2008/10/9 Adrian Stott [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> It was made abundantly clear that the current £30 million/year gap > between what BW needs to spend to keep the waterways in a steady state > of repair, and the revenue it now has, is *not* going to be made up by > added government grant. Boaters were advised bluntly by John Edmunds > (IWAC) not to waste any more time on that idea. > Interesting that you should have picked this out as a highlight since this has been very much your view all along, hasn't it Adrian? So did Mr Fletcher or Mr Edmunds suggest where the shortfall was coming from, or have we been left to work this no brainer out for ourselves? In which case, I guess you'd best be budgeting for the extra levy on that wide boat of yours. Me, I don't care what either of these people say. They're government spokesmen after all. What what you expect them to say? I believe that the the canals are a national heritage, that they are being used increasingly by the whole of the population and that the whole of the population should pay for them by a government grant that represents their national value. The alternative is your way, Adrian. That is to squeeze as much money as you can from hard pressed boaters. That is as long as those hard pressed boaters aren't you, in which case you will argue 'fairness' to protect your own position until you're blue in the face. Interesting to hear the Tories taking the popularist line for a change though. It strikes me that instead of courting approval by getting cheap cheers on what is after all an administrative matter between EA and BW, that nice Mr Gummer should be pressed on where HE stands on the public financing of the waterways. Did you perchance ask him? Steve [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
