Here is a selection of issues making headlines during the past few weeks:
Local News
Slough Town Hall could become new school
Recycling collection goes weekly - In wokingham.
MP pledge to villager's - MP Phillip Lee lends his support to the campaign against 3,500 homes, Should be an interesting meeting for him with the Tory council. See my blog Crowthorne and Binfield housing rebels
and Get Bracknell 'Plea to look again at housing plan rejected'.
Taxi drivers fight for cap on licences - Personally I support them in this, there are a lot of drivers and it must be hard to make a living. If the level is right then perhaps they could charge less as turnover would be higher.
Local Links
Jane is the one finds that Labour in Reading "wrong" says its Facebook administrator, I blogged about this in 'Former Reading MP threatened with Facebook block from local Labour.
Cllr John Ennis finds Willis's stealth tax designed to rake in £150.000 plus a year.
Tony Jones thinks that Reading Lib Dem Councilor Daisy's Dilemma: Back Bayes And Sacrifice Epps? - Personally I think Tony has forgotten a major factor which is hard work. Daisy Benson works very hard as do the other Reading Lib Dem councillors, I believe this will stand them in good stead. They don't need a campaign as they are on the doorstep all the time anyway. Doing case work and looking after the interests of the area.
Green Reading in Woolas Hypocrisy has some examples in Reading of how dirty local campaigns can get. Personally I really hate this type of politics. The sooner this Woolas ruling washes through all parties the better for all of us.
Liberal Burblings asks Question: When does a $10 million trip cost $2 billion? Answer: When Fox News is involved
National Link (Links of the day)
Labour Blogger Moments of Clarity asks Should we consider not standing in Oldham East and Saddleworth this time? - It would be interesting to have a two way by-election but I still prefer a 3 way one myself.
Caron's Musings asks How the US Republicans get it so, so wrong.
Gudio Fawkes has a video showing that Coulson Could Learn a Thing or Two
Left Foot Forward reports that the Public unaware of just how much those at the very top are pai.
And finally this weeks entertainment is provided by my chance to indulge myself in a political music video. This week it's The Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy with their tale of California Uber Alles, enjoy;
Licensing taxi drivers should be a cheap formality to check identity, UK driving licence and ensure the driver has no long history of driving offences or violent crime and to allow them to ban any who drive unsafe cars or in an unsafe manner. Anything else is pure protectionism, especially limiting the numbers. If they don' like the pay, go and do something more lucrative. You are just thinking of the "poor cabbies" not the "poor potential cabbies, refused licences". As for restricting competition making things cheaper, that is pure socialist fantasy.
ReplyDeleteNo industry should ever involve licensing or regulation beyond the minimum required to support basic public-safety policy, so safe operators are not undercut by those who are a danger to the public. The market will determine the size of the taxi fleet and the prices charged.
WEll that is a good point and well made. At the moment however I can see the taxi drivers argument that they are suffering.
ReplyDelete