Comments on: Ming on the environment: tax hikes and waffle http://www.theliberati.net/quaequamblog/2006/02/01/ming-on-the-environment-tax-hikes-and-waffle/ "crass, boorish and more a bruiser than blogger" - Alex Wilcock Fri, 09 Jan 2009 01:12:48 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: paul http://www.theliberati.net/quaequamblog/2006/02/01/ming-on-the-environment-tax-hikes-and-waffle/#comment-919 paul Mon, 06 Feb 2006 19:51:07 +0000 http://www.theliberati.net/quaequamblog/2006/02/01/ming-on-the-environment-tax-hikes-and-waffle/#comment-919 Clearly environment is high up Chris Huhne's agenda. First he sent me a letter, and enclosure, and another enclosure, in my capacity as a Councillor. Then he sent me another mailing letter, with different content, in another envelope, also with an enclosure - and in the same post was yet another letter from him (same content as before), with another enclosure and, YES, yet another enclosure. Three mailings in less than three days - all with must the same message on the environment. What a waste of time, energy and finite resources. And the consequence - I'm backing SIMON HUGHES not Chris Huhne to tell the truth about green issues! Clearly environment is high up Chris Huhne’s agenda. First he sent me a letter, and enclosure, and another enclosure, in my capacity as a Councillor. Then he sent me another mailing letter, with different content, in another envelope, also with an enclosure - and in the same post was yet another letter from him (same content as before), with another enclosure and, YES, yet another enclosure. Three mailings in less than three days - all with must the same message on the environment. What a waste of time, energy and finite resources. And the consequence - I’m backing SIMON HUGHES not Chris Huhne to tell the truth about green issues!

]]> By: Richard Fairhurst http://www.theliberati.net/quaequamblog/2006/02/01/ming-on-the-environment-tax-hikes-and-waffle/#comment-857 Richard Fairhurst Thu, 02 Feb 2006 13:39:49 +0000 http://www.theliberati.net/quaequamblog/2006/02/01/ming-on-the-environment-tax-hikes-and-waffle/#comment-857 The 'London-Scotland' market still has two operators - GNER and Virgin. The lack of a monopoly hasn't led to prices staying down here. Quite the opposite. These two have probably been the most rapacious in terms of fare increases. Agreed 100% that "spending more money is no substitute for reform". But it is nothing, nothing to do with monopolies. British Rail was the ultimate monopoly, and was delivering a generally better railway at a fraction of today's cost. There is no monopoly in rolling stock. Quite the opposite: there are three major leasers (Angel, HSBC, Porterbrook) and a handful of owners (including FirstGroup). So why do the leasers charge astronomical sums for a clapped out 1980s railbus, something so worthless that the last lot to come off lease here were actually shipped out to _Iran_? Maybe Ahmadinejad has travelled in one... that's why he's trying to nuke us. ;) The ‘London-Scotland’ market still has two operators - GNER and Virgin. The lack of a monopoly hasn’t led to prices staying down here. Quite the opposite. These two have probably been the most rapacious in terms of fare increases.

Agreed 100% that “spending more money is no substitute for reform”. But it is nothing, nothing to do with monopolies. British Rail was the ultimate monopoly, and was delivering a generally better railway at a fraction of today’s cost.

There is no monopoly in rolling stock. Quite the opposite: there are three major leasers (Angel, HSBC, Porterbrook) and a handful of owners (including FirstGroup). So why do the leasers charge astronomical sums for a clapped out 1980s railbus, something so worthless that the last lot to come off lease here were actually shipped out to _Iran_?

Maybe Ahmadinejad has travelled in one… that’s why he’s trying to nuke us. ;)

]]> By: James http://www.theliberati.net/quaequamblog/2006/02/01/ming-on-the-environment-tax-hikes-and-waffle/#comment-846 James Thu, 02 Feb 2006 10:29:18 +0000 http://www.theliberati.net/quaequamblog/2006/02/01/ming-on-the-environment-tax-hikes-and-waffle/#comment-846 Richard, The 25 train operating companies were all monopolistic, or at best, duopolistic operations. They have all been given their own patch to do whatever they want. I hold by my claims that state subsidies are by their nature inflationary - we are seeing the same thing happening in the NHS. Spending more money is no substitute for reform, and cash handouts are no substitute for passengers. Richard,

The 25 train operating companies were all monopolistic, or at best, duopolistic operations. They have all been given their own patch to do whatever they want.

