More on Venezuela: Hugo Chavez subsidizes bus travel for London's poor, starting a debate about one of the world's richest cities being subsidized by a poor country. (So what's new? China finances the US trade deficit, Chavez offers cheap heating to residents of the Bronx..) http://www.theage.com.au/news/world/londons-caracas-fuel-deal-attacked/2007/08/21/1187462259239.html
"The London Assembly Conservative leader, Angie Bray, said Mr Livingstone should have requested financial support from the Treasury if he required it." (Right. I am sure the Treasury is thrilled to provide more subsidies for the poor..) As a sidenote London's mayor Ken Livingstone appears to be almost as colorful as Chavez himself. http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,22231111-663,00.html ------------------------snip THE Mayor of London Ken Livingstone has plans to charge drivers of American-style 4WDs, sport-utility vehicles (SUV) and other gas guzzlers a daily "green tax" of $US50 ($A59) for the privilege of driving in the centre of London. Even those who can afford the $US140,000-plus ($A165,000) it costs to own a top-of-the-line Range Rover Vogue or a Porsche Cayenne Turbo are swallowing hard at that one. ............. Livingstone disdainfully refers to such vehicles as "Chelsea tractors" - a reference to the posh London neighbourhood where they seem to be most popular - and to their affluent drivers as "complete idiots". -raghu. On 8/23/07, Julio Huato <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/d83b3294-51b4-11dc-8779-0000779fd2ac.html >
