Pay As You Go Road Tax

[BOONDI]

Originally Posted by Ianm2

Wait a minute Martin, think about it, look at the petitions on the site, some are huge huge issues, massively important, and they are barely getting any 'votes',

1.8 million is a huge amount, think of how many cars there are on the road, 20 million at estimate? how many people of those posses computers? how many know about the petition? how many are prepared to sign there name and there email address publically.

I think actually its a massive massive groundswell of opinion, considering those factors, there may be others.

I think the word sarcasm should be applied to Martins post Ian........

[NickG]

So where were the TV adverts etc. to make us aware of a highly controversial
government decision like this?

I think are mistaking us with the US there Martin, thats not the way a parlimentary democrocy works, I am not defending anything here, but the idea of single issue politics is IMHO one of the worst ideas about at the moment.

[Bizzie]

Originally Posted by Martin213

Reality check......

1.8 million is hardly representative of our nation's population is it :

It is when you look how many signatures the other petitions get most of the don't get more than 1200, and for every signature there was probably ten more people who didn't know about it.

[NickG]

1.8 million is a huge amount, think of how many cars there are on the road, 20 million at estimate? how many people of those posses computers?, of those,

* how many have internet access,
* how many have an email address
* how many know about the petition?
* how many are prepared to sign there name and there email address publically.
* how many are so disillusioned and apathetic and believe no matter what they say or do this govt doen'st give a toss about their opinion no matter what they do?

how many people of those posses computers?: maybe 50% don;t know
how many have internet access: they all do, everyone does if they want to
how many have an email address: anyone can given the above and hotmail

Problem with this is (IMHO)

1. Just because 1.8 million people don't want to do something, it doesn't make it a bad idea
2. Just because only 1 person wants to do something. it doesn't make it a bad idea.

Lets face it, if you were asked just about anything if it involved you paying money you will tend to think its a bad thing.

Maybe I am just in a more cynical than usual mood having watched "V for Vendetta" last night :-).

[lt_texan]

Originally Posted by NickG

1. Just because 1.8 million people don't want to do something, it doesn't make it a bad idea

yes, but in that case there should be some effort into helping 1,800,000 people understand why it needs to be done. Disenfranchising the public is not a good way forward.

[NickG]

yes, but in that case there should be some effort into helping 1,800,000 people understand why it needs to be done. Disenfranchising the public is not a good way forward.

Oh, I agree, though I suspect most of those 1.8e6 people already know WHY it needs to be done.

My point was more aimed at the idea that if enough people ticked a box it would automatically be a good thing.

The problem with the idea of a poll like the above, is there is no way of saying if you think its a good idea (disagree with poll), only if you think its bad (agree with poll), so in reality it doesn't mean as much as you might think at first sight.

Try a poll asking for email addresses from people who want to make petrol cost 5p a litre, bet you would get loads of names, still doesn't make any difference does it?

[NealG]

Originally Posted by pre65

AHH-thinking mans crumpet !!

my favourite was (is) actress Barbera Flynn.



Philip

Thought that was Joan Bakewell....

[lt_texan]

Originally Posted by NickG

Oh, I agree, though I suspect most of those 1.8e6 people already know WHY it needs to be done.

of course we all "know" why it has to be done - because there will be a much more difficult budget equation to solve without it! And if that's not true - put the receipts in a dedicated fund to improve public transport or make it revenue neutral vs fuel tariffs and tax discs.

Honestly, is London traffic substantially different "in the zone?"

I must shut up now. I tried to stay away from this one.

And I hardly drive at all. Why do I care?

[Hardy]

I must admit I had a strange crush on Lesley Judd when I were a lad...dunno why just did. Joan Bakewell....yes she had a certain something again dunno why....Mind you I fancied most of the female BP presenters over the years and that Konnie Huq does it for me today! I reckon they vet the BP girls to see who will appeal to the adolescent boys and the Dads to make sure the rating figures are high!

NickG is right about the statistics of the poll it does not show the whole country's view but everyone I've spoken too and myself think these are hair brained ideas and just more tax grabbing when Gordon Brown is already fleecing us for every penny we've got....! Bring back Maggie at least taxes were lower and we seemed to be getting some value for money (my further education was free for example)...this lot just wastes about 60% of what we give 'em I reckon! If the Govt were a company they'd have been closed down years ago based on their efficiencies!

So they need to look from within and see how much money they are wasting before they go and charge us more. They will find the money to invest in good high tech hospitals, public transport, schools, police etc. I know people who were civil servants and when they tell you they had run out of work to do by Tuesday morning and when they ask for more their bosses tell them to go read the paper that tells me there are way too many of them...QED!

So it's not about how the money is used it's about not allowing us to have money...why?....money is power and these guys are frightened we steal their power so they take it all away from us. This is what happened in Soviet Union 100 years ago and it's happening today in UK they are control freaks who don't want to get out of power and want to control everything we do...!

Rich.

[Ianm2]

off topic, and apart from the govt needing to be regulated, independantly monitored, as its happy to do with every other area except themselves, ( how can you deliberately lie be found out and misuse office to a corrupt degree on 2 occasions and not only keep your job, but be compensated £15,000 each time for losing privilages, and be stood by at the highest level, which also incriminates the boss, I don't know) ...

...there is a £50 million defecit in mp's pension funds, and that's to be filled urgently by taxpayers money. to say nothing of those that have lost their pensions due to wrong advise and lost all.

Needless to say there wouldn't be £50 mill available for any other thing apart from war, or to pay a fine to brussels, or for 'security' upgrades to blairs house

I don't object one iota if we get brill services in this country, but if we are getting fleeced and the cash is wasted by making some rich, then its another thing altogether, there is some serious case to privatising the govt/the whole shebang.