Anna's PlaceBlog
Welcome to my blog, which I started way back in December 2002 - long before social media was a thing! With the advent of Facebook, Twitter etc. I don't write that often here now, but you never know when I might feel the urge to do so.
Saturday, February 10, 2007
About a week ago I became aware of an e-petition circulating within the UK which objects to the Government's proposed introduction of road pricing in the UK. Whilst I don't usually write about such petitions the sheer size of this one is quite astonishing. By the time it closes I fully expect it to hit over a million signatures!
Let's face it - unless you live and work in one of the larger cities, for many people here public transport is a joke (for example one of my past jobs was either a 20 minute drive or a 2 1/4 hour commute by public transport!!!)
Anyway enough chat. Have a read and see what you think....
- "Forgive the group email, but I urge you to read and act upon the following.
"This really is another tax increase through the back door.
"There are only 15 days left to register your objection to the 'Pay as you go' road tax - which closes to petitions on the 20th February 2007.
"The petition is on the 10 Downing St website but they didn't tell anybody about it. Therefore at this time only 671,354 people have signed it so far and 750,000 signatures are required to stop them introducing it.
"Once you've given your details (you don't have to give your full address, just house number and postcode will do), they will send you an email with a link in it. Once you click on that link, you'll have signed the petition.
"Democracy in action?
"The government's proposal to introduce road pricing will mean you having to purchase a tracking device for your car and paying a monthly bill to use it. The tracking device will cost about £200 and in a recent study by the BBC, the lowest monthly bill was £28 for a rural florist and £194 for a delivery driver. A non working mother who used the car to take the kids to school paid £86 in one month.
"On top of this massive increase in tax, you will be tracked. Somebody will know where you are at all times. They will also know how fast you have been going, so even if you accidentally creep over a speed limit in time you can probably expect a Notice of Intended Prosecution with your monthly bill.
"If you care about our freedom and stopping the constant bashing of the car driver, please sign the petition on No 10's new website (link below) and pass this on to as many people as possible."
http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/traveltax/
"Thanks"
This has got to be the biggest petition in UK history - I just looked and it had 999,122 signatures (about 180,000 more than earlier this week). Wow.
Somehow I think No. 10 ain't gonna like this one. Serves 'em right!
Thursday, February 08, 2007
If the wall-to-wall coverage on the BBC this morning as anything to go by life as we know it is under serious threat. The problem? Only the first fall of snow this winter, that's all.
I was brought up in Bishop Auckland in the North East, and we were regularly snowed in every winter for a few days (that's what happens when you live in a valley, and the only way out is up a hill). It was no big deal, really - all it takes to cope with such weather is a bit of common sense and preparedness, after all.
You would think that as a nation we would have grown tired of hysterical media commentary by now. Sadly, it doesn't look like most people have, or the media wouldn't be constantly peddling it.
Oh well. By way of contrast, I've just been down to the beach here and all I found was bright sunshine and a few locals out enjoying it. Gorgeous.
