In a democracy the wishes of the majority are supposed to apply. The minority is supposed to make way for the needs of the majority - and yet we have a glaring example of the opposite at Heathcote.
The main road link between Wollongong and Sydney is the F-6, which at Waterfall simply becomes renamed " the Princes Highway " and continues as a six lane divided road.
These six lanes become a traffic jam when they reach the traffic lights at Heathcote. For an inexplicable reason the speed limit drops to fifty kph - and three lanes become two because of kerbside parking outside a handful of shops. At morning and afternoon peak this jam stretches back to Waterfall.
The illogical thinking behind the refusal to implement a clearway at peak is the demand by those shopkeepers that customers be allowed to park at their door instead of using available off street parking.
It is a clear example of the many being inconvenienced for the benefit of the few !
Apparently it will take a change of government for sanity to prevail !
Tuesday, 14 September 2010
Monday, 13 September 2010
Police crackdown !
During this past weekend Australian and New Zealand police conducted a massive crackdown on drunken violence and drink driving. The event was widely reported and big police contingents set up roadside breath tests - and concentrated on clubs and pubs that had a history of drunken brawling.
Across this state 737 people were charged with 1101 offences. Here in the Illawarra 26 people were charged with 59 offences - and breath testing resulted in fifteen people arrested for exceeding .05 - with a further two disqualified drivers detected.
Despite wide knowledge that police would be out in force there was little sign of abatement of excess drinking - and drivers continued to get behind the wheel after consuming alcohol. It was simply a case of " violence as usual " on the club and pub scene.
The police have indicated that there will be another crackdown before Christmas !
Periodic police blitzes at three month intervals are clearly insufficient. To get the message across we need a lift in police manpower every weekend to drill it into thick heads that drunken behaviour is not going to be tolerated. Heavy arrest rates will eventually spread the message - and achieve the objective.
The police will claim that they have neither the budget or the numbers to sustain such a campaign - but the whole reason for having a police force is to make the streets safe for ordinary citizens - and that is not happening when drunken mobs go on the rampage and drunken drivers threaten the safety of others.
If it takes an increase in the police budget - and the recruitment of more police - then so be it ! The present situation is unacceptable !
Across this state 737 people were charged with 1101 offences. Here in the Illawarra 26 people were charged with 59 offences - and breath testing resulted in fifteen people arrested for exceeding .05 - with a further two disqualified drivers detected.
Despite wide knowledge that police would be out in force there was little sign of abatement of excess drinking - and drivers continued to get behind the wheel after consuming alcohol. It was simply a case of " violence as usual " on the club and pub scene.
The police have indicated that there will be another crackdown before Christmas !
Periodic police blitzes at three month intervals are clearly insufficient. To get the message across we need a lift in police manpower every weekend to drill it into thick heads that drunken behaviour is not going to be tolerated. Heavy arrest rates will eventually spread the message - and achieve the objective.
The police will claim that they have neither the budget or the numbers to sustain such a campaign - but the whole reason for having a police force is to make the streets safe for ordinary citizens - and that is not happening when drunken mobs go on the rampage and drunken drivers threaten the safety of others.
If it takes an increase in the police budget - and the recruitment of more police - then so be it ! The present situation is unacceptable !
Sunday, 12 September 2010
Act of God !
The aftermath of that earthquake that hit the New Zealand city of Christchurch will be interesting. Citizens will be scrambling for their insurance policies to see if their insurers are going to opt out of paying by hiding behind the " act of God " exclusion !
Remember that rain storm that hit Wollongong back in 1998 ?
We had the ridiculous situation where the majority of insurance companies met their obligations - but three big insurers refused claims because they insisted that the event was a " flood " - which was not covered, rather than a " rain storm " - which was !
In some cases, different tenants in the same building had different outcomes. The same water damage - in the same building - but one paid out and the other refused because of insurance company attitude.
Australia is not as earthquake prone as New Zealand, but they do occur here - as evidenced by events in Newcastle some years ago.
