Sneakiness & Emasculation

Timely article in the Rage detailing weasel words infiltrating the media. Huh? So thats a apparently a new development? Now read this headline: Herald Sun: RACV tunnelling toward tolls OK

"Victoria's peak motoring body has called on the Federal Government to spend money promised for a toll-free Mitcham-Frankston freeway on other urgent road needs. The RACV's federal budget submission effectively acknowledges tolls are now unavoidable, calling for the $565 million earmarked for the freeway to be redirected."

More weasel words, courtesy of the Hun. The RACV acknowledge "tolls are now unavoidable", but see sense and realise that $ should be spent on other more pressing projects. So is the Hun attempting to insinuate RACV's stance is on the nose, possibly with it's membership?

Backtracking to late February, what is really on the nose is the continuing emasculation of Melbourne 2030. "A leaked report has called on the Victorian State Government to invest in public transport. The State Government needs to drop its debt-shy approach to public finance and borrow hundreds of millions of dollars to improve public transport and roads if it is to salvage its troubled planning blueprint, Melbourne 2030. The leaked report by the Melbourne 2030 Implementation Reference Group says the Government has failed to commit funds to, or even acknowledge the need for, the major transport improvements necessary under the planning blueprint. "Without serious attention and substantial investment in transport, Melbourne faces some very serious threats to its economic competitiveness and liveability," it said.. "

But we already knew this, didn't we? All hail the last decade of privatisation and it's benefits, and ponder when peak-oil is going to emerge in the mainstream media?

More sneakiness, The Australian's Editorial has a sooky appraisal of the Australian Press Council's ruling.

"The Greens blithely say they want 20 per cent of road trips to be by bicycle. Does anybody doubt they would achieve this transport revolution by using taxes and parking charges to price cars out of the reach of many Australians - especially when the party also aims to "reduce car ownership"?"

Call me cynical, but when traffic snarls proliferate, it's too late. No amount of combined legislation, education and goofy Critical Mass rides are ever going to induce folks to skip merrily out of their smogboxes. Remember, don't shit when you eat, historially, if a environmental or social issue gets bad enough, people will find a solution. History is also littered with examples where a solution was lacking, much to that societies detriment. Anyway, back to more petulant sooking from the Oz....

Rather than "irresponsible journalism", the Herald Sun's report performed a public service by casting some needed scrutiny on the ragbag of Greens policies. While the party tries to appeal to mainstream Australian, many of its policies still cling to the radical agenda of its feral fringe

Hey, more possibly cynical observations from the peanut gallery, but haven't we evolved past these snide judgments? Ok, that was naive.

Anyway, regarding forays on the internet, keep your pants on

Farewell, Mr Rather