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Aren't we free to say 'No'?
I am not surprised that Tom Levitt thinks that the "No" vote on the congestion charge was a bizarre reaction.
It brings him to the conclusion that politicians must engage better with voters 365days a year. I am now totally convinced that he and his party are so far out of touch with reality it is dangerous to the freedom of the country's electorate.
The vote was 80% against the congestion charge and he is amazed that the voters missed the opportunity for a three billion pound investment in public transport, cleaner air and faster movement around Britain's second most congested city.
What he seems to miss is that it was going to cost many commuters a lot of money at a time when they are suffering financially and that the investment in public transport should have been made by central government anyway over the last ten years or more.
The idea of engaging with voters would surely have meant that he perhaps should have taken on board what 80% had said to him in rejecting the charge and that his article should have reflected that; he seems to think that by engaging with them he and his party could have made the electorate come to a different conclusion even to the extent of suggesting that "the next referendum is a long way away." I presume that this is because it is not always going to give them the result that they want.
The way to reduce congestion has been to introduce a sensibly priced fully integrated public transport system and then encourage people to use it instead of their cars. Many cities in this country could benefit from this approach.
The lack of investment over the years has stopped this from happening. The thing that does amaze me is that we are now in times of financial crisis having to use lots of public money to rescue banks who have in fairness created their own problems by investing ours and their shareholders' money poorly.
The money now appears to be easily available to sort out these problems and is coming from this seemingly bottomless pit which will be a future tax burden for somebody.
I do accept that this financial rescue is perhaps necessary but it does go against the grain when central government investment money has always been so hard to come by.
Listening to the electorate is something that would appear to be alien to this Government and their desire to control people is far more important than freedom of choice – which is fast becoming a thing of the past.
Politicians need to look at some of the controlling things that they have and are keen to force on us. The two that come to mind are ID cards and the smoking ban.
The cost of the ID card system is astronomic and Government's ability to protect sensitive data means that, in the opinion of many, it is another disaster waiting to happen.
Tom: I would like to suggest that you and your party start to listen to the public and don't start crying when 80% of people tell you 'no thank you, we don't want it,'
Listening means that perhaps your response should have been to accept the defeat graciously and to even recommend that Greater Manchester are given the three billion.
Perhaps it is a better investment that rescuing Jaguar which was bought from Ford as a sound investment by the Indian company Tata.
I am convinced that if it came to the vote you would support rescuing Jaguar.
Perhaps you should put that forward as a referendum question to the people of Greater Manchester.
But you don't like referendums, do you?
Jake Walsh
Whaley Bridge
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Weather for Buxton
Thursday 24 May 2012
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