Might be a good idea to have a read of the terms and conditions that apply to your insurance policy - and if it is delightfully unclear - insist on your insurer making clear it's acceptance of earthquake claims - in writing !
Better to be safe - than sorry !
Remember that rain storm that hit Wollongong back in 1998 ?
We had the ridiculous situation where the majority of insurance companies met their obligations - but three big insurers refused claims because they insisted that the event was a " flood " - which was not covered, rather than a " rain storm " - which was !
In some cases, different tenants in the same building had different outcomes. The same water damage - in the same building - but one paid out and the other refused because of insurance company attitude.
Australia is not as earthquake prone as New Zealand, but they do occur here - as evidenced by events in Newcastle some years ago.
Might be a good idea to have a read of the terms and conditions that apply to your insurance policy - and if it is delightfully unclear - insist on your insurer making clear it's acceptance of earthquake claims - in writing !
Better to be safe - than sorry !
Saturday, 11 September 2010
Burning the Koran !
Some say that any publicity is good publicity. That is certainly the case for an obscure religious sect in the United States. This sect claims to be a new religion - and despite having just thirty-two followers and being totally unknown it has achieved world news status.
It's leader has threatened a public book burning ceremony today - the ninth anniversary of the attack on the twin tower World Trade centre in New York.
The particular book to be burned is the Koran, the holy book of Islam - and that has thrust the threat on news broadcasts from every country on this planet - and in particular - is seen as an attack on Islam in most Islamic countries.
If the preacher heading this sect was looking for recognition - in the hope of attracting more followers - he has certainly succeeded - but at what cost ?
This totally unprovoked action will certainly incite Muslims inclined to jihad and there is every chance that a few may be moved to violence against non Muslims.
That seems to be part of the price we must pay for democracy and the right of free speech. Some religious boofhead can make an outrageous statement attacking another religion with impunity - and if that results in injury or death to others - bad luck !
We live in a crazy world !
It's leader has threatened a public book burning ceremony today - the ninth anniversary of the attack on the twin tower World Trade centre in New York.
The particular book to be burned is the Koran, the holy book of Islam - and that has thrust the threat on news broadcasts from every country on this planet - and in particular - is seen as an attack on Islam in most Islamic countries.
If the preacher heading this sect was looking for recognition - in the hope of attracting more followers - he has certainly succeeded - but at what cost ?
This totally unprovoked action will certainly incite Muslims inclined to jihad and there is every chance that a few may be moved to violence against non Muslims.
That seems to be part of the price we must pay for democracy and the right of free speech. Some religious boofhead can make an outrageous statement attacking another religion with impunity - and if that results in injury or death to others - bad luck !
We live in a crazy world !
Friday, 10 September 2010
Opportunity knocks !
Human nature and opportunity are taking advantage of the cleanup following Sunday's fierce wind storm. Council work crews are trucking away debris caused by the storm - and finding all manner of household waste mixed in on public land.
This ranges from whitegoods to general junk - and in many cases residents have taken the opportunity to prune unwanted vegetation and put it out where it will become a council responsibility.
Opportunists seem ever present. Charities with clothing bins are plagued by all manner of unwanted - and usually unuseable - goods left beside their bins which incur both transport costs and tip fees to remove.
Some people blame this trend on ever rising tip costs but in fact getting something for nothing seems deeply entrenched in the Australian psyche.
We already have the council's annual free kerbside pickup as a service and yet some residents abuse even that by dumping a mountain of rubbish - while others dump elsewhere under cover of night to keep the front of their premises pristine.
Unfortunately the illegal dumpers mostly get away with it. Eventually this discarded rubbish becomes such an eyesore that the council has no option than to deal with it - and that cost is shared city wide by all residents !
This ranges from whitegoods to general junk - and in many cases residents have taken the opportunity to prune unwanted vegetation and put it out where it will become a council responsibility.
Opportunists seem ever present. Charities with clothing bins are plagued by all manner of unwanted - and usually unuseable - goods left beside their bins which incur both transport costs and tip fees to remove.