I hold by my claims that state subsidies are by their nature inflationary - we are seeing the same thing happening in the NHS. Spending more money is no substitute for reform, and cash handouts are no substitute for passengers.

]]> By: Peter http://www.theliberati.net/quaequamblog/2006/02/01/ming-on-the-environment-tax-hikes-and-waffle/#comment-844 Peter Thu, 02 Feb 2006 09:29:39 +0000 http://www.theliberati.net/quaequamblog/2006/02/01/ming-on-the-environment-tax-hikes-and-waffle/#comment-844 More on that tax debate <a href="http://liberalism2010.blogspot.com/2006/02/who-are-liberal-democrats.html" rel="nofollow">here</a> Perhaps the Times article you quote above holds the explanation for CH's failure to put flesh on unpopular bones.. More on that tax debate here

Perhaps the Times article you quote above holds the explanation for CH’s failure to put flesh on unpopular bones..

]]> By: Will http://www.theliberati.net/quaequamblog/2006/02/01/ming-on-the-environment-tax-hikes-and-waffle/#comment-843 Will Thu, 02 Feb 2006 09:25:18 +0000 http://www.theliberati.net/quaequamblog/2006/02/01/ming-on-the-environment-tax-hikes-and-waffle/#comment-843 What's the problem with raising the personal threshold for income tax very quickly? This can surely be done by slightly increasing income tax towards the top end. What’s the problem with raising the personal threshold for income tax very quickly? This can surely be done by slightly increasing income tax towards the top end.

]]> By: Richard Fairhurst http://www.theliberati.net/quaequamblog/2006/02/01/ming-on-the-environment-tax-hikes-and-waffle/#comment-842 Richard Fairhurst Thu, 02 Feb 2006 09:21:12 +0000 http://www.theliberati.net/quaequamblog/2006/02/01/ming-on-the-environment-tax-hikes-and-waffle/#comment-842 Your point 3 is spot on (reduce the need for travel). But I have great difficulty in believing 4 (road user pricing doesn't reduce car use), and 1 (rail fares have increased solely because of "monopolistic providers") is arrant nonsense. Rail fares have increased, and the rail industry is failing, because of structural weakness in the industry, and because of a complete failure of Government direction and (especially) regulation. Actually, a lot of why the railways are in such trouble can be summed up in the phrase "boiling frogs" (and occasionally "power-hungry lardbutts"), but you need to read Roger Ford at www.alycidon.com for more on that. Attributing the problems to 'monopolies' is the same mistake John Major and Steve Robson made when privatising the industry in the first place. Actually, there were 25 (!) different train operators after privatisation, four rolling stock leasing companies, and countless infrastructure contractors. Fat lot of good that did. Ming is right to say that money needs to be spent on improving public transport alternatives. The trick is to spend it wisely by accompanying it with significant structural reform. Your point 3 is spot on (reduce the need for travel). But I have great difficulty in believing 4 (road user pricing doesn’t reduce car use), and 1 (rail fares have increased solely because of “monopolistic providers”) is arrant nonsense.

Rail fares have increased, and the rail industry is failing, because of structural weakness in the industry, and because of a complete failure of Government direction and (especially) regulation. Actually, a lot of why the railways are in such trouble can be summed up in the phrase “boiling frogs” (and occasionally “power-hungry lardbutts”), but you need to read Roger Ford at http://www.alycidon.com for more on that.

Attributing the problems to ‘monopolies’ is the same mistake John Major and Steve Robson made when privatising the industry in the first place. Actually, there were 25 (!) different train operators after privatisation, four rolling stock leasing companies, and countless infrastructure contractors. Fat lot of good that did.

Ming is right to say that money needs to be spent on improving public transport alternatives. The trick is to spend it wisely by accompanying it with significant structural reform.

]]> By: Sam http://www.theliberati.net/quaequamblog/2006/02/01/ming-on-the-environment-tax-hikes-and-waffle/#comment-838 Sam Wed, 01 Feb 2006 21:19:00 +0000 http://www.theliberati.net/quaequamblog/2006/02/01/ming-on-the-environment-tax-hikes-and-waffle/#comment-838 I agree with all of that. I despaired on reading Ming's statement. He manages to use ten times the words to produce a tenth of the substance Chris does. I agree with all of that.

I despaired on reading Ming’s statement. He manages to use ten times the words to produce a tenth of the substance Chris does.

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