."
Once you have handed your taxes over a Government, whether local, national or international, how can you claim that it is "your" money anymore ?
"I accept that rail privatsation was bureaucratic and imperfect, but to pretend the old system would have ggiven us a better and safer railway is pie in the sky. "
Are you saying that the privatised maintenance of the Tube infrastructure has led to anything other than greater safety risks and wasted public money ?
The old system might not have made things better, but the new one has made things even worse.
@ richard
"Typical socialist that. WE can make better use of YOUR money... so hand it over."
Socialist ?? What do you mean ?
Presumably a Conservative Chancellor of the Exchequer would never have his hand permanantly in your wallet ?
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