Some people blame this trend on ever rising tip costs but in fact getting something for nothing seems deeply entrenched in the Australian psyche.
We already have the council's annual free kerbside pickup as a service and yet some residents abuse even that by dumping a mountain of rubbish - while others dump elsewhere under cover of night to keep the front of their premises pristine.
Unfortunately the illegal dumpers mostly get away with it. Eventually this discarded rubbish becomes such an eyesore that the council has no option than to deal with it - and that cost is shared city wide by all residents !
Thursday, 9 September 2010
Moving the goal posts !
What do you do if the goods you just purchased fall far short of the claim made for them ? You raise hell with the department of consumer affairs - and you expect to either get a refund or the goods replaced.
Students studying music c0mposition at the University of Wollongong will not be so lucky ! Their course has been downgraded and instead of high quality teachers providing excellence what remains of the course will be taught by casual staff. The ranking achieved will therefore have lesser significance in the music world as a result.
These unfortunate people will end the course owing a substantial sum in HECS - and yet what they are achieving at the end of the course is far less than what was promised when the course began.
Surely if the goal posts are moved - the HECS need to move with them !
If the course is downgraded, then those students should have the same right to go to consumer affairs and petition to have the money owing by way of HECS to suffer a similar fate.
Otherwise - it is a clear case of double standards !
Students studying music c0mposition at the University of Wollongong will not be so lucky ! Their course has been downgraded and instead of high quality teachers providing excellence what remains of the course will be taught by casual staff. The ranking achieved will therefore have lesser significance in the music world as a result.
These unfortunate people will end the course owing a substantial sum in HECS - and yet what they are achieving at the end of the course is far less than what was promised when the course began.
Surely if the goal posts are moved - the HECS need to move with them !
If the course is downgraded, then those students should have the same right to go to consumer affairs and petition to have the money owing by way of HECS to suffer a similar fate.
Otherwise - it is a clear case of double standards !
Wednesday, 8 September 2010
What if ?
What if Tony Windsor and Rob Oakshott had not agreed to support Julia - and each has chosen a different party ? Equal numbers. No winner. Back to the voters for another election ?
Then again, maybe a totally different approach that has never been tried before.
What if we banned political parties and insisted that every issue that came before parliament be subjected to a conscience vote ? All the people we sent to represent us would make up their own minds without the party whips demanding party loyalty - or the member would be disenfranchised at the next election ?
To make that work we would need Julia and Tony to be appointed joint prime ministers in deference to the old, abandoned party political system. Both would have equal time to present their take on each item of proposed legislation - and then all the members would have a free vote.
It would restore decisions that affect us mug voters to the men and women we elect to parliament, not to be decided by the factional bosses who carve up power and pull the strings to direct their puppets.
Of course it is a ridiculous idea - and we have no hope of ever seeing parliament working like the original concept - where every village sent it's wisest person to vote and make decisions. We are stuck with party politics since almost the dawn of time - and that will not change any time soon.
But - so far there is no law to prevent us dreaming along the lines of " what if ? "
Then again, maybe a totally different approach that has never been tried before.
What if we banned political parties and insisted that every issue that came before parliament be subjected to a conscience vote ? All the people we sent to represent us would make up their own minds without the party whips demanding party loyalty - or the member would be disenfranchised at the next election ?
To make that work we would need Julia and Tony to be appointed joint prime ministers in deference to the old, abandoned party political system. Both would have equal time to present their take on each item of proposed legislation - and then all the members would have a free vote.
It would restore decisions that affect us mug voters to the men and women we elect to parliament, not to be decided by the factional bosses who carve up power and pull the strings to direct their puppets.
Of course it is a ridiculous idea - and we have no hope of ever seeing parliament working like the original concept - where every village sent it's wisest person to vote and make decisions. We are stuck with party politics since almost the dawn of time - and that will not change any time soon.
But - so far there is no law to prevent us dreaming along the lines of " what if ? "
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