Steve Haywood wrote: > On 29/01/07, Will Chapman <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > >> could we please recognise that the enemy is based in Whitehall not >> Watford. > > > I am sorry to break ranks here, but I do not agree with this simplistic > appraisal of the situation. > > Yes, the DEFRA cuts were a profound blow to the waterways; but many of us, > even on this list, are not willing to go from that point to concluding that > therefore BW = good, Government = bad.
I'm not suggesting that Steve. If you knew me better you wouldn't even suggest that my views are that simplistic. I have often, and still do, express my concern about the shortcoming of BW (and IWA and other user groups) and I am certainly not saying that all of what Govt has done for the waterways is bad. However, it seems utterly pointless to me to argue amongst ourselves about BW when we could be using the energy to find ways of solving the immediate problem of the cuts. > > Some of us are seriously concerned that Robin Evans' entire strategy for the > waterways is based on hanging onto a half billion pound property portfolio. Fine that may be a valid point but it isn't one that I see of immediate concern. Perhaps if you suggested it, would agree to a debate on such issues. There are forums set up for that purpose. > The earnings this yields is public money as much as a direct capital grant > from the treasury would be. Some of us think it is inevitable that sooner or > later a Brown or Cameron government will prefer to inject this money into > the economy immediately, and support the waterways subsequently by annual > grant, inefficient though this may be. > > Some of us think the thrust of BW policy should therefore be to make the > case for adequate and continuing grants now, rather than waste energy and > effort messing around in a property market that is most properly the remit > of private enterprise. > Again, interesting points. Did you take the opportunity to raise them in your submission to the EFRA Select Committee? Cheers Will > Steve > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > > > > Yahoo! Groups Links > > > > -- Will Chapman Save Our Waterways www.SaveOurWaterways.org.uk
