DJKillaQueen

Just tooooo funny........has made my day that, a good day so far just got better :))

It's had CCTV for years and cyclists cycle both ways and on the pavement. Basically it was a badly desgined cycle route before and doesn't seem to be any different now. As for biking officials....how many of them were local cyclists who use the route every day like myself? It's not just cycle routes, we are all fed up of so called junction 'improvements' and other roadworks that turn out to be anything but.

Well the big carrot that allowed Nick Clegg to get his way with his backbenchers is the voting reform thing. OK so he's now got the referendum. Both main parties are going to campaign vigorously against it. And there are aspects to what will be in the referendum that many people are not going to be happy voting for. Probably what will happen is that Labour and Tory voters will vote no at the reforendum and The Lib Dems will lose the vote (the electorate just isn't that bothered about political reform - which will only serve the Lib Dems after all). Then Clegg will have a problem. Backbenchers will say 'what is the point now in toing the tory line?'.

The only measure put into place is the proposed rise in the tax threshold but it's not high enough. And were it not for the Lib Dems there wouldn't have been any rise at all. Our economy is in a very dangerous condition. A third of workers need top up benefits (mostly housing benefit). Only 12% of our economy is in manufacturing. We import vastly more than we export. And of the things we do manufacter we are increasingly using parts made abroad. A programme on TV made the point perfectly last night, where we excel is in high quality, high value items but where a JCB digger 35 years ago would have been build entirely from parts manufactered here, it is now built here but from 70% of parts manufactered elsewhere, often in other european countries, so not in the far east. It's very hard to get back manufacturing after it's lost. The consequence of that is that for those who traditionally would have done those manual skilled jobs, there is little prospect of meaningful employment. If any government genuinely wants to address the UK economy and restore it to a competitive stable one, it has to understand that you have to create the variety of roles within the Labour market to accomoadate the majority of people with the level of salaries needed to live on, instead of this road we've gone down of training everyone for service industries and leaving those that aren't literate or numerate to rot. The economy of London is not remotely like the economy of vast areas of the UK where unemployment is high and industry low.

Jeremy Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I promised myself I'd give up arguing on this > stuff... the nonsense about the VAT rise hitting > the poorest hardest pushed me over the edge! The VAT rise won't affect food, clothes, and utilities it's true but it will affect fuel and other things that the low waged have to rely on to not only get to work but to be able to work. If you are on a wage that that has no give for extra costs then you are going to be hit harder than if you have a wage that leaves you with disposable income that can absorb the rises - so yes - tax rises do impact on the poorest hardest - you can't argue with that, it's a fact. It can however be ocuntered by increasing tax thresholds, tax credits, or as I think should happen, the minimum wage. The real issue for me is that employers get away with low wages knowing that the benefits system will make up the gap.....in other words, tax payers subsidise almost a third of salaries in this country with top up benefits. That can not be right.

On the vote poll thing, you have to remember that the proposed cuts and tax hikes haven't come into effect yet, and won't start doig so until next year - whereas meassures on Welfare reform start from September (so yes lets clobber the poor first). Until the economy starts to see the impact of cuts, the job losses and so on, there won't be much shift in the vote polls. Also Labour are without a leader at present. I think some people are impressed by the 'cut the deficit message' without understanding the coming consequences for public services from that. And also the constant demonisation of the benefits culture is not a message lost on the right. When the cuts start to bite though, and Labour have a new leader, I'd espect a shift. One thing that is going to lose the Tories and Lib Dems votes are the propsed changes by the FSA to the mortgage lending industry. Self certified mortgages are to be outlawed along with changes to interest only (favoured by buy-to-let investors) mortages. Welcome changes that will start to address the over inflation in the housing market but no doubt will be a vote loser for the Tories. I think the Lib Dems are finished tbh and will leave the coalition (forced by the backbenchers) if they don't get political voting reform.

Today the time is up for the peace camp at Parliament Square. I saw this camp for the first time two days ago (flying by on the back of a motorcycle) and have to admit it looks like a bomb site. Won't be sorry to see it go. A protestor on the radio this morning said that 'removal of the peace camp shows the government are not interested in peace!' A bit rich given that they've been allowed to camp there for more than enough time to have made their point loud and clear and that Brian Haw, the original protestor can not be removed anyway.

I find most right wing views are easily shot down anyway. It's very hard to win an argument for self interest. But I understand Brendan's frustration at the lack conscience by the 'I'm alright jack' brigade without a care for the consequences. Thankfully there are enough people not like that otherwise what kind of a cruel society would we be living in.

Yeah the bike lane looks totally inappropriate on the pavement. It needs to be painted a bright colour at least because pedestrians will not see it as a bike lane. Why it isn't a seperate lane on the road is mystifying. Pedestrians look for traffic on a road. They don't look for it on a pavement and yes it is too narrow for two bicycles to cross (although I suspect it is on the pavement because of the contraflow). I suspect what will happen is that cyclists will use the road and jump up onto the cycle lane to go round buses only.....not very safe for pedestrians. I do hope as well they plan to resurface the entire length of Rye Lane....it is undoubtedly the worst Road Surface in the area - especially if you cycle down it.

That means I have to have a life-sized Tracy Island then...with a few modifications to defend me from HB's hit squad - some mig fighters and a polaris submarine should take care of a lear jet anyday.

The donkey definitely does it for me.....sounds like the party to go to :))

That's great to hear and goes to show that it's worth making a stand. And don't feel sorry for him. We are all responisible for our own actions and the consequences of them. He brought it on himself.

Just wish we were the kind of society that had enough NHS dentists to go round instead of millions of people unable to find one.

See I'm thinking (or maybe hoping) the top of the arm won't hurt so much!

aww thanks HB, ' me's an SE22 ho init! ' That's what I'll say!

YES HUGUENOT - your forum needs you! And right now my stomach needs my Chinese takaway...........will the VAT ride affect that? I guess it will :-S

I'm thinking of a four leaf clover at the top of my arm...it's 42 and wrinkle free...

HonaloochieB Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Of course we can DJKQ, I've been round the plot > fer a ten stretch at least. If not more. > Though, get webbed-up with them estate agents at > your peril DJKQ. > Seriously. Was thinking of moving in not out lol....:)) as I'm told Peckham Rye Park area isn't really East Dulwich....*sniff*

Why has this room died? The economy is crap! The poor are about to be hit with a club hammer! Middle income earners (if they keep their jobs) are about to be trimmed! And Cameron was unable to confirm that potential cancer sufferers would be guaranteed an appointment with a consultant within two weeks as they were before...... Does none of this matter anymore? Are politics, religion and just about any other contentious issue really so dead? I'm being forced to do battle in the Lounge ffs lol................

a dog's gotta poo what a dog's gotta poo after all......>:D

There are lots of street parties that day.....check out the Southwark site to find the nearest one to you........

Tits on the Radio (Scissor Sisters) has been on my mind all day......'there's no tits on the radio! tra-la-la'

Why are you allowing them to run downhill....surely uphill form the clockhouse would be far more entertaining lol?

Do I bring a mini goal to go with someone else's football?

See in OZ you call up the local snake guy (a bit like pest control) and job done. Only in the UK could it be such a big deal.......